Star Trek is more fantasy than Star Wars is though.
Vulcans = space elves
Klingons = space orcs
Wizards running around casting spells and everyone just shrugs it off like it’s no big deal. Magic teleportation devices that have inconsistent abilities. Is it actually the same person that comes out on the other side? Nobody in that world even considers that. Characters say nonsense technobabble incantations and problems are magically solved.
At one point Q says he can change the constants in physics. Instead of that completely changing how everything thinks about science, Geordie just shrugs it off, “well we can’t do that, only a Q can do that.” Like hold up, Q changes a constant it proves it isn’t actually a constant, shouldn’t that fundamentally change how they’re considering everything about physics? Nope, because Q is magic, he doesn’t follow the rules of science. And everyone just accepts that.
Meanwhile in Star Wars the existence of some individuals with telekinetic, empathic, and prescient capabilities shapes their entire society. The only thing close to this in Star Trek is the Bajorans considering the wormhole aliens to be prophets. And it’s made out to be kinda strange they think this way. They’re just aliens with magical abilities, why are you making such a big deal about this, Bajorans? We see this kind of thing every other week, and don’t even bother to figure out how it works and how to reproduce it in a lab or follow any kind of scientific process. Aliens are magic, no big deal.
Imagine how lame Star Wars would be if they explained the Force was due to microscopic aliens? That would be silly of course, but that’s the level Star Trek is at isn’t it? Aliens = magic, don’t question it.
To me science fiction is about exploring the ramifications of things that don’t exist in our world. If some people did have special abilities I feel like it would have an impact on that world. Star Trek doesn’t explore this all that much because it’s closer to Homer’s Odyssey where the ship encounters some weird magical thing, the crew has to escape and on to the next magical thing.
There’s never a thought of “could someone that’s not a space elf do a mind meld?” Nope because only the space elves have the mind meld magic. Could someone build a technology that could do a mind meld? No! Only space elves can do the mind meld magic. That’s just how it works. Don’t question it. It’s magic.
People in Star Wars put a religious significance on the special abilities some people have. Some people doubt these abilities even exist because it seems too fantastical. There are religious wars fought among people with these abilities. People use these abilities to gain positions of power, and create tyrannical regimes around it.
That makes more sense to me than everyone being like “This alien can read minds, no big deal. This alien can see the future, no big deal. This alien can change gravitational constants, no big deal.”
Don’t get me wrong, I like Star Trek and all, DS9 most of all because it’s the most like Star Wars. It actually explores the ramifications of there being people with powerful abilities. Most of Star Trek doesn’t actually do that. Because it’s not really science fiction.
Interesting writeup. I am reminded of the (Asimov?) quote “any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic”. When SciFi or fantasy take place in the future, it can be difficult to tell which category they belong to. As our technology advances, we can retrospectively place them in one category or another.
Star Trek is more fantasy than Star Wars is though.
Vulcans = space elves Klingons = space orcs
Wizards running around casting spells and everyone just shrugs it off like it’s no big deal. Magic teleportation devices that have inconsistent abilities. Is it actually the same person that comes out on the other side? Nobody in that world even considers that. Characters say nonsense technobabble incantations and problems are magically solved.
At one point Q says he can change the constants in physics. Instead of that completely changing how everything thinks about science, Geordie just shrugs it off, “well we can’t do that, only a Q can do that.” Like hold up, Q changes a constant it proves it isn’t actually a constant, shouldn’t that fundamentally change how they’re considering everything about physics? Nope, because Q is magic, he doesn’t follow the rules of science. And everyone just accepts that.
Meanwhile in Star Wars the existence of some individuals with telekinetic, empathic, and prescient capabilities shapes their entire society. The only thing close to this in Star Trek is the Bajorans considering the wormhole aliens to be prophets. And it’s made out to be kinda strange they think this way. They’re just aliens with magical abilities, why are you making such a big deal about this, Bajorans? We see this kind of thing every other week, and don’t even bother to figure out how it works and how to reproduce it in a lab or follow any kind of scientific process. Aliens are magic, no big deal.
Imagine how lame Star Wars would be if they explained the Force was due to microscopic aliens? That would be silly of course, but that’s the level Star Trek is at isn’t it? Aliens = magic, don’t question it.
To me science fiction is about exploring the ramifications of things that don’t exist in our world. If some people did have special abilities I feel like it would have an impact on that world. Star Trek doesn’t explore this all that much because it’s closer to Homer’s Odyssey where the ship encounters some weird magical thing, the crew has to escape and on to the next magical thing.
There’s never a thought of “could someone that’s not a space elf do a mind meld?” Nope because only the space elves have the mind meld magic. Could someone build a technology that could do a mind meld? No! Only space elves can do the mind meld magic. That’s just how it works. Don’t question it. It’s magic.
People in Star Wars put a religious significance on the special abilities some people have. Some people doubt these abilities even exist because it seems too fantastical. There are religious wars fought among people with these abilities. People use these abilities to gain positions of power, and create tyrannical regimes around it.
That makes more sense to me than everyone being like “This alien can read minds, no big deal. This alien can see the future, no big deal. This alien can change gravitational constants, no big deal.”
Don’t get me wrong, I like Star Trek and all, DS9 most of all because it’s the most like Star Wars. It actually explores the ramifications of there being people with powerful abilities. Most of Star Trek doesn’t actually do that. Because it’s not really science fiction.
Star Trek is fantasy.
Sorry.
Interesting writeup. I am reminded of the (Asimov?) quote “any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic”. When SciFi or fantasy take place in the future, it can be difficult to tell which category they belong to. As our technology advances, we can retrospectively place them in one category or another.
“Fiction versus fantasy, one fact remains unclear: How you pretend both franchises stand solely on one tier?”
Protest the Hero - Clarity
I have nothing to add, I just love the band and will take any chance to share their song, it’s about both fandom.