It's great that the behind-the-scenes folks involved with Star Wars were aware of possible comparisons to other science fiction films, and they went to great lengths to avoid such comparisons for their own universe. Perhaps that's what makes Star Wars so unique for its era: Lucas and company wanted a feature that could stand all its own.
As always, thanks for reading ... and May The Force Be With You!
As always, thanks for reading ... and May The Force Be With You!