Both Star Trek and 40k have space elves (Vulcans and Eldar respectively),

Muh superior but arrogant elder race is easier to translate than ye wacky drunk midgets.

>>49854651
That's pretty much it.

I know Star Wars has elves too, in the form of the Nagai (more like dark elves, but same shit), but I don't know if they have dwarves.

In the collective mental architecture of the human logos, elves represent something transcending or post-human whereas dwarves represent something beneath or pre-human, making elves more easily translatable into futuristic terms since we're all pretty much on board with the forward progress/improvement of the human race at this point.

>>49854660
neimoidians? toydarians (specially in EU)?

>>49854639
While elves and dwarves have narrow definitions, the key difference is that elves have a loose definition and dwarves have a very rigid definition.

>>49854679

Could you expand this a little bit? You use "definition" on both sides of your equation which makes it difficult to understand.

>>49854639

In Star Trek:

Vulcans: High Elves.
Romulans: Dark Elves.
KLINGONS: Dwarves.

>>49855516
Look how just about every fantasy setting has their own take on elves, even if they follow the same basic design (for example, elves in Warhammer, Warmachine, Elder Scrolls, and DnD are all very different), while dwarves in virtually any setting are all Axebeard Anvilstout the short alcoholic Scottish miner (with the exception of TES dwarves, who were actually elves anyway). Hell, Warmachine dwarves are considered pretty original because they don't have beards!

>>49854639
Star trek's dwarfs are the ferengi.

Short Jewish types who like to acquire wealth and possessions.

File: Klingon Scientists.jpg (38KB, 286x267px) Image search: [Google]

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>>49855632
>Implying Klingons aren't Orcs

File: I can rigg it.jpg (48KB, 502x616px) Image search: [Google]

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>>49854639
The big problem is mostly that Dwarves are primarily associated with mining, tunneling, mountains, and the underground, all very terrestrial notions. Translating them into sci-fi tends to sacrifice some of their dwarfiness in a way that being a long-lived humanoid who eschews base desires in favor of more esoteric truths simply doesn't.

If they use planet crackers to get at the juicy mineral interiors of planets, they don't feel dwarfy.

If they skiff from asteroid to asteroid gleaning material wealth, they don't feel dwarfy.

Everyone has advanced manufacturing methods, "makes stuff super-good" isn't really a defining trait in sci-fi.

A tendency towards Isolationism doesn't help, it's one thing when you can just slap a big ol' door on a mountain side and not open it. Enforcing a border in space tends to require a much more active approach that starts looking less like a dwarf and more like something else.

Also, if they didn't cohabitate a homeworld with your space-elves, people are going to look at a racial enmity from a species of militaristically inclined aliens and assume space-orc.

>>49858204
To be completely fair, sci-fi representations of elves have deviated a ton from their fantasy counterparts as well. Often having only a few things in common, ancient and/ or mysterious origin and their appearances, being most often used traits.
I think there's a lot of untapped potential in Space Dwarves, and have a few ideas that could work for them.
My first thought is repurposing them to be the tech savvy race of the future, to reflect their part in fantasy of forging the best equipment around. Ship engineers, technicians, the whole nine yards.

>>49854639
You forgot the best space-dwarves.

File: Is this EarthClan Serious.jpg (24KB, 534x404px) Image search: [Google]

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>>49858529
But it's okay, I forgot my picture

>>49854639
Hey now, Narn are in no way Dwarves.
Minbari are pretty much space elves ill give you(right down to human mixing, etc) but Babylon 5 really didnt have a lot of other races to fill gaps like that. They were more societal mirrors of things.