In fairness, the original trilogy had the used future look to an extent - the X wings in the Death Star attack for example had scars on them. It is only the wonderful prequels that everything looked all glossy.
True, but I was using Star Wars more as a generic example than picking on it specifically. I could just as easily have said Star Trek or even Bab 5. Many future society visions have an overall "bright" aesthetic even if some details are a little dark, but they are still overall a long way from the "SF noir" of Blade Runner or Alien, and that's where I see a certain kinship with ED.
Take the supercruise sound, for example. In most space SF where such things are depicted the accompanying sound is a whooshing or engine sound. In ED it is like distant thunder or waves crashing over rocks in the dark. Very different feel.