Reichmarked the Stars: Representations of Colonialism in Space

Far too many SF/F stores, particularly those of a certain age, often portray "empires" and "colonies" that seem awfully similar to a lot of the actions of certain colonial powers at the end of the 19^th and beginning of the 20^th century. Does this colour our reading of these stories? Are any portrayed in a way as to have a reading that could be seen as, at least, less offensive?