A couple of weeks ago, I saw a blog that said that we should unite with the Trekkies out there and save science fiction from a bitter end. When I initially read it, I agreed.

But then I realized-this can never happen.

Why? Because, as many of you bloggers out there know, or at least I hope you know, Star Wars is not science fiction, but fantasy.

Think about it. Star Trek shows our future civilization exploring new worlds and seeking out new life. It is set at an exact point in the future. It is sterile and clean aboard the USS Enterprise, and everything is very science-fiction.

This is fundamentally different from Star Wars. It is evident with the first line of Episode IV-"A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away..." The saga is not anchored in time or space. It is whenever we want it to be. The adventure of Luke-a simple farm boy meeting an old wizard, receiving a mystical sword, and discovering a mysterious power he possesses, before confronting a dark foe, is all classic Campbellian Hero's Journey. The saga is lived-in, with all the ships battered and dirty and real. Impossibilities, like sound in a vacuum, plasma sabers, and cool ninja-monks doing spectacular jumps, are all okay, because this isn't the real world. Perhaps most importantly, while Star Trek is a picture of our future, Star Wars is a metaphor for who we are right now. That is the essence of fantasy, from The Lord of the Rings to Beowulf.

These two art forms-science fiction and fantasy-can never get along, no matter how they are grouped together in book stores. Star Wars is fantasy, Star Trek is sci-fi. There's no getting around that. While we can try to maintain a relatively hospitable relationship, we can never really be friends. Sorry to all those out there who disagree.