A recent post over on The Galaxy Express ("Does Science Fiction Romance Need a Gene Roddenberry?") got me to thinking. Science fiction romance (SFR), as a sub-genre, has been around for awhile. Science fiction on TV has been a popular genre for many years (Star Trek: TNG, how I miss you). I know a ton of women read sci-fi/fantasy. So why hasn't SFR taken off in popularity like paranormal romance?
Disclaimer: I wouldn't call myself an avid SFR reader. I lean more toward the paranormal side of things. But I've read a few. I've read the backs of even more and put them back on the shelf at the bookstore. Why?
They seem too fluffy.
I'm not saying that the authors didn't put a lot of time and effort into writing the books. That's not what I mean. I think what it comes down to is world-building. Science fiction, to me, is all about the world the writer has created and what's happening in that world. That's what the focus is of the best sci-fi I've read.
DRAGONSDAWN by Anne McCaffrey is the science fiction prequel that tells the origins of the Dragonriders of Pern. It is hands-down my favourite Pern novel. The entire book is about the colonization of the planet and the incredible challenges the colonists encounter. You've got space travel, genetic engineering, exploring an alien planet, dealing with an alien threat—a sci-fi cornucopia. All that and a smidgen of romance.
If you were to turn it around and focus on the romance, it wouldn't be the same book. It couldn't be. Something would have to be sacrificed from the story. By definition, a romance is the story of two people meeting, overcoming obstacles, and falling in love. You can have other plots (hence the various sub-genres of romance) but the main storyline is always the romance. Following this definition, the main conflicts in DRAGONSDAWN would have to take a back seat to the romance plot. The world couldn't be as rich because it wouldn't be the focus of the book.
In a lot of the SFRs I've picked up, the world-building has been diminished to focus on the romance. And that's okay, because (like I said above) the romance is the main focus of the story. But this doesn't work for me all that well. I can't speak for any other readers, but when I read sci-fi, I want an intricately planned world and odd, interesting characters to be the focus. When I read romance, I want characters I can fall in love with so that, when they fall in love, I can experience their happiness. Stitching those two genres together is incredibly difficult. (For an example of how not to do it, look at Defying Gravity. Ugh.) I'm not saying there aren't SFR books out there that do that; I, unfortunately, haven't read them.
Now, let's look at the success of paranormal romance. Most of the most popular authors set their stories in the modern world, with a twist. So, except for the proliferation of vampires, witches, werewolves, etc., the world in the book is the same one we live in. I think this is a important factor in the popularity of paranormal romance versus SFR. The reader doesn't have to learn all about a new planet, new cities, new technology, new cultures, new creatures, and so on. The reader knows the world already; all they need is a crash course in what's different. It makes it much easier to relate to the characters, to put ourselves in the heroine's shoes, because the reader sees a version of the character's world every day.
Can SFR match the popularity of paranormal romance? Eventually. But I think that the breakthrough novels that start the shockwave of success will be novels set in the modern world with a sci-fi twist. That's what worked for paranormals.
Happy writing!
Update: December 2024
2 weeks ago
3 comments:
Hmm. Interesting topic. I may have to try writing one at some point. I do have an idea germ that I could combine with romance to make into an SFR. After I get some of my other projects finished of course.
I stumbled on your post via my Google search for Science Fiction Romance and as a frequent flyer on The Galaxy Express, I read it with great interest. As a Skiffy Rommer (SFR writer) I found your feedback very insightful. Some of us are hard at work on novels that balance a compelling romance with interesting science and world-building. A romance-driven story is technically called a Futuristic Romance. In true SFR (though no one's sure what the definition of that really is) the romance shouldn't overwhelm the story, it should be an equal partner with the adventure, mystery or conflict created by a unique world, technology or time. I think Linnea Sinclair once compared it to having a starship with two drives. Both drives have to be delivering the same amount of thrust for the ship to move forward as it should. That analogy always worked well for me.
It's a difficult genre to write because a lot of research is needed to develop plausible technology--though liberal doses of imagination are usually applied--but the science shouldn't be the entire focus and it shouldn't overshadow the relationship. It should help set the framework of the struggle or conflict between the characters.
I still run into readers and authors that have no idea SFR even exists. What our little subgenre needs is a major breakout story that will take the universe by storm and draw some attention to the fact that, yes, Virginia, there is such a thing as SFR, and it's, as Spock would say, "Fascinating."
Thanks for a great post. :)
Thank you for your comments, Laurie. I'm glad you found the post insightful. As I mentioned, I haven't read much SFR, unfortunately, although I would like to find more that appeals to me. I love science fiction and fantasy, and I love romance, so it's a perfect genre for me! I agree that it's a struggle to balance the intricate world-building of SF with the intricate relationship building of romance, and trying to have the two on equal footing is a huge challenge.
I wish all the SFR authors out there all the best in creating that breakout novel, because I know it will come along at some point. There are a ton of sci-fi geekettes out there like me who are just waiting for it.
Thanks again for your visit and taking the time to comment!
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