…K-i-s-s-i-n-g!
I know. Romance and science fiction hybrid stories? Scandalous.
But is it really? Isn’t this rather old news, that writers in mainstream, niche, and fan fiction venues have blended romance and science fiction in books, films, television, graphic novels, and even videogames?
In light of runaway blockbuster hybrid films like Avatar, it is rather passé. These days, science fiction romance stories (including romantic SF) are poised to exit the ghetto. Because it’s one thing to say you don’t care for romance-SF blends, and quite another to say they have no place in science fiction...or romance, for that matter.
The cat’s already out of the Han and Leia bag.
Therefore, I reckon it’s a right swell time to have this conversation again—the one about the changing nature of science fiction. And here are a few happening right now:
Over at SF Signal, there’s a discussion brewing in the weekly Mind Meld about the blending of romance and science fiction, with participants being asked the participants these questions, “Is there a taboo against romance in science fiction? What does romance bring to the SF genre? What are some good examples of romance in SF that illustrate this?”
Recently, I speculated on my blog about Why SF Fandom Is Full of Romance Haterz:
“…for decades, romance, SF, and action-adventure were segregated along gender lines (see my previous post A Brief History of Science Fiction Romance). That went a long way toward constricting the definition of a science fiction story, a romance story, and what were the “acceptable” elements to include in either one.Is it any wonder that, in large part, SF authors were conditioned to avoid including romance in their stories, and that romance authors were conditioned to avoid including speculative/action-adventure elements in theirs?”
Then I noticed that Jacqueline Lichtenberg posed a similar question at Alien Romances in Why Do “They” Despise Romance?:
“I've been blogging here about how we can change the public perception into a respect for Romance in general, and the cross-genre Romance forms in particular.
In exploring that issue, we've examined the whole publishing field and much of the screenwriting world, the writer's business model, and even the esoteric roots of human emotion. But we still haven't solved the problem.”
In Why do I read more male SF writers?, SF author Ann Wilkes reveals the following:
“Here's my problem. I'm an advocate of women writing speculative fiction because, well, I'm a woman, and more importantly, a woman who writes speculative fiction. But if I'm such an advocate, why do I read novels by men far more than those written by women?
Perhaps it's because I know I won't get any romance in my science fiction.”
Ding ding ding! Science fiction romance author KS Augustin responds to the post—at Ann Wilkes’ blog, no less! She states that:
“Romance is not merely about the kissing and the sex. Romance is about the psychology of the people involved and how they try to establish connections while the universe is against them. What a lot of SF writers have forgotten, in my opinion, is that you take yourself with the technology.”
In Dick Does Chick Flick, JP Frantz expresses concern that by including a romance in the The Adjustment Bureau (September 2010), the filmmakers ruined a perfectly good Philip K. Dick story:
“Is this some sort of mad attempt by the writers to cram a romance storyline into a PKD novel? Is that even possible and if so, Matt Damon?!”
Is The Adjustment Bureau doomed? Time will tell, but in the meantime, I responded with a post of my own and pointed out that folks are consistently describing this film as “science fiction romance….” Frankly, if films like The Adjustment Bureau attract more readers to science fiction, then that’s a good thing.
Whether you agree or disagree about the place of romance in SF, my challenge to you is this: Let’s have a conversation about romance in science fiction that’s constructive instead of destructive. What’s your response to the Mind Meld questions? And just as importantly, how does science fiction as a whole benefit from cross-genre stories?
Heather Massey is a blogger who travels the sea of stars searching for science fiction romance adventures aboard The Galaxy Express. Additionally, she pens a science fiction romance column for LoveLetter, Germany's premier romance magazine.
Thursday June 17, 2010 04:49pm EDT
Thursday June 17, 2010 05:02pm EDT
I thought that the sf community had outgrown the "you got romance cooties in my science fiction!" long ago.
Especially with all the authors who write wonderful science fiction romances. (Asaro, Lee & Miller, Bujold, Baker, Czerneda come immediately to mind)
I personally don't like dystopias, so I don't read 'em. I don't think they somehow "contaminate" the entire genre. If you don't like romantic elements in your sf -- don't read those books.
Thursday June 17, 2010 05:14pm EDT
There is Romance as a a genre, and romance as a character interaction arc.
Building up characters and their interactions in a way that makes sense to the SF reader may not be easy.
On the other hand, there is a lot of character driven and relationship driven stuff out there.
VIEW ALL BY · Thursday June 17, 2010 05:30pm EDT
'specially since I don't often connect with M/F romances on a general basis in fiction.
I do like "bad" gay mystery novels though, but I haven't found a reviewer to recommend gay sci-fi romances with whom I agree.
VIEW ALL BY · Thursday June 17, 2010 05:35pm EDT
VIEW ALL BY · Thursday June 17, 2010 06:08pm EDT
Thursday June 17, 2010 06:20pm EDT
Thursday June 17, 2010 06:21pm EDT
Personally, I don't enjoy that type of romance but like many others, I find myself shipping characters and love it when romance just makes it's way in and actually influences the story and helps to move along the main plot along.
VIEW ALL BY · Thursday June 17, 2010 08:24pm EDT
Thursday June 17, 2010 10:19pm EDT
That said, I think that writers who do go into SF and Fantasy genres tend to spend more time (perhaps out of necessity) on subplots and of course, worldbuilding. Whereas someone writing SF out of the romance genre might include romantic elements.
It's kinda like writing from different base camps. I'm not sure that will ever truly change, but I see more blending, where there may be equal emotion spent on the romance and the non-romance plot elements.
Thursday June 17, 2010 10:56pm EDT
Thursday June 17, 2010 11:15pm EDT
One story I am currently writing has a relationship developing along with the rest of the plot. I hope it is favorably received when finished. I was told at one conference I attended that in modern fiction, regardless of genre, relationships had to be addressed as well as the rest of the elements in the story. I have attempted to follow that advice ever since. I would recommend that we as writers explore relationships where they fit into the story but don't contrive a relationship where it doesn't fit.
I'll get off my soapbox now...
VIEW ALL BY · Friday June 18, 2010 12:14am EDT
I'm also male and as far back as I can remember the love story aspect has been a very important part of SF for me. I attribute this to having started my SF reading with Edgar Rice Burroughs. "A Princes of Mars" is, after all, the courtship of a Martian Princesses, as are the rest of the Mars books. Tarzan has Romance as a major plot driver to.
Friday June 18, 2010 12:32am EDT
Obviously romance in published scifi works at least somewhat differently from that in fanfic, but I think the two genres still have a lot to offer each other.
Friday June 18, 2010 12:34am EDT
VIEW ALL BY · Friday June 18, 2010 01:08am EDT
But I guess most of the people on this forum would not consider this as "science fiction", as the writers have no "creditials" in the SF community.
Friday June 18, 2010 10:42am EDT
Nowadays, it's hard to tell where one leaves off and the other begins, since the best-selling titles in either genre (as any glance at a bookstore rack will tell you) are in the crossover categories of Urban Fantasy / Paranormal Romance.
With Science Fiction, it's a little bit different, since the "Ur-SF" might be seen in the adventure / traveller type tale. This can take a major romantic cast -- the example of Burroughs above, or McCaffrey -- but in many ways, these still have a "fairy tale"-ish FEEL to it. (Are those "dragons" or "genetically engineered flying lizards"? Is it "psionics" or "magic"? Would the story be substantially changed if they were swapped around?)
VIEW ALL BY · Friday June 18, 2010 12:04pm EDT · amended on Friday June 18, 2010 05:15pm EDT
It is even more difficult to avoid romance coming into the way of the overall plot in a consciously cross-genre book.
I mean, what happens is usually that relationship stuff intrudes at the most inappropriate times and characters who are in imminent danger or whatever begin to incongruously mope over their romantic life, etc.
Or that what should be world-changing decisions become overshadowed by "will they, won't they" dance.
Or that other relationships become totally side-lined by (at least potentially) romantic ones, which makes character interaction in general shallow.
Also, in case of heroines, they are often sabotaged by the authorial need to provide them with a "worthy" ("alpha-male, blergh) partner, so that they don't get to be badasses of the piece and/or have to constantly excuse themselves for/emo about their heroic status, as well as have frequent moments of weakness so that teh man can show his "protectiveness".
The need for "Happily Ever After" constrains the plots even more.
All of the above hamstrings a lot of otherwise promising fantasy and urban fantasy books and I am not eager to see it in SF too.
Yes, it can be done well. Bujold did it well in her Vorkosigan saga, though she gradually lost that balance in her fantasy. Some of the Miller and Lee books do it well. But it is rare and even those who manage can easily lose the handle on it.
Friday June 18, 2010 12:33pm EDT
1) "Romance" = "A story primarily about the relationship between two people of attracting genders." If this is your definition, then of course a Sci-Fi romance can work. See aforementioned Civil Campaign.
2) "Romance" = "The Romance Genre", a genre with its own conventions and rules every bit as strong as the mystery genre and stronger than the SF genre. I don't think these work terribly well. SF/Mystery works mostly because the mystery usually explores the SF aspect of the word, but the romances rarely do. I won't say this is an absolute, but for the most part you could take the alien lover and substitute a wild man/savage warrior/high lord, move the setting from the Andromeda galaxy to the Wild West/Imperial China/Mideval Scotland, and keep the rest of the story exactly the same. The genre romances tend to stay genre romances, no matter how exotic the setting, and the SF is no more than background description.
3) "Romance" = "George Lucas Love Story", where the love story is obviously tacked on at the end and adds nothing to the rest of the plot. Typical of movie SF, where we have an attractive female scientist for pretty much no reason except to get together with the hero at the end. Tends to result in romantic angst at inappropriate times, like when we're 5 minutes from the end of the world. I'm not a fan.
Basically, I think SF/Romance CAN be done well, but that there is reason for skepticism. It's difficult to write a good story blending romance with exploring some aspect of science-fiction. It's too easy to fall into the trap of either making the SF just window dressing for a typical bodice-ripper, or making the romance an extraneous part of what seems to an outside observer a far more interesting story.
Saturday June 19, 2010 04:58am EDT
--Dave
PS: the captcha is "put mounties", which can do naught but make it Better, right?
VIEW ALL BY · Sunday June 20, 2010 06:27pm EDT
A good story is like a healthy diet- a little bit of everything is needed to keep it going. (no slim fast thank you.)
my best example after the others before me: joe haldeman's "the forever war". filled with technical jargon that made me slow down, but in the end, it was (mostly) about people.
VIEW ALL BY · Sunday June 20, 2010 06:35pm EDT
Just dropping in while I was looking at the site. If someone has already said what I've said then, "I'm with Spartacus."
Sunday June 20, 2010 06:50pm EDT
Tuesday June 22, 2010 08:26pm EDT
Wednesday June 30, 2010 03:52pm EDT
Friday July 02, 2010 03:07pm EDT
Barrayar, the sequel, is also very good, as are the rest of Bujold's Vorkosigan series which have won many well-desrved awards.
Thursday July 22, 2010 09:32am EDT
Oh, wait; there's Heinlein's "Job; a comedy of Justice" where the entire book is driven by the love between Marga and Alex. And Dorothy and Richard in Doc Smith's Skylark series. And Leif and Fulla in Lester Del Rey's "Day of the Giants". I won't go on, it would be beating a dead horse. Romance and science have always been, I would say, romanticly involved.