It seemed absolutely natural to me, when I first opened a new document with a blank page, that a book set in space in the far future could—maybe should—involve mindmelding.
In retrospect, this was not a normal assumption to start writing a book with.
In my defence, there is a long history of mindmelding and other psychic shenanigans in the space opera genre. The element features heavily in Hugo-winning modern science fiction like Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie and Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee; classics like Dune and Star Trek; every flavour of story in between. Soulbonding is also a trope with a long history in fandom and SFF romance, generally romantic but sometimes platonic, with mindreading and shared feelings in infinite combinations.
