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The Spacesuit-Ripping Sexcapades of Science Fiction Romance Novels
Kiss Me, Cyborg
San Francisco, 9:30 PM
Sun Nov 8
12 posts in the last 24 hours
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The Spacesuit-Ripping Sexcapades of Science Fiction Romance Novels |
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11/11/08
Well, quite frankly, I'd rather laugh my butt off than slip into a coma with boredom, which is what a lot of regular Science Fiction would do to me.
The fact is the Romance genre is the hottest selling genre there is. So, while you're all laughing at these excerpts, the authors are laughing all the way to the bank, so to speak. (no one's truly laughing at the bank in these hard economic times) Linnea Sinclair, for example, could easily be an exceptional writer of regular Science Fiction, but she can make a lot more money in the Romance aisle. And so she writes SFR.
In concession, I must say Science Fiction Romance would be so much better as a whole if there was more variety. After all, Science Fiction lovers adore the Fantastic Unknown. There are lots more readers who could love SFR, but won't even try it through no fault of their own. All the novels, except most of those by Linnea Sinclair, have graphic sex scenes, for example. This limits the subgenre's New Releases to only those readers who can stomach that. You have to go back to Anne McGaffrey otherwise. Ah, but, hopefully, SFR is evolving and one day will provide more balanced stories for a wider readership.
Seriously, guys, you won't get Girl Cooties from these books. In fact, you might pick up a few pointers with which to woo your own spacegirl. You may never look like Fabio in gravity boots, but here in the Real World I'd rather have a man who will stick around to help me raise the resulting offspring anyway. (In fact, I'm happily married to one.) Babies are not allowed in Science Fiction Romance, no matter how often the Hero and Heroine pin each other to the hull. I just cannot relate. I've been knocked up too many times to believe there will ever be a 100% effective form of contraception.
;)
Actually, Susan Grant is the only other SFR author I read right now. She is the most original storyteller in the bunch. MOONSTRUCK, in fact, turns old Romance tropes on their head. Any woman who's endured the 'double-standard' will love it. The healing power of love is a universal human truth which can be embraced by anyone who enjoys character-driven stories. There's nothing ridiculous about that.
11/10/08
11/10/08
I first read Asaro in an anthology with Lois McMaster Bujold (yes, admit it, Miles and the gang are SF romance novels!!!). JD Robb has a series of near-future police-procedurals with-romance. And as mentioned above, large chunks of McCaffrey's work. (the Acorna series is another)
It's a nice antidote to the decades of Manly Men's War Porn In Space.
I suppose the GLBT versions of these exist but they don't make it to your local B&N shelves. Theban Sacred Band In Spaaaace!
11/10/08
11/10/08