SF romance

SF romance is a genre that mixes the romance novel with SFnal settings. The romantic plot is elevated to the major plot or at least one of the major plots, often in combination with a mystery.

SFnal works have often had a love story / romantic plot (see, e.g., Anne McCaffrey) and romance novels have often shaded into the fantastic by way of the gothic or supernatural elements. Lesbian and gay presses, when publishing SF, often published romantic SF (see, e.g., various titles by Naiad Press; more recently the works of Jane Fletcher).

As a publisher-adopted category, however, the SF romance genre is a relatively recent development. Traditional romance novel publishers have established SF lines (e.g., Harlequin Luna), and some SF publishers have started romance lines (e.g., Tor Romance). The Romantic Times has established a section for SF romances.

SF romances have, like SF generally, pushed the boundaries of the heterosexual pair-bonded relationship to include polyamory, non-heterosexuality, and of course heterosexual relationships outside the patriarchy. While this is by definition true of lesbian and gay SF romance, even the heterosexual romance novels have pushed the bounds.

The genre has some subspecialties, including vampire romances.

See also SF erotica.

Further reading

• Romantic SF & Fantasy Novels blog
• Elf M. Sternberg, SF Romance Rant, 2006/10/19
• Speculative romance, 2002/12/6 (Rick Kleffel reviewing men's romances)