Romance

Romance has several different meanings in criticism and literature.

• Romance (genre) - the genre of romance novels, which elevate a romance plot above or equal to other plot elements (such as mystery, coming of age, quest, etc.)
• Romance - a generic name, commonly used in the 19th century, for lots of "non-serious" fiction, such as thrillers, adventure, gothic, etc.
• Ruritanian romance - stories, often adventure-based, featuring an imaginary Central or Eastern European country; see, e.g., The Lost Prince by Frances Hodgson Burnett, and Malafrena and Orsinian Tales by Ursula K. Le Guin
• Planetary romance - a story, often adventure or exploration-based, set on a single non-Earth planet; discovery or exploration of the planet, its geology, environment, biota, cultures, are typically a critical component of the story
• Scientific romance - an older name for SF; sometimes reclaimed by new writers in steampunk or other genres drawing on traditions or settings of late 19th and early 20th century