Ten Most Popular Professions for Romance Novel Heroes In Space

Mmmm…Cyborgs…

So if you're in the romance biz, I'm sure you've heard about this study that looked at the professions of romance novel heroes in a cockeyed attempt to ascertain something about women and social psychology. The issue of whether romance novels are a good place to study real-life women's real-life expectations is a whole can of worms I won't even get into. But I take other issues with the study's methodology.

…and yes, I am *totally* the kind of person to take issue with methodology…

Here's the thing: they only looked at Harlequin novels.

While I agree that Harlequin in some ways defines the romance genre, there's no denying that the publisher does not encompass the scope of the whole of the genre. Besides, one could argue that all Harlequins display a certain feel, a certain vibe. Certain guidelines are uniform throughout Harlequins various lines. Notably, Harlequin is the home of the "alpha" hero. Ok, okay, I admit– most romance involves a strong alpha hero. But that bias is stronger with certain publishers than others. Of course Harlequin novels generally feature dudes with alpha-male jobs!! A lot of lines specify in the guidelines that the hero should be an alpha male.

It's like doing a study of people under 5'10 and finding that most people are short. Or conducting a study of immigrants in the US in little El Salvador down by Seatac, then coming to the conclusion that most US immigrants are from El Salvador.

This is in no way a criticism of Harlequin. I think it's great for publishing houses to define their customer base and the type of product they want to put out. (Hehe, I said "put out.") But no one house defines romance. At least as far as I'm concerned.

For example, Harlequin doesn't have a science fiction line. Carina press, their new ebook arm, does carry scifi, but it's safe to say that scifi is a tiny, tiny subset of what the company offers. If the researchers had taken Samhain or Berkely as their sample publisher, they may have seen a lot more fantasy/paranormal. If they'd chosen Elllora's Cave or Loose Id, they would have thought, "Man! There sure are a lot of folks who own BDSM clubs in romance novels!"

I know I'm a weirdo, a geek, a nerd. I like scifi romance and paranormal, and am not a terribly big fan of contemporary. So I'm not the "average" romance reader. Still, this is my blog, and I deserve to be heard. I like romances set in space (and the future, and underwater.) So without further ado, here is a list of top professions for romance heroes in space based solely on my personal reading experience and opinions.

1. Captain

Pretty much every hero in space must be captain of his own vessel, whether it's a government ship, a smuggling operation, or a zombie fighting craft. If it's a romance, there's a 75–90% chance (depending on publisher) of the hero being an alpha male. Even in space.

2. Smuggler

In the tradition of Han Solo and Malcolm Reynolds, a lot of space heroes are smugglers, outlaws, pirates existing just barely on the wrong side of the law. Of interest, I've seen many female space smugglers too. I'd wager equal rights have come a lot further in off world.

3. Warrior

Wait…am I just listing archetypes here? It is possible.

Space warriors are generally also politicians. Their planets are in jeopardy, their people suffering.

4. Pleasure slave

Now here's a job you don't see too often in mainstream romances. But in space? Hoo-hah! There's a slave market at every port, teeming with young nubile girls and damaged but intense heroes. I love space so hard!

5. Recycling Tech Guy

In the future, you can't be throwing shit away. Food and supplies are scarce. We've poisoned, destroyed, and used up the earth and have been forced to outer reaches of the galaxy. And the guy who recycles our trash into food and clothes is a man to be respected.

6. Scientist

Yeah, we're back to listing archetypes…in space. One of the things I do love about space is there's always research going on somewhere. Either the scientist is cut off from human emotion (my favorite) or skating the line between good and evil. But space scientists are hella hot.

7. Cyborg

Mmmmm…even more cut off from human emotion than the scientist! Cyborgs are like the space version of a Navy Seal. But hotter. Way, way hotter. They have special parts…and stuff. *fans self*

8. Alien

Not really a job per se, but often sexy aliens are caught by she-scientists. To study…um, and stuff.

9. Ship's Mechanic

This guy is rarely the hero, actually. More often the one who ends up in a threesome with the heroine and the captain. But that's okay, threesomes are way more common in space.

10. Doctor, sherrif, boss, knight, prince

What, you think space doesn't need all those other professions too? There are totally princes and knights in space! They just better have their own ship and know how to outrun an enemy vessel, or they will never get the girl.

What's your favorite space profession?