The Dangers of Playing It Safe in Sci Fi Romance – Guest Post by Heather Massey
While romance stories promise a Happily Ever After for their heroes and heroines, there's still the matter of the journey beforehand. For many of them, the journey isn't easy. In fact, the harder it is for the couple to achieve the HEA, the more entertaining the story. This is as true for science fiction romance as it is for other romance subgenres.
I find it curious that when it comes to sci-fi romance heroes and heroines with dangerous personalities and occupations (e.g., bounty hunters, soldiers, space pirates, outlaws) there seems to be a tendency to play it safe. In other words, we don't often get a glimpse of how these heroes/heroines became so dangerous or, at the very least, defending their status. (To be fair, this element is present in other romance subgenres as well).
Are there benefits to pulling punches in stories featuring characters whose very nature and/or occupation demand that they know how to punch, and punch often? It's a survival skill, if nothing else, so why aren't they using it more often? True, we're often told about a character's ruthless nature, but how often can we truly say we've encountered characters who demonstrate their ruthlessness right there on the page?
Sometimes, there are tough-and-sexy characters whose dark and edgy nature only runs skin deep. For example, the space pirate who is good "on" the page but whose criminal exploits are only described "off" the page. Being a criminal isn't a coat easily removed! What are readers supposed to believe: what the story tells them, or what it shows them?
By playing it safe, one runs the risk of boring readers.
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Sci-fi romance is a subgenre where I question the idea of playing it safe, especially when a story features cutthroat, badass, or unsavory characters. After all, it can be a very dangerous universe out there. Why place characters in threatening situations if they're not going to respond accordingly? Might as well handcuff them for all the good their rough-and-tough nature is doing them. It's not enough to look tough; they have to act tough.
Is it bad to enjoy such characters? No.
Authors showing and readers enjoying tough characters in action does not equal an endorsement of their unscrupulous ways. The point is to entertain not only with their outrageous behaviors, but also their growth. They are more than the sum of their badass parts.
These characters aren't always supposed to be likeable, either—that's part of the appeal. And the more they show their true colors in the story's beginning, the sweeter and more meaningful the moment of redemption when they change for the better—and for love.
Are there lines that tough heroes and heroines would do best not to cross? Probably, although a qualifying factor is that such lines shift from reader to reader. But as long as their redemption is plausible, I don't see a reason to hold them back.
What are your thoughts?
About the author:
Heather Massey is a lifelong fan of science fiction romance. She searches for sci-fi romance adventures aboard her blog, The Galaxy Express.
She's also an author: Her latest sci-fi romance is Queenie's Brigade, now available from Red Sage Publishing. To learn more about her published work, visit www.heathermassey.com.
