Looking for relationship-focused fantasy and scifi

[Joanna Chaplin]

I love the Sharing Knife series by Lois McMaster Bujold. I'm looking for more books and series in scifi and fantasy that have a heavy focus on a healthy relationship. But I'm afraid to go looking too hard because I'm not as much interested in paranormal romance or urban fantasy. Less erotic, more lovey-dovey. World building and good characterization is a plus. Extra bonus points for recommendations with same-sex couples, since those relationships aren't as common in fiction in my reading so far. But I'm looking for all kinds of relationships, as long as they are deep.

[Michele]

Grimspace is a good one although I believe it falls towards the erotic side as there are sex scenes but mostly relationship focus. Very brash but likeable characters and an interesting world.

[Joe Informatico]

Barbara Hambley's Those Who Hunt the Night features as its protagonists a Victorian era ex-spy and his recent bride, a physician, who are forced to solve the mystery of a serial killer targeting vampires. They have a similar relationship based on mutual professional admiration that we saw in last month's S&L pick, A Natural History of Dragons. There's also a sequel, Traveling with the Dead, but I haven't read it.

I echo Clare's recommendation for Grimspace, but again, I'm not familiar with the later books.

You might also like another Bujold book, Shards of Honour, the first Vorkosigan saga book (in publication order).

There's also Simon R. Green's Hawk and Fisher stories. They're basically about a husband and wife couple who are town guards in a huge fantasy city. I'm only familiar with the earlier stories, where they're very professional and capable, but not very heavy on the romance.

[David Sven]

I would go with Robin Hobb's books starting with Assassin's Apprentice. It's not so much that there are healthy relationships but rather there are some very interesting and complex relationships and a lot of the dramatic tension is focused on the relationships between characters.

[Michele]

Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner is about two men, excellent story.

Dragon Prince by Melanie Rawn is the first in a six book series, after the 2 MCs (man and woman) get together in the first book the rest is about them and their family. Lots of politics and some violence (rape and attempted rape). An old favorite of mine.

Tam Lin by Pamela Dean is a great book about a group of friends in the 60s going to a small college and getting mixed up with the Faerie court. There is a lot of relationship mess typical of college kids, but not like a typical YA emo mess.

Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar series has a lot of romantic side plots and couples who work together, plus there several same-sex couples.

Dune has some good relationships in it, Paul and Chani are a strong couple and Jessica and Duke Leto are also.

Katherine Kerr's Deverry series has a story arc running through them about a couple who was separated and keep getting reincarnated and meeting over and over until they can fix what went wrong the first time.

I can't think of any more right now.

[Joanna Chaplin]

Joe Informatico wrote: "Barbara Hambley's Those Who Hunt the Night features as its protagonists a Victorian era ex-spy and his recent bride, a physician, who are forced to solve the mystery of a serial kille..."

I have actually read the entire Vorkosigan Saga and I love it. I do think Aral and Cordelia fall in love a little too conveniently, but I love them as a married couple later in the series.

[Tamahome]

Relationships? Same sex? Sounds like Samuel Delany to me, who S&L is reading this month.

[Joanna Chaplin]

Tamahome wrote: "Relationships? Same sex? Sounds like Samuel Delany to me, who S&L is reading this month."

I just finished The Einstein Intersection just an hour ago. While there are plenty of non-traditional relationships, there isn't a lot of time spent on any one. Chasing after your love is not the same as living and working and being a partner to your love. But I'll probably check out more Delany after this.

[Viola]

Maybe the Nightrunner series by Lynn Flewelling. In the first two books the relationship between the two main characters is being built and the rest of the series is living and working together. The first book is Luck in the Shadows. It is a same sex couple.

[Abby]

Michele wrote: "Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner is about two men, excellent story.

Dragon Prince by Melanie Rawn is the first in a six book series, after the 2 MCs (man and woman) get toge..."

I second Mercedes Lackey (check out some of her other stuff, not just Valdemar: it's good too!) and also would like to add Marion Zimmer Bradley. Classic. She wrote fantasy and science fiction, though her SF really felt like fantasy to me. The relationships are very important in her books, not always just romantic though, so if that's what you're looking for, you'll have to be a bit choosier.

If you're not against children's books, Tamora Pierce is a great choice.

[Nancy]

I second the Nightrunner series.

This isn't about a same-sex couple by Mary Robinette Kowal's Glamourist Histories series sounds like a good fit for you. The main couple gets together in the first book and the following ones have a heavy focus on their developing relationship.

[Vickstar]

I second the Dragon Prince series by Melanie Rawn - plenty of complex relationship dynamics and a huge cast of characters that age as the series progresses. The main characters are two of my favourite personalities and the world building and plotting are detailed and engrossing.

As a lighter read, I also enjoyed Promised Land by Connie Willis and Cynthia Felice which was written specifically as SF romance (not erotica). They wrote other books together but I've had some trouble tracking them down as they are older and possibly out of publication. Maybe they're on kindle now!

[Kevin]

It's not exactly epic fantasy, but the Jumper books Jumper,Reflex,Impulse are very relationship and day-to-day-life-with-super-teleporting-powers-and-bad-guys-hunting-you focussed.

Short story: Eros, Philia, Agape: A Tor.Com Original Great story about the nature of love and relationships (not necessarily about a healthy relationship though). It's free online!

The Saga, Volume 1 graphic novel. A couple with a baby on the run through space dodging bounty hunters, soldiers, aristocratic robots and disapproving parents.

[Tamahome]

I haven't read it except the beginning, but Ascension seems to be same-sex-people-of-color-relationship-oriented. There even seems to be a fetish over dirty fingernails, which is also a Delany thing.

[John (Nevets)]

Oh, yea. Another reason to recommend Saga. Kevin is right, that book is all about the relationships, and character development. It just gets more so as the series keeps going. There is still sci-fi and action, but the core of the story is much more down to earth then that. I still think it is the best comic story being produced, and one of the best stories in any medium or genre.

[John (Nevets)]

For a little more info on Saga, I just saw this got posted today. Sums it up pretty well.

http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles...

[Joanna Chaplin]

I've read the first chapter of Saga on Comixology and added it to my Amazon wish list. Unfortunately, i did not receive it for Christmas.

[Dawn]

I would recommend the Tairen Soul series. More on the epic fantasy end but there is a nice romantic fantasy which is not overly erotic.

[Tamahome]

The Locke & Key comics have relationships. Not exactly healthy ones. :)

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

The Best of All Possible Worlds by Karen Lord, Palimpsest by Catherynne M. Valente.

Really, anything by Ursula K. LeGuin seems to focus on relationships to aid in understanding, maybe The Left Hand of Darkness by her paired with Embassytown by China Mieville.

I just read the second book in a new YA fantasy series - The Seers by Julianna Scott is book one. There is a central element of the anam, a soulmate type relationship, that is very important to the world.

[Viola]

Michele wrote: "Dragon Prince by Melanie Rawn is the first in a six book series, after the 2 MCs (man and woman) get together in the first book the rest is about them and their family. Lots of politics and some violence (rape and attempted rape). An old favorite of mine.

I was thinking about reading this book but now I'm not so sure. Not so sure I want to read about rape.

[Michele]

Well, all I will say about Dragon Prince series is that the rape/attempted rape aren't gratuitous or easily brushed aside by the characters, and that they have definite effects on the plot. In fact, it you keep reading through all 6 books, effects are still being dealt with many years later.

I understand unwillingness to read about it. But I don't have any bad experience to worry about triggers, and I tend to think that it is a believable occurance, I mean within the context of the stories.

This is a female author and a series with a lot of strong female characters. She is not just having bad things happen to them for the hell of it, but because rape is a reality when women are dealing with antagonistic men.

[Paul]

I haven't read it but I remember my wife ranting and raving about Love Minus Eighty...Squeecast or SF Signal did too. I swear I remember her saying something about a lesbian character(something positive)in there.
I didnt read it so ill tell you what I know.

Sci-fi written by male author and romantic-ish about relationships but not gooey because I know my wife isnt into that and hates romance novels.
Heard all positives about it from multiple sources even Veronica mentioned she was reading it at one point.

[Joanna Chaplin]

Paul wrote: "I haven't read it but I remember my wife ranting and raving about Love Minus Eighty...Squeecast or SF Signal did too. I swear I remember her saying something about a lesbian character(something pos..."

I did read Love Minus Eighty after it got so much good press. It wasn't quite the plot I was expecting, but I still really enjoyed it.

[kvon]

I'll second The Best of All Possible Worlds by Karen Lord. In addition to the central couple, there's also a developing romance between a man and a person who's officially gender neutral.

And no one has mentioned the Liaden series yet? By Sharon Lee and Steve Miller, the main relationship begins in Agent of Change between a scout and a mercenary. Many (heterosexual) romances here.

And I'm a sucker for Diane Duane's uncompleted The Door Into Fire series, and the relationships between two men, a woman, an elemental, and a dragon.

[Joanna Chaplin]

kvon wrote: "I'll second The Best of All Possible Worlds by Karen Lord. In addition to the central couple, there's also a developing romance between a man and a person who's officially gender ne..."

I'm in a phase where space elves put me off, but I'll add it to the list. The book in my head I'll probably never write might involve a minor princess and a dragon who can polymorph to human.

[Wastrel]

David Sven wrote: "I would go with Robin Hobb's books starting with Assassin's Apprentice. It's not so much that there are healthy relationships but rather there are some very interesting and complex rel..."

I'd say exactly the same. Both romantic and non-romantic relationships.

[[deleted user]]

I'll second Le Giun. Plenty of her books deal with relationships and the role of gender. From her early work her The Left Hand of Darkness to one of her more recent (and IMNSHO best) works Lavinia relationship is a central issue.

Madaline L'Engle also deals with relationships. Some are romantic but others are family or friends. The whole spectrum of relationships.