I’m a longtime Sue Grant fan. I love that fact that she so neatly brings romance fans into the SF/SFR genres. That’s not an easy task, trust me. It’s also not easy because, as Sue and I have discussed, it’s difficult to find editors who work both aisles. Very often we’re edited by someone who has a heavy romance background or science background. This affects the balance and tone of the final book. Yeah, we write our stories and yeah, we write for our readers. But when your editor says CUT or CHANGE THIS (and they’re the ones signing the checks), you do so or you do give it very serious thought. I’ll come right out and say I’ve made significant changes to my work based on my editor’s recommendations and sometimes I get feedback from fans that that wasn’t what they wanted. But when you’re hip-deep in writing and editing, it’s not always easy to figure that out. My editor’s feedback is the one I’m getting at the moment. I personally think she’s brilliant and I adore her. But sometimes we’re off base. Sometimes we’re spot-on.

Thanks all for your kind comments on my books! Again, I’m trying to keep as many people happy in both aisles as I can. I can never make everyone happy but I try as hard as I can.

Recommendations: don’t forget small press. I came out of that and there are still very groundbreaking works being penned there. Stacey Klemstein’s ZARA MITCHELL series starts with THE SILVER SPOON (Echelon Press) and continues in Feb 08 with EYE OF THE BEHOLDER. Think Roswell. Think Starman. Think V. With romance.

Isabo Kelly is another name to watch. She writes fantasy but also has SFR in her Marshall’s Guard and Kierna Rhoan (I may have that last spelled incorrectly–working with only two cups of coffee under my belt).

Pat Waddell also came out of small press: her Alliance was a small press release. She wrote historicals (Kensington, I think?) and is now back in SFR with Tor.

I think what’s happening–and this is IMHO–is that since SFR doesn’t have a clearly defined niche, following or shelf (I’m shelved in SF, Sue’s in romance), you’re going to get a bit of mixing of sub-sub genres in our books until we find our place in the sun, or in the galaxy as the case may be. Some, like Sue and Rowena Cherry, will inject more humor in certain books (to try to take the scary edge off SF or just because, hey, it’s one of those snarky days). Klemstein writes much more intensely. Me, it depends on how much caffeine is in my veins.

So some of our stuff may be lighter (and that may annoy certain readers). Some may be more intense (and that may annoy certain readers). I get flack for writing in first person (Gabriel’s Ghost). I get flack for my furzels (Games of Command). (I also get lots of kudos on both, so who’s to figure?). I think some of it comes from “well, I read X by Y last year and it had a certain flavor and was SFR, and now I’m reading yours and it’s nothing like that.”

Nope, chances are, it’s not. SFR is still expanding and evolving, trying to do what no other genre has to date: be both “tastes great” and “less filling” at the same time.

Please just keep reading us, talking about the books, posting to blogs and telling booksellers that SFR is a Fun Read. We love the feedback. We think the future is, well, very very exiciting (even if the ‘future’ is my character’s present day).

Hugs all, ~Linnea, back to deadlines…

Does Waddell write paranormals? Or am I thinking of someone else? Is she straight SFR?

Hey, Jane! Not sure, to be honest. She’s in my TBR pile based on a recommendation, but I haven’t read her yet. If I remember correctly, she’s written more historical romance that SFR. I suspect her SFR is stronger on the romance than the SF…maybe like Catherine Spangler or CJ Barry? I want to add Robin Owens to that list, but she’s another SFR (or “futuristic romance”) writer I’ve got in my TBR pile but haven’t read yet, so I’m not sure about her SFR.

IMHO, Linnea Sinclair is very good at straddling the SFR fence, but it can give her grief sometimes from readers. “True” SFF enthusiasts complain there’s too much romance. Romance readers might get impatient with the amount of SF in her work.

I’ll admit for Games of Command I was so taken with the main characters that I wanted more romance, less science fiction. (And some people might think the cutesy sentient cats were a bit much). Her Gabriel’s Ghost is my favorite of hers, and I also think it has the strongest romance.

But that’s not to say her SF isn’t fun…I really do think she’s strong in both. I think Zombie is going to be a little different that the other books from Sinclair and I’m looking forward to reading it.

Does Waddell write paranormals? Or am I thinking of someone else? Is she straight SFR?

I read Patti O’Shea’s “Ravyn’s Flight” 5 years ago when it came out – loved it then, but I’ll admit I don’t remember a lot of the details.

And I’ve got Patricia Waddell’s “True Blood” on my TBR pile, but I’ve heard good things about it!

It’s easy to get caught up in thinking of Romance and Science Fiction as being mutually exclusive, when the division is not so binary. I didn’t have a problem with the differences in the mix of Rom/SF in Grant’s novels. Rather, I enjoyed them for different reasons and in different ways. Sometimes I’m up for harder Science Fiction and sometimes I want more Romance with my SF. I don’t place a value on either type as better than the other. It’s all what I’m in the mood for.

To be completely honest, at first I was a little worried when I heard Susan was switching publishers and doing something different. But I have to say I really enjoyed Your Planet or Mine — it was a lot of fun!! I have the sequel in my TBR pile and am looking forward to reading that as well.

And so cool to hear about Moonstruck!! Can’t wait!!

Also, as someone who writes hybrids herself, I hear about the “balance” thing ALL the time. It’s tricky to do, honestly. You want to give the sci-fi fans their world and technology and all that coolness, but not neglect the love story that the romance fans are looking for. But if you worry about it too much while writing, you’ll drive yourself crazy and end up not pleasing anyone.

My hope is that readers will just relax and enjoy the story – and not be quick to dismiss something because they feel it leans too far into one genre or another.

Marianne

I’d love to try “Moonstruck” and look forward to seeing what you’ll dream up next. What would you say is the current status of SFR? Is it shrinking, expanding, changing? Lurking in the background behind all the fantasy/paranormal vampire/werewolf/whatever books?

I think Miki’s suggestion of trying Ms. Grant’s book “Contact” is a good one. It’s also a book I enjoyed a lot. As you say, Miki, the varied reactions of the humans in ‘contact’ with the aliens was dead on.

~Sue

Heather, if you haven’t tried her Contact, I would sincerely recommend it. It got some grief because it involves a highjacked plane (well, sort of) and it was released after 9/11 and Wal-Mart refused to carry it in their stores. I don’t remember specifics any more, it was five years ago!

The thing I remember most strongly about that book was the reaction of the people on the plane as they came face-to-face with people claiming to be aliens. So many SF romance books (and paranormals) gloss of this “first contact”. “Oh, you’re what? Really. Cool.”

In this story, some got angry, some got scared, some flat-out denied all of it. Some got busy, some curled up in a ball and cried. Some suspected conspiracies. All human reactions. IMHO, in Contact, she got them right!

However, this review only feeds my suspicion about many books on the shelves, namely, that so few succeed at nailing that delicate balance of good SF and good romance (as opposed to SF with romance elements). For right now, I’ll stick with the likes of Linnea Sinclair.

I would really love to hear more about what you think makes a solid SF romance. Advice for aspiring authors in this subgenre is also welcome, hint hint!

Heather