You should be reading romance.

December 29, 2019 7:47 AM

Fantasy writer Casey Blair brings a brilliant introduction and reading list to the romance novel genre for readers of SF/F. The SFWA is opening its arms to romance authors disillusioned by the ongoing clusterfuck at RWA, and while this poast could focus on that badness, instead I thought we could recommend romance (whether SF/F intersectional or not) authors and books to each other.
posted by seanmpuckett (21 comments total)

On a Sunbeam (originally a webcomic, now a book) is the space travel/queer romance/boarding school story/graphic novel you need in your life. I literally hugged the book when I finished it. Definitely in my 2019 top ten.
posted by Flannery Culp at 8:21 AM on December 29, 2019 [9 favorites]

Saw JScalzi's tweet earlier and man, y'know what, I *should* read some romance. I'm exactly the target demo for this as a life-long SF fan who's long intellectually recognized romance as a rich and valid genre but never actually engaged with it.

I'm actually trying to make short stories more of a part of my life this winter. Does anyone have any recommendations for short collections? Seems especially challenging to build a compelling and interesting relationship in under 3-4 thousand words.
posted by midmarch snowman at 8:25 AM on December 29, 2019 [3 favorites]

Oh hey, Casey! Casey is awesome - she's a con friend of mine.

I was really pleased to see Mary Robinette reaching out to romance writers, because there's definitely overlap in some cases and a lot of old-school, frankly sexist sneering at romance within SFF that needs to die in a fire ASAP. It's good (not surprising, but good) to see the SFWA President leading the way past that.
posted by restless_nomad at 8:47 AM on December 29, 2019 [7 favorites]

The most recent (that I know of) AskMe Romance Recs thread is this one, which was focused on diversity reading.
posted by jacquilynne at 8:56 AM on December 29, 2019 [3 favorites]

I'm actually trying to make short stories more of a part of my life this winter. Does anyone have any recommendations for short collections? Seems especially challenging to build a compelling and interesting relationship in under 3-4 thousand words.

Romance collections are more likely to come in novella length, especially in anthologies featuring three or four authors. Christmas is a popular theme.

Last night I read the Kate Clayborn story in A Snowy Little Christmas featuring a couple of side characters from her Chance of a Lifetime series. (Which I would also heartily recommend: the first, Beginner's Luck, had me wanting to learn a lot more about complicated microscopes.) Anyway, it was good and fun and featured one of my favorite romance tropes, being snowed in.
posted by asperity at 9:22 AM on December 29, 2019

It's good (not surprising, but good) to see the SFWA President leading the way past that.

"Sorry for the kissing parts."
posted by asperity at 9:50 AM on December 29, 2019

Anyone who earns a living writing genre fiction is in no position to throw stones at folks working in another genre. The ground rules are different, is all: but Sturgeon's Law ("90% of everything is crap") applies everywhere, no less in SFF than in Romance, and by extension, 10% of everything is good and worth celebrating.

PS: and really, Courtney Milan falls into that 10% bracket—she's a really good writer!
posted by cstross at 10:09 AM on December 29, 2019 [11 favorites]

Try KJ Charles' Charm of Magpies series. (Don't be put off by the covers, which are pretty bad; they deserve better art.) It's an m/m Victorian magical romance with elements of horror. KJ Charles is good in general, whether or not there are fantastic elements in her books.
posted by Countess Elena at 10:19 AM on December 29, 2019 [2 favorites]

If you like historical or mystery, Proper English by KJ Charles is a good romance. It's basically all the things, while being my favorite kind of mystery, the house party. (Or if you like that with more SF, smut, and bondage, Poison or Protect by Gail Carriger.)

One of my favorite SF romances lately was Exit Plans for Teenage Freaks by 'Nathan Burgoine. My favorite thing about it is that the main character is in the midst of exciting stuff that most YA characters would be totally focused on. He is, instead, focused on the guy he has a crush on. Exciting things happening just get in the way.

Don't quite remember how short they are, but Hamilton's Battalion is a collection of three novellas, loosely tied to Alexander Hamilton. Authors are Courtney Milan, Rose Lerner, and Alyssa Cole. Or if you want a novella with mystery and vampires, Drinker Class X by Sasha L. Miller. Both the mystery and romance are fabulous and utterly satisfying.

That Inevitable Victorian Thing by E.K. Johnston has an alternate history, but is set around now/near future where the British empire still rules because they kept promises and built with people from their colonies. We follow the royal family (who are POC) in Canada and the crown princess falling in love with a young woman. I really wish this was a series because I want so much more, but it's a stand-alone.
posted by Margalo Epps at 10:23 AM on December 29, 2019 [3 favorites]

For SF readers in particular, I would recommend Alyssa Cole's Radio Silence series, which features diverse characters (including non-hetero pairings) in a near-future post-apocalyptic world trying to figure out what went wrong during the big event and how they can best function in the new world.
posted by jacquilynne at 10:32 AM on December 29, 2019 [3 favorites]

Oh, and Casey Blair isn't sure you can read Hold Me with no context. You can. I haven't read the first book (can't stand billionaire books) and I absolutely love Hold Me. I've read it several times.

And thanks for the post; I've placed holds at the library for the books I haven't already read. (I've largely loved the ones I already have.)
posted by Margalo Epps at 10:37 AM on December 29, 2019

I'm not sure what to file this under, but SF/adventure readers might also like Georgette Kaplan's "Easy Nevada and the Pyramid's Curse". Which is kinda-sorta what happens when a lesbian romance author tackles genderswapped Indiana Jones, except it's not fanfic and this description sells it way short: it's a snarky, grotesque, non-stop adventure yarn that seems to have parachuted into a romance publisher's list because the author promised them a crystal skull and a treasure map. (Yes, there is a sequel.)
posted by cstross at 11:19 AM on December 29, 2019 [7 favorites]

I was just thinking to myself that I'd like to explore romances more in the new year: I want to read more, and I want things that are just plain fun to read, and romance is often a genre I do enjoy a ton. I haven't enjoyed the one KJ Charles I've read I just realized I've been confusing KJ Charles with K.E. Lane this entire time, so uh... oops. That Kaplan book sounds right up my alley, cstross, thank you.

I'm going to rec Lia Silver's werewolf Prisoners series, which also might appeal to folks who are into SFF. The werewolf culturebuilding is delightful in a whole bunch of ways (particularly the scent names of the wolves), and I'm always a sucker for characters handling stressful situations with a sense of humor. I believe I was recommended to start with Prisoner, then Partner, and read Laura's Wolf last when I first picked them up.
posted by sciatrix at 11:38 AM on December 29, 2019 [1 favorite]

My five-star list from Goodreads with more than a little bit of romance this past year includes Ammonite (Nicola Griffith), the Elemental Logic series (Laurie J Marks), and Gideon the Ninth (Tamsyn Muir). These are all shockingly good books regardless of genre expectation or label.
posted by seanmpuckett at 11:40 AM on December 29, 2019 [3 favorites]

I put together a Google Spreadsheet of just about every title mentioned in the twitter thread, this thread, and the AskMe one linked above, with Amazon links.

When there's no title listed, it goes to the author's page. When a series is recommended, I linked to the first book, unless a specific title was called out.
posted by itesser at 3:08 PM on December 29, 2019 [15 favorites]

Sigh. My local library has basically none of these authors/books in its overdrive listing.
posted by leahwrenn at 3:27 PM on December 29, 2019 [1 favorite]

I can also heartily second Swordheart (Ursula Vernon/T Kingfisher), which is amazing.
posted by sciatrix at 4:26 PM on December 29, 2019 [4 favorites]

I recently read Red, White, and Royal Blue for book club, as a die-hard SFF fan who has read 2.5 non-SFF (fiction, there's been more non-fiction) books in the last... 5 years? Maybe more? And I read approximately 50 books a year. So it was, uh, pretty out of my wheelhouse. I used to think I had no interest in romance as a genre. But y'all. It turns out I'm the biggest goddamn romantic. Holy shit.

I know a lot of SFF fans who, like me, always say their favorite aspect of the story is characters and relationships. Romance is the obvious choice, but that hadn't clicked for me before reading RW&RB. I think the problem is every "romance" I had previously read was actually literary fiction with a romance involved, e.g. The Time Traveler's Wife (shudder). And I just fucking can't stand literary fiction. Romance as a genre, though? Apparently I love it. I should have known that, I guess? Given, like, fanfiction. Coffee shop AUs. Fucking Suburbia. Etc.

Anyway, this could't have come at a more perfect time. I just started We Contain Multitudes and it's making me giddily happy, even as a YA. I clearly missed out on a lot as a teenager.
posted by brook horse at 5:23 PM on December 29, 2019 [6 favorites]

Here are a few I enjoyed reading this year - mostly fantasy with strong romantic elements than straight romance.

Sorcerer to the Crown and its sequel The True Queen by Zen Cho are so so good - they're regencies set in an alternate universe where magic is real.

In the first book one of the main characters inherits the title of Sorcerer Royal within the Royal Society of Unnatural Philosophers and tries to discover why magic is vanishing from England. The second book starts with two sisters travelling from Malaysia to England to seek help breaking a curse and getting embroiled in fairy succession politics.

I second the recommendation in the Twitter thread for Witchmark by C. L. Polk with only the caveat that the sequel Stormsong isn't out until February 2020. Also set in an alternate universe - this one feels pretty early twentieth century. The main character is a doctor who's also a magic user, but hiding it because most magic users in his society are enslaved to the few whose gift is for weather magic.

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik has three narrators, all young women: a moneylender who inadvertently marries the fairy king of winter; an aristocrat who is married to the tsar, who's possessed by a fire demon, and a peasant trying to free herself and her brothers from their abusive father. Possibly the best book I've read this year.

Finally, one pure romance: the webcomic Sunstone by Stjepan Sejic. Two women start a D/s relationship after meeting online. It's available in print and online, and is definitely NSFW.
posted by aussie_powerlifter at 10:41 PM on December 29, 2019

I'm very deeply into certain parts of SFF, but my writing group consists of mostly romance authors of various stripes, so this year I started dabbling. I'll keep trying, but most straight-up romance hasn't quite blown me away yet.

Did not like
The Hating Game by Sally Thorne. Came highly recommended by people much more into romance than me but it had icky power dynamics and consent issues that really turned me off.
The Wedding Date and The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory. I could see them and this author working for the right person, but I found them both too sleepy. Main sources of conflict were a lack of communication between the two protagonists, and I could see inside both of their heads, so there was no suspense or excitement.
To All the Boys I've Loved Before and sequels by Jenny Han. (YA) I really liked the movie, but the main character grated on me in print.
I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver. (YA) Disappointed because it's the first book I've seen with a nonbinary main character and it started strong, but pacing issues and predictability on the romance front kept me from enjoying the second half.

Was fine
A Princess in Theory by Alyssa Cole. A cool premise, and good characters. The plot goes a little out there but I had fun.
Red, White, & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. It's cute and I enjoyed it as an escape. But it wasn't really enemies-to-lovers and it felt too pat.

Still on my radar to try
The Kiss Quotient or The Bride Test by Helen Hoang
other things by Alyssa Cole (maybe An Extraordinary Union)
something by Courtney Milan
Death's Dancer by Jasmine Silvera
Shade of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal
a bunch of other Pride and Prejudice retellings

I've liked stuff I read in the past too, like Pride and Prejudice and things like Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. I think in general I do better when romance is in the plot but isn't necessarily central to it, OR there's enough overlap with other genres (fantasy, sci fi, historical, coming-of-age). So far the few things classed as Contemporary Romance have not spoken to me. That in mind:

Things I really like, weren't classified as Romance when I got to them, but have romantic elements
Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold. Starts the Vorkosigan saga, has an excellent female protagonist, and has an excellent slow-burn romance going on. I've heard good things about A Civil Campaign, which focuses on the main character's son years later, but haven't read it yet.
Uprooted and Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik. Interesting characters, settings, plots, everything, with some love story on the side. Also arguably not perfect about power dynamics etc., but I was willing to overlook it.
The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker. A little slow but very good historical fantasy story where a genie and golem find themselves in early 1900s NYC and have to blend in. It's light on actual romance but they have an interesting bond with each other, especially because they're opposites.
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir. Very light on the romance, but the main characters go through a beautifully developed enemies-to-respect-to-love thing.
Trail of Lightning and Storm of Locusts by Rebecca Roanhorse. Urban fantasy focused on Navajo characters and legends in a future post-apocalyptic United States. Side romance with a complicated side character too.
posted by j.r at 11:37 AM on December 30, 2019 [2 favorites]

Because of this thread, I came to read A Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics, which might have been spun out of the aether especially to delight me and nourish me and echo along my innermost cores. Thank you for bringing it here.
posted by sciatrix at 5:52 AM on January 18, 2020 [3 favorites]