What do Connie Willis, Robert Heinlein, C. J. Cherryh, Andre Norton and Jayne Ann Krantz all have in common? They write science fiction romances. This is science fiction with the emphasis on the romantic relationship between two people, so it usually ranges from soft SF through science fantasy to space opera, though some manage to stick to hard SF parameters.
The science fiction romance does not worry that its emphasis on personal relations will drive away the fourteen-year-olds of all ages who don’t like “mushy stuff.” It’s for those adults who enjoy romance. In the present market, the out-and-out SF romance should emphasize the pagentry of future or alien life and societies while not bogging the reader down in heavy physics. This is a chance to tour the galaxy, or one fascinating planet, with the plot driven by a combination of danger and desire.
Fortune’s Wheel, Fire Margins and Razor’s Edge by Lisanne Norman
Promised Land by Connie Willis and Cynthia Felice
Amaryllis, Zinnia and Orchid by Jayne Castle, also known as Jayne Ann Krantz
Glory Road by Robert A. Heinlein
Angel With the Sword and all the Merovingian Nights shimpa volumes, by C. J. Cherryh
Moon of Three Rings, and Uncharted Stars by Andre Norton