Category Archives: romance novels

Sime-Gen and Slashiness

Posted on March 14, 2012 by Victoria Janssen

My previous post on House of Zeor (1974) by Jacqueline Lichtenberg is about Sime-Gen and Romance Novels. If you will recall, in my last post I noted that though the author of House of Zeor explicitly excluded sexuality from the … Continue reading →

Posted in fanfiction, romance novels, sf/f | Tagged | 4 Comments

Sime-Gen and Romance Novels

Posted on March 12, 2012 by Victoria Janssen

A shorthand description of the Sime-Gen series is “Science Fictional Vampires,” but the stories are far from being that simple. The Simes, human mutants with tentacles housed in their arms, can only live through drawing life force from the Gens, … Continue reading →

Posted in fanfiction, romance novels, sf/f | Tagged | 4 Comments

“True Love,” Wisława Szymborska

Posted on February 29, 2012 by Victoria Janssen

True Love True love. Is it normal, is it serious, is it practical? What does the world get from two people who exist in a world of their own? Placed on the same pedestal for no good reason, drawn randomly … Continue reading →

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Betty Neels’ Books Rock – Guest Post by Magdalen Braden

Posted on February 13, 2012 by Victoria Janssen

Please welcome my guest, Magdalen Braden of Promantica!  A while back, I posted some thoughts on romance author Betty Neels.  Strangely, that post keeps getting hits…more than I would expect.  Alas, though I think her work is a fascinating part of … Continue reading →

Posted in romance novels | Tagged | 2 Comments

On Getting Away with Cliché

Posted on February 10, 2012 by Victoria Janssen

After a small hiatus from the genre, I started reading romance novels again in December, and I have some new thoughts. The reason for my burnout: the constraints of the genre had palled. Instead of soothing through familiarity, they scraped … Continue reading →

Posted in romance novels, writing craft | Tagged , | 7 Comments

McDaniel Conference Linkage

Posted on December 2, 2011 by Victoria Janssen

I wasn’t able to attend the McDaniel Conference on Popular Romance, but here are some reports on the proceedings. Amy Burge reports on Reflections on (Re)Reading Romance: A ‘Hands-On’ Harlequin Workshop at the recent conference held at McDaniel College. Not … Continue reading →

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SF Does Austen: A Civil Campaign

Posted on August 31, 2011 by Victoria Janssen

I recently re-read Lois McMaster Bujold’s A Civil Campaign, which is dedicated to “Charlotte, Jane, Georgette, and Dorothy,” who are of course Charlotte Brontë, Jane Austen, Georgette Heyer, and Dorothy Dunnett. There are elements of all those authors in the … Continue reading →

Posted in austen, reading, romance novels | 1 Comment

History and Diction

Posted on April 27, 2011 by Victoria Janssen

I’ve been reading through a lot of Regencies in my TBR lately, and one thing I notice frequently is the diction. I go back and forth a lot on the issue of historical diction. To me, diction is the base … Continue reading →

Posted in historical fiction, reading, romance novels, writing craft | 2 Comments

“Romance Novels” Linkgasm

Posted on April 22, 2011 by Victoria Janssen

I’ve got a new post up at Heroes and Heartbreakers: Just a Gigolo…Romance Hero? # Out of curiosity, I recently did a search on the phrase “romance novels.” This was prompted by a conversation I had with Magdalen of Promantica, … Continue reading →

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The Regency TBR – Help me!

Posted on April 20, 2011 by Victoria Janssen

I have a pile of Regency romances (of the Signet Regency variety) in my TBR. I need help in prioritizing. Many of these were recommended by Twitter friends and bloggers whom I read. Which five would you recommend I move … Continue reading →

Posted in reading, recommendations, romance novels | Tagged | 10 Comments