Not all that Human Romance

Higgins · Jan 29, 2008

I'm rewriting a Sci fi novel that some beta readers liked a lot...but the romance they loved at first annoyed them when it turned out the girl was
not even remotely human...indeed I guess she isn't like anything you can name except maybe a dame who is 99% supernaturally constructed by experts in constructing supernatural dames.

I thought it was kinda neat that she hasn't seriously ever thought about sex as we know it...but your average female reader seems to find that a bit irritating.

So...is the supernatural dame a neat idea or just annoying?

Stormhawk · Jan 29, 2008

Higgins said:
I thought it was kinda neat that she hasn't seriously ever thought about sex as we know it...but your average female reader seems to find that a bit irritating.

I wouldn't find that annoying - it's a perfectly valid mindset, especially when you're dealing with something that categorically non-human.

If they're looking for traditional romance, put a copy of Beauty and the Beast in their hand. No, no, that doesn't work. Little Mermaid? Again...probably not. Star Wars? Let's not start on that. The Mills&Boon section?

HeronW · Jan 29, 2008

Gwydion the sorceror, brother of Arianrhod made a woman of flowers--Blodeuwedd (flower-face)for his nephew Llew Laws Gyffes, who had been cursed by A. never to have a mortal woman fall in love with him. B. betrayed LLG, and leapt to her death. Enroute, G. turned her into the barnowl, which to this day is known as a flower-face.

So you're using a tried and true theme! :}

JoNightshade · Jan 29, 2008

I'm a big fan of human/alien romance, so I could go with this.

Mr Flibble · Jan 29, 2008

Oooh I like that!

veinglory · Jan 29, 2008

I'd have to read it to know. Seems that if it annoyed them it was for a reason? Like it was a sudden reveal without much foresahdowing, i.e. a 'cheat'?

Oddsocks · Jan 29, 2008

Sounds fine to me - a refreshing treatment of romance for a change. The only potential issue I can see is if you've been leading the readers on, letting them think this is going to be a normal, happy, perfect fictional romance, and then you're pulling this out on them without warning.

That said, I'd probably still prefer this to traditional romance, but then, I'm not a fan of traditional romance - to me, its only really interesting as a plot element if there is something unusual about it.

Shadow_Ferret · Jan 29, 2008

I'm with veinglory. I'd have to read it for myself to see how it works.

As a concept I have no problem with it. It's seeing it in practice that I question.

Zoombie · Jan 29, 2008

I'm a big fan of human/cyborg romance, so I could go with this.

Sassee · Jan 29, 2008

Why were they annoyed? Did you wait too long to tell them this wasn't your run of the mill Romance?

PinkUnicorn · Jan 29, 2008

I love human-alien, human-merfolk, human-faerie, human-Time Lord

such romances. I write them every chance I can get.

Higgins · Jan 30, 2008

veinglory said:
I'd have to read it to know. Seems that if it annoyed them it was for a reason? Like it was a sudden reveal without much foresahdowing, i.e. a 'cheat'?

Sassee said:
Why were they annoyed? Did you wait too long to tell them this wasn't your run of the mill Romance?

Tha could be the problem since she seems more human than most of the
actually human people in the story...though that is a theme in other parts of the story as well...ie since non-human beings are trying to learn to be as human-seeming as possible, they often seem more human than the humans who are busy doing something odd...

Not all that Human Romance

Higgins

Stormhawk

Angry Bunny Girl

HeronW

Down Under Fan

JoNightshade

has finally arrived

Mr Flibble

They've been very bad, Mr Flibble

veinglory

volitare nequeo

Oddsocks

Shadow_Ferret

Court Jester

Zoombie

Dragon of the Multiverse

Sassee

Momma Wolf

PinkUnicorn

Tossing Elves in bed with Unicorns

Higgins