Comments on THE GALAXY EXPRESS: The Only Thing Worse Than A Trashy Romance Novel I...

I think The Grundle is on to something, people wit...

2010-06-13T17:20:22.749-04:00

I think The Grundle is on to something, people with a strong heart and stomach should check it out. He has a knack for diving right in, and he definitely doesnt leave out any details. People who are very conservative in their descriptions of sexual acts/encounters will provbably not like his style, but those who feel normal novels leave "A little something"out will obviously enjoy his orgasmic word play.

http://thegrundle.blogspot.com

I agree, most of the good stuff just doesn't c...

2009-08-13T20:27:23.298-04:00

I agree, most of the good stuff just doesn't come around too often. When it does, maybe it will put a new spin real topics of interest like say finding a cure for cancer?

The Virgin Cosmonaut’s Secret Amnesiac Alien Ba...

2009-05-08T15:19:00.000-04:00
The Virgin Cosmonaut’s Secret Amnesiac Alien Baby Daddy!L've 't!

@Blue Tyson: FYI, that Romance cover was from Johanna Lindsey's KEEPER OF THE HEART -- from *1993* So, no, not last month.

@Blue Tyson Yah, I know. I'll admit that due to ti...

2009-05-04T10:40:00.000-04:00
@Blue Tyson Yah, I know. I'll admit that due to time constraints I didn't spend an extraordinary amount of time searching for an image. But there's no denying the appeal of that woman's hat :-)

Nathalie, when I changed the comments section, that's one of the risks. It makes me chuckle more than anything, because subtle it ain't.

BevBB, indeed, there is so much cover drama going on right now. Covers are a big part of the book package. I can understand the need to have covers that sell books, but there's also something to be said for having covers that make books worth collecting. Sometimes the two coincide; many times they don't.

Ref comment #12...Heather, you're a bigger woman t...

2009-05-04T09:21:00.000-04:00
Ref comment #12...Heather, you're a bigger woman than I am. That's why I don't have a blog, you know, because as much as I like people, the drive-bys make my inner Chihuahua want to gnaw her paw off.

Note though that the SF cover is likely around ...

2009-05-04T09:10:00.000-04:00
Note though that the SF cover is likely around 1940.

That romance novel might have been last month. ;-)

Really? I'll give you the SF cover, but have you actually gone into the stores recently and scanned the shelves? Try to find that cover - or a version thereof - amidst all the paranormal vampires and weres, not to mention cartoons they're putting on romances.

Just saying. I sometimes have a difficult time finding the romances amongst the science fiction, fantasy, mystery and thriller novels nowadays.

Note though that the SF cover is likely around 194...

2009-05-04T02:28:00.000-04:00
Note though that the SF cover is likely around 1940.

That romance novel might have been last month. ;-)

Good article and excellent comments. I am a romanc...

2009-05-02T20:14:00.000-04:00
Good article and excellent comments. I am a romance writer and before I leave your site, let me tell you something about my new book, "Beth:Love Along The Way...by B.G.Sanford," and just released by Eloquent Books. It's the story of a woman who overcomes all odds and obstacles that life has dealt her, to find real Love.....Along The Way. It's both an amazing and entertaining story, you're sure to enjoy. And if you're so inclined, it can be bought off the internet or have your local book store order it for you.
Good reading friends,
B.G.Sanford
http://www.eloquentbooks.com/BethLoveAlongTheWay.html

But to be fair to both of these genres, swear to G...

2009-05-02T15:26:00.000-04:00
But to be fair to both of these genres, swear to God, I was in the grocery store just a few months ago and glanced over at I guess it was the detective/mystery/thriller section and saw a cover with a big busted blonde woman in a tight dress with a gun pointed at her head.

I just stood there kind of stunned, wondering if I'd suddenly entered a time-warp to the fifties or something. I mean because, you know, romances are the ones with the "bad, covers. Right? ;p

Love it, or hate it! I've read more than one of ea...

2009-05-02T14:28:00.000-04:00
Love it, or hate it! I've read more than one of each! (Did I admit that in writing?) If a romantic action adventure in space appeals to you, try my recently released novel, Long Journey to Rneadal. Hopefully, it won't be classified too harshly in either category! lol

Secret babies in spaaaaaaaaace! I wants 'em. Like ...

2009-05-02T11:43:00.000-04:00
Secret babies in spaaaaaaaaace! I wants 'em. Like NOW!

Great covers, Heather! LOL. Romance and science fi...

2009-05-02T09:50:00.000-04:00
Great covers, Heather! LOL. Romance and science fiction do have a lot in common that can make them trashy. I remember all those clinch covers the historical romances had back in the 80s. Broad chested men with long flowing hair with those puffy open shirts revealing their manly assets, while the heroine, whose bodice looked ready to pop swooned in his arms. Embarrassing to say the least. And they were all the same. Like a someone came up with a one-size-fits-all historial romance cover.

I read an interview by Nancy Kress, who writes great science fiction. Her mother had the latest copy of her book displayed on her coffee table and one of her visiting friends asked her when her daughter was going to write a real book.

I think more readers have to read the great romance/science fiction books being released now, before attitudes about both genres will finally change.

But Jess, a puffy white shirt, black boots, billow...

2009-05-02T00:37:00.000-04:00
But Jess, a puffy white shirt, black boots, billowy cloak (it has to billow, even in space) and a phallic blaster would be SO perfect for space pirate hero, Captain K'jini'gik "Giky" Tightpants.

Okay, so here's my Romance pet peeve. Characters ...

2009-05-01T23:37:00.000-04:00
Okay, so here's my Romance pet peeve. Characters actually dressed like those old clinch covers. I'm talking puffy white shirts, knee high black boots, and the cloak.

Gotta love me some cloak.

Jess

You know it’s a bad science fiction novel if it ha...

2009-05-01T23:12:00.000-04:00
You know it’s a bad science fiction novel if it has:
unpronouncable names and nouns with an overabundance of consonants and apostophes. I've actually blogged about this.

"Grab the bgrrt'svzzqut!" Captain Kr'runj'ipo shouted to Commander T'we T'wan T'wondo...

You know it’s a trashy romance novel if it has:
stupid/silly character names that induce non-stop groaning. To wit:

Rock Hardabs let his eyes slide over Tawny Kittenfur's slender form. She was so lovely, even more so than his dead wife, Summertit Winterpure.

(Oh, and flying body parts. His eyes slid... she tossed her head...)

And please don't get me started on erotica authors who insist on taking pen names that would make even a Detroit hooker/stripper run screaming from the room.

Hey, I'm all for constant mental lusting, so long ...

2009-05-01T22:25:00.000-04:00
Hey, I'm all for constant mental lusting, so long as the lusting is based on genuine attraction and not lusting for the sake of lusting.

But then I like things a little lusty. LOL

Brilliant! (Thanks to Delores Haze fro the AW wate...

2009-05-01T21:14:00.000-04:00
Brilliant! (Thanks to Delores Haze fro the AW water cooler for leading me here)

But,no, I'm afraid IMHO we will long be stuck with the genre ghettoizing,

Now off to write “The Virgin Cosmonaut’s Secret Amnesiac Alien Baby Daddy.” and test this theory of mine.

Thanks for the inspiration!

LOLROF, you really had to look hard to find a cove...

2009-05-01T20:22:00.000-04:00
LOLROF, you really had to look hard to find a cover to illustrate your point, didn't you, Heather. *VEG*

Great post! Another ingredient to bad SF novels I ...

2009-05-01T19:48:00.000-04:00
Great post! Another ingredient to bad SF novels I think is poor/over abundance of worldbuilding. If I can't lose myself in the world because there's no conflict or story to advance the plot while the focus remains on mundane things happening in the world just to be cool; or, like you mentioned, there's outrageous names for the characters or everyday things just to be exotic, then my brain goes splodey.

I hope we won't be stuck with genre ghettoizing. I try to recommend some good reads on both sides but there is indeed that preconceived notion of the other genre being too nerdy/scientific/boring (SF) or too trashy/sex-filled/schmaltzy (Romance) that keeps the two apart. There are a few books that mesh the two beautifully like Clare Dargin's Cold Warriors and I think it's high time for a rise in romantic futuristic adventure novels. It's a new genre, it's fresh and could be the new book trend. Not to mention it's great escape literature that can address some serious social commentary at the same time.

Plus I'd totally read “The Virgin Cosmonaut’s Secret Amnesiac Alien Baby Daddy.”