Authors of Color Write SciFi Romance
Authors of Color Write SciFi Romances
Opinions and Recommendations
This is a companion to my post on Authors of Color Write Paranormal Romances. Because apparently it has to be stated that authors of color write scifi romances, too.
I know, you're shocked. 🙀
Not as shocked as I was when I overheard a conversation at a convention a few years back. One white guy said to another that he “tried reading a science fiction novel by a black woman,” but all she did was proselytize about racism.
The book? The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin. You know, the Hugo-award-winning book followed by two Hugo-winning sequels.
The other guy's response? “I didn't know black people even liked science fiction.”
Gah! It was all I could do not to dump my curly fries on their pointy little heads.
Go read my other post if you want the long version of why I think this happens.
Here's the TL;DR version: Despite what certain paid-opinion-havers claim, we are not a post-racial society. Authors of color have to make their own opportunities each damn time. All authors of color tell stories we need to hear. Stories are power, strength, and awareness. They teach us to be better. Lord knows we need that.
Full disclosure: I'm white. I still catch myself making assumptions about race, class, and gender based on my phenomenal luck to be born a white, middle-class, neurotypical, cis-gender female. My friends and family are a delightful mix of races, classes, and genders. Hopefully, my not-so-sheltered friends call me out when I say stupid things.
SciFi Romances by Authors of Color
All of these books are on my read-and-enjoyed shelf, on my TBR mountain, or on my wish list. Reminder: I make a few cents as an affiliate if you buy some of these books by clicking here.
📙 Ursula Sinclair ~ Website
Ursula Sinclair is the pen name of contemporary and paranormal romance author LaVerne Thompson. Ursula published a science fiction romance called Shadow Wars: Homebound. It's a through-the-looking-glass kind of story where the main characters must make hard choices in a complex futuristic world.
My plea to the muses: Please inspire Thompson/Sinclair to write more in this universe.
📘 May Sage ~ Website
USA TODAY bestselling author May Sage writes scifi romance, paranormal romance, and fantasy romance, and intermingles them at will. My favorite is her Strands of Starfire space fantasy romance series. Sage's female characters are strong even when they're powerless, and the males are conflicted but honorable. Reign (book 1) and Diplomacy (book 2) are standalone stories in the same universe.
Sage also writes the excellent Age of Night paranormal romance series that starts with Kitty Cat, which was how I discovered her in the first place.
📕 Paulina Woods ~ Website
Scifi romance author and graphic designer Paulina Woods writes the Nexella series. Reverse harem is hard to get right, and Woods succeeds with aplomb and humor. The stories share the same universe and ideas, but are standalone: Bethany's Salvation (book 1) • Amanda's Rescue (book 2) • Ruth's Escape (book 3).
I am also very fond of her inventive paranormal romances: Beauty's Beast (African Shaman Tales) • Keeper of Secrets (African Shaman Tales) • A Genie's Sacrifice (A Polar Bear Shifter Romance)
📗 Alyssa Cole ~ Website
A fan recommended Alyssa Cole's futuristic dystopian romance trilogy, Off the Grid. Dystopian isn't generally my jam, but I was so taken by the “look inside” preview for Radio Silence (book 1) that I bought Signal Boost (book 2) and Mixed Signals (book 3) immediately. I can't wait to read these!
Cole has also written contemporary and historical romances.
📒 Deborah A. Bailey ~ Website
I'm a long-time fan of Deborah Bailey and have quite the collection of her work. Her Hathor Legacy series is one of my favorites: Hathor Legacy: Outcast (book 1) • Hathor Legacy: Burn (book 2) • Hathor Legacy: Revelations (book 3). I hope for more in this series because it's the perfect blend of intriguing scifi and romance.
Lucky for me, she also writes paranormal and fantasy romance, such as her Once Upon a Princess series that starts with Heart of Stone. And I just discovered she has a futuristic short-story anthology, Electric Dreams, which is now in my collection, too.
