Why I Write Space Opera Romance
Spaceships, Kissing, and Pew! Pew! Pew! 🚀
I’m deliberate in saying that I write space opera romance. Along with the thrilling futuristic adventure, I want romance fans to know they’re getting a solid, satisfying love story with a guaranteed happy-ever-after. There is nothing worse than a surprise tragic ending when you’ve invested your heart in people who deserve happiness.
My muse has always lived in the realms of science fiction and fantasy, but space opera is where it feels most at home. I love the genre because it features relatable people who, despite their flaws and doubts, rise to the occasion to save the planet (or the galaxy!).
However, because my Central Galactic Concordance series is set in “interesting times” — full of intrigue, shadowy government agencies, and the sparks of rebellion — I specifically include romance. Strife and violence are expected in the space opera genre*, but they are no fun on their own. My stories embrace the justice and hope that a great love story brings to balance the interstellar high stakes.
In my main space opera romance series that starts with Last Ship Off Polaris-G, and in the side-trip novellas such as Pet Trade, each story has a romance. While the galaxy might be in chaos, you can trust that the characters you like will find their way to each other.
*Fun fact: Did you know the term “space opera” was actually coined as an insult? Back in the 1960s, a critic was annoyed that authors of the precious genre of lofty, thought-provoking science fiction were writing about fast spaceships, kissing, and *pew! pew! pew!* He sneeringly accused them of writing soap operas in space — space operas. To his everlasting annoyance, the authors loved the name and ran with it. I’m proud to keep that tradition of heart and adventure alive!
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