Anything outside of normal is considered paranormal, right? Nope, but thanks for playing.
You’ll find the oddest stuff in novels of any genre. Contemporary, historical, science fiction (well that was a gimme)…but not all of it qualifies as elements of paranormal romance the way we define it in the romance genre.
Science Fiction is a spring board. SF novel settings are usually far from normal with premises packed with adventure and danger. But the elements of a paranormal romance novel differ because they go beyond technology, creatures, and setting to include the love story.
Some paranormal romance novels are all about the romance and love story and less about the paranormal element. It depends on the author’s strengths and preferences when writing that particular paranormal romance novel.
Die hard Star Wars fans would scream if I cataloged that amazing ongoing achievement of George Lucas as a paranormal romance. But if you look at the many threads and elements of that story line, you can make a case to support the classification.
Disclaimer: I AM a huge Star Wars fan!
With so many story lines and relationships that ebb and flow within the Star Wars saga it’s pretty easy to point to the many elements of paranormal romance hidden behind blasters and warring factions.
Recently, I’ve been watching the Clone Wars collection with my son and it’s become obvious how important relationships of every kind (political, romantic, friend, etc.) are to the writers of the stories.
Hey, it’s the human condition!
An engaging love story is a key element in any paranormal romance novel. (or sweeping, generation-spanning space saga). It seems obvious but that doesn’t make it easy to write.
So while plenty of novels have odd elements, it takes careful planning to make sure the elements of paranormal and romance are balanced in the novel.
Live the adventure!
