Modern romance fiction has been around since the Harlequin paperbacks of the 1970s and the Fabio bodice rippers of the ’80s and ’90s, but, lately, there’s been a renewed surge in interest in a subgenre called romantasy — a portmanteau of romance and fantasy.
“You’ll have a book that would essentially be ‘Lord of the Rings,’ but instead of following the fellowship, you would have a romantic couple at the center,” said Netta Baker, an advanced instructor in Virginia Tech’s Department of English who teaches a course on romantic fiction.
While Baker said the genre has its share of clunkers, there are also books that are well-written with complex female heroines.
And, just as Jane Austen wrote about the anxieties and wants of women in the Georgian Era — a woman finding a wealthy suitor to ensure her financial security, for instance — today’s romance novels, particularly the sci-fi subgenre, tells stories of worlds where women are highly prioritized, highly respected and safe.
“Austin was easily accessible to literate people who read during her time,” said Baker. “She’s difficult for us prose wise, because we don’t speak like that anymore, so it can take a little bit more parsing.”
“But a number of these authors that are published today have exceptional writing skills across the board, and their genre tends to be what sees them dismissed or not even really well known in literary circles,” she said.
Among the currently popular books are Ruby Dixon’s “Ice Planet Barbarians,” the “Fourth Wing” series by Rebecca Yarros, and the “Throne of Glass” series by Sarah J. Maas.
Romantasy has helped drive up book sales in the past few years, but, Baker said, many women are embarrassed to admit they are reading them.
“If they acknowledge they read the books, they will always follow it up by saying online, in person, wherever, that they know they’re just for fun, that they know it’s not good literature, and that that’s OK,” said Baker.
“I think it’s really interesting for us to consider that this is the only genre that exists that was traditionally written for women and by women, and yet it’s also the only one where it’s readership have internalized this need to seek sort of forgiveness for what they’re reading.”
Even as, she argues, there’s nothing that would suggest a popular romance novel couldn’t also potentially be good literature.
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