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Romance in SF/F

Romance in science fiction & fantasy has long been one of my favorite subjects. Often, it's been botched up to the point where it makes for interesting panel discussion at conventions. But at other times, when done right it captures your heart in a unique and visceral way. The maddening thing is that various romances are portrayed in different ways, much because the romance we experience in real life itself comes in different flavors. My personal favorites:


Aragorn/Arwen (Lord of the Rings) - this one owes more to the movies than the book. Admittedly I am a little biased here, as my wife has created two of Arwen's costumes, and she looks ... :adore: . Even so, this is a deeply heart-felt love where the hero needs the support and inspiration of his beloved to fulfill his destiny. A destiny which for awhile seems to end in sacrifice.


Sheridan/Delenn (Babylon 5) - in some ways this one echoes Aragorn/Arwen. It's very courtly, composed of two very different individuals essentially from two races that don't trust each other. It's also set against the backdrop of an epic struggle covering great distance and resource. Whether it's the force of circumstance or actual personal interest, there is an intrigue about the struggles such a love faces.


Crichton/Aeryn (Farscape) - this was the most maddening yet the msot entertaining romance of my favorites. An almost classic "will they or won't they?" story that at times goes overboard. What sold this oen for me was THE best chemistry in a couple I have ever seen in sci-fi/fantasy. From the moment Claudia Black tried out, it was as if Ben Browder knew there was never goign to be anyone but her for the part of Aeryn. And it showed.. boy did it show! Full of trust and mistrust, of barbs and wisdom, of anger and love. It's not the way my own romance has gone, but then that's possibly why I found it so fascinating.

The bottom line is just what you said, Anwar - a SF/F romance works when it is designed into the fabric of the story. And like you explained Trent Roman, it's the shoehorning into things that screws these up. (see Chakotay/Seven :rolleyes: )
 
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I find it much more convincing you delivering that précis on romance with that hat on Neroon.
 
Anwar said:
commodore64 said:
Worst? Star Trek has sucked, especially with Trip/T'Pol. I think that pairing is the worst relationship probably on television or in sci-fi/fantasy/horror. I mean, how can you root for a couple that begins with a woman trying to change herself using drugs for a guy? I want to believe first and foremost that they cared about each other, and they never really sold me on that idea, except maybe in one episode at the end of the series for five minutes. (Not enough.)
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Romance in sci-fi/fantasy works when the creators intended it from day one as a fundamental part of the story, like with Farscape. With the ENT example, it was more a contrivance done to bring in younger viewers who just wanted to see a young guy and a young woman showing flesh and making out. It can work in Trek (Picard/Vash, some of Kirk's flings) because even if they weren't series fundamentals the writers still bothered making them more character driven romances that worked with those character's personalities instead of just viewer magnets.
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Completely agree. I think the writers wanted to short-cut romance as well. Why bother showing people who care when we can tease some flesh?

Boo!

That's not really romance, that's sex. Romance, to me, is something where you see yearning and actively root for the couple to get together. It is a smidge chemistry, but a whole lot of caring.

Neroon, agree on your choices as well.
 
Neroon said:
Sheridan/Delenn (Babylon 5) - in some ways this one echoes Aragorn/Arwen. It's very courtly, composed of two very different individuals essentially from two races that don't trust each other. It's also set against the backdrop of an epic struggle covering great distance and resource. Whether it's the force of circumstance or actual personal interest, there is an intrigue about the struggles such a love faces.
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I agree with the rest of your post, but I have to take exception to this part (for my own reasons). Actually, my dissatisfaction with this romance isn't so much built on the acting part (though I don't think they quite sold it as well as the other examples you mentioned), but more related to the dubbed version I first saw Babylon 5 in.
Delenn told Sheridan (maybe the other way around? It's been some time ...) that she loved loved him in the last episode of the third season. Unfortunately, those responsible for the dubbing chose to say "Ich liebe Sie" which does literally translate to "I love you." The problem is, "ich liebe sie" is addressing him in the plural form, ie the formal one. You'd address your boss as "sie", maybe someone you don't know depending on age, but not a friend, especially a loved one.
I don't know how to relate this blunder to people used to English with its lack of distinction between these forms of address, but I suppose one might say it's similar to her having said "I love you, Mr. Sheridan, sir."

To this day, I still cringe when I think about that.


PS: This is just one of the many examples I was really grateful for the development of p2p, allowing me to see shows in the original language. I hear hulu is in negotiations to make their site available to people in other countries and I wouldn't mind that (watching shows I download now with commercials instead, providing revenue to the creators). As long as I don't have to suffer the typically awful dubbing of German TV. :mad:
 
Iasius, that's a very understandable reaction. When I was in American high school (age 14-17) I studied German and such linguistic challenges came up often. I do understand well the distinction you make and agree that's a pretty bad blunder. However, trust me when I say that in English, there was never any doubt she meant the one person of John Sheridan, regardless of how the English word "you" can be used for singular and plural. We
 
Neroon said:
Iasius, that's a very understandable reaction. When I was in American high school (age 14-17) I studied German and such linguistic challenges came up often. I do understand well the distinction you make and agree that's a pretty bad blunder. However, trust me when I say that in English, there was never any doubt she meant the one person of John Sheridan, regardless of how the English word "you" can be used for singular and plural. We
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The problem isn't that I wondered whether she adressed someone else or a group as a plural might indicate. It was plenty clear from the context.

The problem was that this was the first and also the last time in my entire life that I'd heard the phrase "ich liebe sie" which really doesn't make any sense.

PS: I spent a year at an American high school myself, though I don't think I had too many blunders myself. One exception though: I once told my English teacher after receiving what I thought was an unfair grade "You cheated on me" instead of "You cheated me." Not an especially egregious mistake I think for someone not entirely familiar with the language, but my face turned immediately red within seconds after I realized what I'd said and remained that way for some time.
 
Iasius said:
The problem isn't that I wondered whether she adressed someone else or a group as a plural might indicate. It was plenty clear from the context.

The problem was that this was the first and also the last time in my entire life that I'd heard the phrase "ich liebe sie" which really doesn't make any sense.
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That was my fault for not being clearer. I meant to convey that I understand how nonsensical the phrase "ich liebe sie" is in this situation. How it's a sin of some significance for the translator to have come up with it instead of the correct phrase. Which come to think of it....... I'm not positive of the correct phrase. Would it be "Ich liebe dich" ?

And good story of your own. I can relate! :lol:
 
Well, I never got into the Delenn/Sheridan thing mainly because I didn't really like either of them as characters much. That and I always felt it was just a manipulation on Delenn's behalf (romancing and bedding Sheridan) to get him onboard with the Army of Light thing against the Shadows and less of an Earthforce Captain acting on Earth's interests alone.
 
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