CALL FOR PAPERS: The Romance of Science Fiction / Fantasy
Deadline: September 30, 2016
Whether
we consider romance novels incorporating elements of the fantastic, the
future, or the alien, or works of Science Fiction/Fantasy exploring
love,
desire, and other aspects of romantic culture, the relationship between
these genres has been enduring and productive. Following up on a series
of joint panels at the 2016 national conference of the Popular Culture
Association, the
Journal of Popular Romance Studies calls for papers for a special
issue on the intersections between romance and science fiction/fantasy
in fiction (including fan fic), film, TV, and other media, now and in
the past, from anywhere in the world. This
special issue will be guest edited by Gillian I. Leitch, PCA co-chair
for SF/Fantasy, and Erin Young.
Contributions
might consider questions like the following, either in terms of
particular texts (novels, films, TV shows, etc.) or in terms of genre,
audience, and media history:
·
How
has the intersection of these two popular genres opened up new
possibilities in conceptualizing gender, desire, sexuality, love,
courtship, or relationship structure, not just
recently, but since the earliest years of SF/Fantasy?
·
How
has their intersection allowed us to see existing concepts of gender,
desire, sexuality, love, courtship, and relationship structure in fresh
or critical ways?
·
How
have authors, filmmakers, producers, and fans played these genres
against one another, for example by using romance to critique traditions
in SF/F, or SF/F to critique the
tropes of romance? How has this counterpoint been explored by authors,
filmmakers, producers, and fans of color, or by LBGTQIA creators and
audiences?
·
How might reading classics of SF/F as romance change our perception of them: works like
Dune and the Witch World novels, The Left Hand of Darkness, or even E.E. “Doc” Smith’s Lensman series, which are threaded on a tale of eugenic love?
·
What
happens to works of paranormal, futuristic, or time-travel romance when
we read them through the lenses provided by SF/Fantasy Studies?
·
What
happens when teaching works of SF/Fantasy and popular romance? How do
these genres co-exist or compete in pedagogical experience or classroom
practice?
·
How
do works of SF/Fantasy and popular romance coexist and interact in
library ecosystems? What issues arise in terms of collection
development, readers advisory, or community
engagement?
Papers of between 5,000 and 10,000 words, including notes and bibliography, should be sent to Erin Young (managing.editor@jprstudies.
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