Paranormal romance is a type of story that combines romantic themes with elements from speculative fiction, such as fantasy, science fiction, and horror. These stories focus on love and include events or characters that cannot be explained by science, like vampires, ghosts, or other supernatural beings. The stories can range from traditional romances set in unusual worlds to plots based on science fiction or fantasy that include a romantic storyline. Relationships between humans and supernatural creatures, such as vampires, shapeshifters, or ghosts, are often featured.
In addition to these common themes, paranormal romance can also involve characters with special abilities, like moving objects with the mind (telekinesis) or reading thoughts (telepathy). The popularity of this genre has grown since the early 2000s, helped by technology such as the internet and electronic publishing. Paranormal romance is now one of the fastest-growing areas within the romance genre.
Well-known authors in this genre include Dani Harper, Nalini Singh, Jessica Bird, Kresley Cole, Christine Feehan, Kelley Armstrong, and Stephenie Meyer, who wrote the Twilight series. According to 2013 data from Tor Books, 57% of writers in urban fantasy or paranormal romance are women, and 43% are men. In contrast, men are more likely to write historical, epic, or high fantasy, with men outnumbering women by about two to one. Men also write most science fiction stories, with 83% of science fiction authors being men, and they write the majority of horror stories.
Definition and subgenres
Paranormal romance combines real-life situations with elements of fantasy or science fiction. These stories may take place in a different version of our world, where characters like vampires, demons, or werewolves exist, or they may involve humans with special abilities, such as witches or ghosts. Other paranormal romance stories include time travel, futuristic settings, or stories about people from other planets.
These books often mix romance with other types of stories, such as suspense or mystery. Some paranormal romance novels are set in the past, similar to historical romance books. Others take place in the future or on other planets. Some stories include time travel, where one character travels to the past or future. Between 2002 and 2004, the number of paranormal romance books published in the United States increased to 170 each year. A popular book in this genre can sell more than 500,000 copies.
Like urban fantasy, many paranormal romance books mix everyday life with the presence of magical or supernatural beings. Sometimes people in these stories know about magic, and sometimes they do not. Some paranormal romance books focus more on the romance than on the details of their magical worlds. Other books carefully create their alternate worlds, combining well-thought-out magical rules and cultures with real-life settings.
The first futuristic romance published by a major romance publisher was Sweet Starfire by Jayne Ann Krentz in 1986. This book was a "classic road trip romance" that happened to take place in a different galaxy. This genre has become more popular since 2000. Krentz says this type of story is popular because it is like a traditional historical romance, but set on other worlds.
Time-travel romance stories are a type of "fish out of water" story. In many of these stories, the heroine from the present day travels to the past to meet the hero, such as in the manga and anime series Inuyasha. In a smaller number of stories, the hero from the past travels to the future to meet the heroine. A good time-travel romance should show how characters logically react to their new environment and highlight differences between their usual world and the one they visit. Some writers end their stories with the main characters unable to be together because they are stuck in different time periods, which some readers find disappointing.