Who decided it was Science Fiction?

As most of my relatives can attest, I am an AVID reader. In fact, avid doesn't do it justice. Where most avid readers can be classified as people who read 20 or more books a year, I average about 30 books a month. And that's when I'm still trying to participate in my real life. When I am depressed or sick you can easily double that amount. I've been an avid readers since before junior high -- that's over 30 years. It would not be an understatement to say I've read literally thousands of books in my time.

Mostly I read romance. Oh, it's changed a little ever now and then. When I was very young I was really into Barbara Cartland and her innocent Regency Romances -- back when I still believed in Cinderella. When I was in my 20s I was a big Harlequin romance reader; generic romances with normal every day twists that still ended up happily ever after.

Actually, that phrase "Happily Ever After" has come to signify to me the entire gendra of "romance" books. But back to my point, . . .

As I hit my thirties I needed something with more grit and started reading romantic suspense. These are generally longer stories that involve crimes, deaths, guns, and twists of the plot but still even happily ever after.

The further I got in my thirties the more suspense I needed. I started actually reading suspense novels (without the romance). But I quickly found that I preferred they be written by women. Overall, I found that women did better jobs of building characters and relationships while downplaying the gore in the mandatory murder scenes. And no, they didn't all end happily ever after.

I'm my mid thirties I decided to try my hand at writing. One of the easiest gendras to get into right then was erotica. So I started buying and reading erotica. While I never published a book, I did become quite addicted to reading erotica. Boy, you want to talk about a "feel good" book.

While pregnant with Will I read the most gory, murdering, possessed books I've ever read in my life. Things I previously would not have touched with a ten-foot pole. And I couldn't get enough. About 2 weeks before he was born I got rid of every one of them and haven't touched them sense.

Since Will's birth I've found myself drawn further and further into Paranormal Romances. I started reading Werewolf stories but was never going to read Vampire stories. But as time passed I found an avid interest in all paranormal romance. I read about werewolves, werecats, vampires, genetically altered beings, demons, gods, fairies, you name it.

Tori says I just ran out of anything else to read and so I HAD to read Paranormals. I think they appeal to many women in my age group for several reasons:

1. We are to old to believe in Cinderella
and we're ready for the big bag WOLF!

2. They all feature what I call
Compulsive Relationships
Where only one person will do as a soul mate
and when you find them nothing will stop you.
The men don't care how old you are,
what you look like,
your education, employment, nothing.

3. They all have tighter family relationships
family means EVERYTHING to the
paranormal being. Children and family ties
are sacred.

4. Most of the authors have created entire
new worlds and species. Something new to read about
and learn; that's hard to come by after your 30s.

5. Animals can go all night Baby!


But while Paranormal romances have increased in popularity like crazy, most big book retailers still do not have a paranormal section. I have a Barnes and Nobles, Hastings, and Borders within 15 minutes of my house. Not one of them has a paranormal section.

When I shop at Hastings or Borders the paranormal authors I enjoy are filed in with the standard romance authors. But tonight I went to B&N to look for a new book out by one of my favorite authors and they didn't have a single one of her books. I finally located it in the Science Fiction area.

What the shit? Science Fiction? She doesn't write about space ships, robots, time travel, or the future. She writes about werevolves. Her books are suspenseful, full of action, have animals in them, and end happily ever after. I wouldn't have been as surprised to find her in the Suspense, Action, Animal, or Romance sections.

But who the hell decided she was to be placed in Science Fiction?