Paranormal Romance & Urban Fantasy discussion

Here's an article about researching the brain for clues to Romance.

The science of romance: Brains have a love circuit

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090211/a...

There is a movement afoot to attribute all human behavior to brain chemistry alone, eliminating the hypothesis that there exists a Soul.

What will the future be like for lovers and Soul Mates just discovering each other once society accepts this model of humanity?

Fascinating article. It certainly somewhat addresses the usefulness of reading romance--experiencing it vicariously stimulates that 'love' part of the brain.

But I can also see nefarious possibilities here...and of course about ten plot ideas jumped up and waved frantic hands at me while I read the article.

It also lends some credence to my bio-cybernetic character, Branden Kel-Paten, in Games of Command, who managed to subvert or subroute brain programming... and honestly brain science is NOT my field. ;-)

As for Soul/No Soul... perhaps that's where the soul of love resides? Or communes with? We could get into all sorts of ideas here--some may be too political or religious for this forum so I'd rather not go there. ;-) But I can see where the article could create a number of interesting ideas.

I think that data also impinges on creating villains in fiction. Maybe that brain area is deficient?

~Linnea

Linnea:

Ah, yes, you see my point - articles like this form the basis of worldbuilding.

Bits and pieces of these articles, gathered and connected, sorted out by Art, become the kind of foundation for a World you can Build that can house the married-couple of Romance and SF. (They also cure Writer's Block.)

For those who missed my "married couple" vs. "College Dorm Roommates" metaphor for housing 2 genres in the same novel, it's on
http://magicalmusings.com/?p=3502#com...
Where Linnea Sinclair guest-blogged a hugely interesting topic - writing cross-genre.

Very cool reading. It's probably going to have to ferment in the brain a while before I could do anything with it...

In the same vein, here's more food for reader and writerly thought--for those of you who like a little science with your romance:

FIRST KISSES TELL A LOT

http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2009/02/1...

**Helen Fisher, an anthropologist at Rutgers University in New Jersey, said for men the kisses appear to provide data on a woman's estrogen level, The Daily Mail reported. That would let them know where the woman is in the fertility cycle.

"Men like sloppier kisses," she said....*

And so on. Cute article for Valentine's Day weekend.

Now, how about a book where a main character is a kiss researcher! Or if there's an alien species who can gather bio-data on someone by kissing them?

~Linnea
www.linneasinclair.com

Linnea:

Oh, shoot, you nailed the worldbuilding element I worked into my unpublished BOXMASTER trilogy. Now everyone will be doing it.

Yes, exchanging saliva is truly an intimate act and no doubt carries more information than humans know.

Did anyone note that fellow Alien Romance writer Margaret Carter found this item on brain cells and love also, and blogged on it:

http://aliendjinnromances.blogspot.co...

Some might be interested in the somewhat science oriented discussion that's developed from a comment I made on acquiring language (rather than learning it), and the primal urge for communication being even more primal than the urge to mate and reproduce -- and how the two interact in a Romance.
http://aliendjinnromances.blogspot.co...

It's all in the context of a YouTube video about Twitter users. It is delightful how everything is connected to everything with Romance holding the pivot point.

Jacqueline Lichtenberg

I think one of the more interesting things that can be done with science fiction love stories is ask the question of whether "love" is biological or something more (or something different). I'm currently looking at the question of whether love can be programmed through sexual desire, not merely as part of sex, but reached through it. Maybe love starts as biochemistry, but becomes more than the sum of its parts.

Teagan:

Missed this post somehow! Yes, the inter-relationship between body and spirit, between biochemistry and Soul Mate, is the approach that brings "Romance" issues into an SF context. Take a stance, create a theme, you can build a world to tell that story and ask those hard questions.

I've been writing about how Romance writers can use SF worldbuilding techniques to do just that on aliendjinnromances.blogspot.com

Try the google search box on the top page of the blog on Tuesday (the day I post) and worldbuilding and you should find a bunch.

Tomorrow starts a 7 part series on Editing ending with how to tell whether you're an editor or a writer.

Jacqueline Lichtenberg
http://jacquelinelichtenberg.com

Jacqueline,

Thanks for the links! I've been away all week and it's always nice to come back to fascinating reading!

Teagan wrote: "Jacqueline,

Thanks for the links! I've been away all week and it's always nice to come back to fascinating reading!"

Teagan: I don't usually make it to goodreads, but lately I've gotten involved in some of the Groups. It's just too fascinating!