Exploring Interspecies Romance Tropes In Science Fiction

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Though science fiction can take almost any form, the medium sometimes has a reputation for being cold and mechanical. Perhaps the most notable answer to this critique is sci-fi's long love affair with the question of interspecies romance. So much of sci-fi is dominated by the idea of a human falling in love with an alien.

Sci-fi has grown past the idea that every alien is a little gray man in a UFO on his way to take over the world. The word alien just implies difference, and the wide array of possible concepts has grown beyond any attempt to categorize. Yet, genres still emerge within and alongside the sci-fi medium.

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Interspecies romance is rarely an issue of note in the average sci-fi narrative. Generally, at least in the big franchises, any sapient being can love any other without taboo. This almost always takes the form of humans and humanoids, but the options are limitless. Differences in biology are rarely, if ever, a concern, but there are issues. Sometimes cultures clash, leaving the romantic relationship in danger. Sometimes the unique capabilities or distinct disadvantages of a partner make the romance more difficult or threaten the participants' physical safety. Sometimes the fact that one or both of the participants are non-humans is utterly incidental, and the same script could be played out by two regular Earthlings. The rules are almost nonexistent, but there are some trends in the trope.

Serialized science fiction, especially in the medium of TV, very frequently features a character who will flirt with anything. This character is almost always male, almost always a dashing hero type, and almost always portrayed as suave and cool for this trait. This archetype