The Red Headed Nephew

In my quest to take advantage of the information and support available to fledgling authors online, I've join several writer's organizations and support groups.  Not surprisingly, many of these are genre specific, Romance Writers of America, Mystery Writers of America, etc., and within these are smaller groups dedicated to specific sub-genres.

My current WIP is a sci fi with a strong romantic element.  It would probably qualify as a sci fi romance.  Except...of all the sub-genres identified under the romance genre - and there are plenty - there doesn't seem to be one for sci fi.  The closest is "Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal."   It's pretty much the same for the mystery sub-genres.  Paranormal, time-travel, futuristic, but no sci fi.

Well, doesn't the F, F & P umbrella cover sci fi?  Not exactly.  Or at least not completely.  Fantasy would be mystical creatures and/or other worlds.  Futuristic would have to be, well, in the future.  Paranormal includes vampires and werewolves and even ghosts.  But not aliens.

My aliens are here.  In this world.  In this time.  Not quite fantasy, not futuristic at all, and, by all the definititions I've come up with, not considered paranormal.  It seems as though non-futuristic sci fi is like the redheaded nephew at the family reunion.  Sure, he's part of the family, but no one wants to claim him.

What is your take on this?  Where do you think the little redhead fits in?  Is there a place in our world for sparkly vampires but not extra-terrestrials?

By the way, I squeaked in just under the wire on my 30,000 Words in February challenge.  30,056 words with 15 minutes to spare.

My current word count: 30,773

I'm currently enjoying: Lion in the Valley by Elizabeth Peters (poor Peabody, I've left her in the desert with no reading time to bring her home)

Groaner of the day: Scientists have announced that we have made contact with an alien race whose planet is entirely covered by one gigantic shopping center.

The sceptical scientists didn't believe it at first, but they've now confirmed...it's a mall world after all.