"Second Chance" is a hugely popular romance trope. It can be used in any genre, but I think it is a perfect trope for sci-fi and fantasy. And by second chance, I mean the couples get a second chance to reunite and have a fulfilling relationship.
Characters could perhaps be magical creatures (like vampires, shifters, fae, etc.) or they could have the means to travel through
time using magic or technology.
Sure, there are multiple
themes within the Second Chance trope, but I think Reunion is a perfect theme
for these types of stories.
You could apply this theme
if the couples have endured a long separation (possibly due to magic or some event) Or perhaps the characters were in a relationship in a previous
life.
Let me give you a few
examples.
One of the stories is
actually a Broadway musical I saw years ago (music by Elton John and production
by Disney) called Aida. Based on the opera, it's about an Egyptian
prince who falls in love with a captured princess.
It begins when a modern-day couple meets by accident at New York’s Met Museum (in the Egyptian
section, of course). They meet, then the story picks up in the past to show who
they were in their previous lives.
A reunion for sure. But in this case they don't remember their first meeting.
And who knows, maybe they've come back many times over the centuries to meet
again and again.
Fortunately for the couple
in the play, the story ends happily for them in the modern day (though not so
much for them in their shared past).
Another story that fits this theme is from Ursula LeGuin's science fiction
novel, The Lathe of Heaven. It's not a romance, but it has romantic
elements.
The hero can change the
present (and the past) through his dreams. Each time a new reality is created,
the heroine is also in it. Once she realizes that he's shifting events, she
remembers each new reality.
Unfortunately after the hero confronts the antagonist (which leads to another change in their reality) the heroine doesn’t remember the hero. But fate brings her and the hero together again and
it’s implied that she will always be part of any world he creates.
In my romantic fantasy, Blood
Red Moon, the hero is a vampire who has an extended lifespan. He and the
heroine were separated as teens when their city was attacked by the antagonist.
They’re fated for each other because of magic that they can only perform
together.
When they reunite, centuries have passed but the heroine’s memories have been suppressed. She has to regain those memories before she can remember her relationship with the hero.
No doubt the idea of lovers who always have a chance to reunite is why time travel romances are
popular. Whether through reincarnation, a portal, a magical spell or
technology, the lovers can meet again and again.
When it comes to a second chance for love, these stories provide endless ways to create a HEA that can last forever.
Visit my site to check out my romantic fantasy novella, Blood Red Moon. https://authordebbailey.com/worlds-of-fire-series/blood-red-moon/
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