Military men (and their subcontractor counterparts) have emerged as a major sub genre in contemporary American romance fiction. Behind their “bad ass” tough guy personas, these heroes exemplify strength, honor, idealism, tenderness, an attraction to and for strong women, sexual competence, and a penchant for protecting those they love which makes them irresistible to many romance readers. This paper examines these characteristics as a combination of the traditional romance alpha male protagonist, historic views of the military hero and the current context of the post-Vietnam public attitude change toward the military.
About the presenterMary K Chelton
Professor, Graduate School of Library & Information Studies, Queens College, NY, where she teaches Readers Advisory Services for Adults. She is the first acknowledged “Librarian of the Year” by the Romance Writers of America. In 2010, she contributed to “A Selection of Core Resources for Readers’ Advisory Service,” RUSQ, 50, no. 1 (Fall, 2010); wrote “Readers’ Advisory 101,” Library Journal 128, no. 18 (November 1, 2003): 38-39; and with Cathie Linz, Joyce Saricks, Lynne Welch and Ann Bouricious, ”What Kind of Romance Are You in the Mood For?: A Recommended Reading List,” Booklist, (September 15, 2001, pp. 210- 212, as a follow-up to “Reader’s Advisory: Matching Mood and Material,” with Catherine Ross in Library Journal 126, no. 2 (February 1, 2001): 52- 56. She is a reunited birth mother and member of the American Adoption Congress, and a voracious reader of contemporary romance fiction, primarily military romances.