I have a few:
- Chosen ones, fate, destiny, &c. When you get down to it, a story with these themes is one where a single person or handful of people is ontologically, cosmically better and more important than everyone else. It’s eerily similar to that right-wing meme about how “most people are just NPCs” (though I disliked the trope before that meme ever took off).
- Way too much importance being given to bloodlines by the narrative (note, this is different from them being given importance by characters or societies in the story).
- All of the good characters are handsome and beautiful, while all of the evil characters are ugly and disfigured (with the possible exception of a femme fatale or two).
- Races that are inherently, unchangeably evil down to the last individual regardless of upbringing, society, or material circumstances.
I recently read a fantasy novel called Silver Under Nightfall that has to be one of the first proper poly novels I’ve ever seen
The main character has an obvious attraction to a woman, and a confused lust for her husband. Both the husband and wife are into the main character. It’s not high literature but I had a blast reading it anyway
That sounds neat. But also reminds me of a related peeve: Where non-monogamy is depicted, it’s always like a group. A throuple.
In real life, I’m dating a woman. She has a wife. I am not dating her wife. I am friendly with her wife, but that’s it. My date is also dating another man. We’re friendly. We talk about video games. But we’re not a thing together.
The polycule looks something like this. I know there’s more people further removed from me, but I don’t know them well (or in some cases at all). That’s okay.
L ? B N T - ? | | | | | C - S - Me - A - E - R | | ? ? | ?Non-monogamy doesn’t have to be a triangle. There’s a reason “polycule” is a really good pun.
I don’t know if this has been depicted in media other than like niche fanfiction.
You’re absolutely right. I wouldn’t mind seeing it explored in fiction and fantasy in particular, which seems to me like the perfect genre to explore those dynamics. The only other story I can think that does it also features a sort of throuple, though the two women have a more sisterly relationship while both are in a romantic relationship only with the male (the Honorverse series)
I hope with queerness and non-heteronormativity becoming more “mainstream” (well, talked about more openly outside of niche spaces) that we’ll start to see more of an exploration of what being poly means
Not nearly so detailed, but Sing For the Coming of the Longest Night is a great little fantasy story about two metamours that have to go rescue their mutual partner from a magical realm.
This looks perfect, and my library has a copy. Adding it to my to-read list.
Iron Widow is decent for this too if you like YA fantasy. Bonus for a Chinese setting.