[LMB] SciFi vs Fantasy

[Paula Lieberman]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "M Hämäläinen" <mhamalainenenator at gmail.com>


> From: Jacki Knight <jacki at knightech.com.au>
>
>> I'm guessing you haven't read Paladin of Souls then?
>
> Only once. But I did get the impression that her deceased husband, who was 
> a
> king of his own counry, had a variety of women to choose from. I very much
> doubt that he chose an unattractive or even plain queen...

Monarchs and presumption monarch tend to dynastic/political marriage, in 
which the breeding and possessions and political and familial etc. 
connections of the chosen spouse, take precedent over all else.  One of 
Henry VIII's marriages got annulled because when the wife showed up in 
person from the continent to England and Henry got a look at her and heard 
her express herself, he decided that the reports on which he'd agreed to the 
marriage regarding her appearance and other factors, did not reflect 
reality.

But usually historically, again, spouses for dynastic marriages "beauty" was 
not a factor that came into the equation.  Wealth, lands, number of troops 
the prospective spouse could bring to add to the army, etc., all were.

> Female MC, not described as 'outstandingly beautiful (well, not any
>> more anyway, although she may have been in her youth) - Ista several
>> times mentions her shortness, plumpness, dull snarly hair and general
>> lack of womanly beauty. I don't think either Umerue or Joen count in
>> the beauty stakes either.
>
>
> Fair enough. It's just an impression I have, probably based more on 
> Iselle,
> Betriz, Ijada, and Fawn.