It's time to admit technothrillers into the science fiction club

I've argued before that Tom Clancy-style technothrillers should be considered as a science-fiction sub-genre, but never have I seen someone else elucidate the idea as well as this.

The reasoning for including them in the SF label is that they are generally set in a plausible near future or in what could be considered as an alternate history and they feature weapons which are often theoretical in nature.

Technothrillers are not the only fringe SF sub-genre. Have you ever thought about "weird" westerns? These are cowboy yarns that feature supernatural or science fiction elements which are out of place in the typical horse opera. In fact, there are numerous enough examples that there is an Encyclopedia of Weird Westerns.

While we're talking about genre-blending, don't forget science fiction romance. The Galaxy Express is a blog which explores the subject better than any other. As they once wrote, does SF romance need a Gene Rodenberry in order for it to become recognized?

Speaking of romance novels, Harlequin, a Canadian-owned romance publisher, once had a formulaic science fiction line in the 70s called Laser Books. Now there is news that they are re-entering the science fiction market, along with several other genres, with a new, digital-only imprint.