Incest Romance

[Diana Silver]

If your characters accept something as normal, your readers will too. If they're disgusted by something, then your readers will be too.

This.

While in your explanation I can clearly see that you're going into a lot of intersting grey areas (which I love) it also sounds to me like you place this Klonne character as the bad guy for inciting them to behave immorally. That bit feels like the narrative itself it taking sides, casting moral judgment. If the Klonne is 'bad' for fanning their romantic feelings, then incest is indeed bad in this narrative.
Does it have to be? Maybe the Klonne has a real point: that if the MC really happens to love his sister - romantically - and she loves him, that it's only the stigma placed on it by others that keeps them apart. And then question becomes if internalizing that & acting on that is a good thing.

Here's my very personal two cents: I would love this story. I would love it even more if the narrative would (from the start or eventually) do away with the presumption that there'd be anything inherently wrong with it. Explore the full range of the controversy (as I think you're well underway doing anyway), and why it is controversial.

Who knows, it may have something to do with me being asexual... Sexual/romantic desire seems like a fantasy magic concept to me anyway, which I greatly enjoy reading about but it feels always a bit boring and go-to that in 98% of stories it concerns a man&woman following a very run-of-the-mill set of rules (such as them having to be from different lineages, which aparently roots very deep in the wiring of most allosexual people, but as was remarked already in this thread isn't necessarily backed by rational moral or ethical arguments).
All in all, siblings seem refreshingly original and moral stigma a great and complex foe for them to conquer.

Well anyway, this post is mostly to confirm that there's readers out there for pretty much every type of story. So I hope you go on writing, and write it unapologetically.

 

[JBCrowson]

Recessive genetic traits are a very real reason why reproductive relationships with close relations are not a good idea at the societal level.

 

[JBCrowson]

Interestingly mice will happily mate with siblings, but if there is a non sibling to mate with they choose the non-sibling. One study I read suggested closely related mice smell the same and, even if reared apart on different diets, mice can smell how similar a potential mate is and unerringly choose the less genetically similar partner.

 

[Diana Silver]

Recessive genetic traits are a very real reason why reproductive relationships with close relations are not a good idea at the societal level.

Oh, I never knew about recessive genes, thank you for explaining.

But on a serious note: this only underlines that in the absence of babies, there isn't a clear problem.

 

[pmmg]

I don't find it moot if the story is trying to normalize relationships for which this is a likely outcome, and then asking for my complicity in making it sale-able.

 

[Diana Silver]

Whut, complicity? Do you think that reading about an incestious couple will somehow incite people to start their own incestuous relationships?

 

[Finchbearer]

Readers = published work.

 

[Finchbearer]

I don't find it moot if the story is trying to normalize relationships for which this is a likely outcome, and then asking for my complicity in making it sale-able.

I pretty much agree with this. Do you want to write this element to live out a personal fantasy, or is it right for the story.

 

[pmmg]

No...I think the OP'er is looking for my input on how to make it palatable (see opening post.), The vibe I get is they are trying to find a backdoor way to win acceptance for their taboo subject. I dont care if they want to write a taboo subject, but I am not interested in helping them sneak it past people's radars. I will not be complicit in that.

 

[Diana Silver]

So, don't...? If you don't want to give advice then no one's forcing you. Also: no one is sneaking anything in, the word is literally in the topic title, and if you read the story description you'll know that incest is a clear and deliberate theme. I'm going to politely suggest we all get back on topic or stop posting posts in Muan's thread. That's what I'm going to do now at least, so have a nice evening everyone.

 

[A. E. Lowan]

The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare tap dances around this subject for five whole books. I haven't read the sixth, yet, because I hit Cock Blocked by the Literal Fire of God as the supposed payoff for the tension for Five Whole Books. Combine that with the fact that I actually don't like to read YA because of silliness just like this, and I DNF'd the fifth book with less than 20 pages to go. I just hit 'enough' and was done.

Stupidly popular YA series with definite sibling incest themes. There may be a bit to glean from those pages.

 

[The Dark One]

Circumstances make a difference also. If they don't know they're related (eg Star Wars) then it's very different (certainly legally). Finding out (post-coitally) you were closely related to your lover would be traumatic. There's also the Blue Lagoon situation. I've not seen the movie but I understand a brother and sister (very young) get marooned on a desert island and eventually have a child. They didn't know what they were doing and certainly didn't know it was wrong. How does the reader/viewer react to that.

If your characters do know they're related and go ahead with it anyway (eg Jamie and Cersei) then that's a minefield for the author to deal with. I suspect it is marginally more acceptable in a fantasy setting (as different mores can apply) than a real life setting where the ick factor is high.

 

[A. E. Lowan]

Tanya Huff, one of my absolute favorites, has recurring themes along these lines, in at least 3 different series.

 

[pmmg]

There's also the Blue Lagoon situation. I've not seen the movie but I understand a brother and sister

Cousins, not siblings.

 

[A. E. Lowan]

If your characters do know they're related and go ahead with it anyway (eg Jamie and Cersei) then that's a minefield for the author to deal with. I suspect it is marginally more acceptable in a fantasy setting (as different mores can apply) than a real life setting where the ick factor is high.

I think you've isolated the kernal of the problem: there is an ick factor that must be taken into account when setting off down this path.

 

[The Dark One]

Cousins, not siblings.

Aaah ok.

I know a couple who are cousins. They were married in Ireland where it's legal and are a little coy about it.

 

[TheKillerBs]

Circumstances make a difference also. If they don't know they're related (eg Star Wars) then it's very different (certainly legally). Finding out (post-coitally) you were closely related to your lover would be traumatic. There's also the Blue Lagoon situation. I've not seen the movie but I understand a brother and sister (very young) get marooned on a desert island and eventually have a child. They didn't know what they were doing and certainly didn't know it was wrong. How does the reader/viewer react to that.

If your characters do know they're related and go ahead with it anyway (eg Jamie and Cersei) then that's a minefield for the author to deal with. I suspect it is marginally more acceptable in a fantasy setting (as different mores can apply) than a real life setting where the ick factor is high.

The finding out post-coitally is also in GoT (spoiler warning?), and was a major factor in Khaleesi going off the deep end (because Jon Snow was very much not okay with having banged his aunt and his rejection was yet another destabilising force).

Re:The Blue Lagoon, one would expect the Westermarck Effect to make them undesirable partners for each other even were they not related in that situation. The ick factor should still be there.