Has the paranormal trend jumped?

I've been reading romance novels for years...okay, decades.  I picked up my first one in junior high and I was hooked.  It led to a love of reading in general and even to my major in college (English).  

Why is this significant?  Well, that means I've been reading romances when there were rarely any vampire or werewolf heroes.  Outside of Dracula or The Vampire Chronicles, I think the first paranormal hero I remember was in a book written by Susan Krinard.  A year or so later a vampire hero appeared, and six months later another.  They were a rare treat. It was a gradual increase...until Buffy hit the WB network and shortly thereafter was a small but notable paranormal subgenre in romances.  To name a few that led the trend: Christine Feehan, Shelley Laurenston, Lora Leigh.

In the past decade, the paranormal subgenre exploded and seemed to suppress/replace a lot of the other subgenres.  Regency romances are still available, but it is harder to find other historical romances.  There used to be a lot of historical romances about vikings, the American Revolution, the Amerian Civil War, westerns.  I also don't see quite as many romance mysteries (but I do notice more military).

They all had the bodice ripper covers (which seem to be making a comeback-- what's with that?!), had alpha male heroes, and often sassy or spunky heroines (for their time). Does this sound a little familiar?  Okay, the heroines weren't as kick ass as they are today; that is a definite improvement (thanks Buffy!).  But it is interesting that we've replaced the historical alpha male hero with a paranormal alpha male hero. I suspect the common ground between historical and paranormals is that they are both removed from real life, so it is easier to fantasize about those alpha males than an alpha male in a traditional contemporary romance (look at all the hoopla over Christian Grey).  And let's face it, if we had to live day-in-day-out with an alpha male in real life, would we think he was romantic or a prick?  It is much more fun to fantasize about alpha males (hence, our love of them in romances)-- and if they are historical or paranormal, well, then they really aren't real.

Then, a few years ago the Twilight series hit the bookstands.  I saw it everywhere and thought "paranormals have just jumped the shark".  It didn't happen quickly, but it is the moment when I knew paranormals were no longer the leading trend, but instead an established subgenre that would be subject to the same whims as other romance subgenres.  As the romantica movement had just hit its stride (which allowed for a different type of fantasy alpha male), there was a replacement subgenre to fill the gap.


[I haven't decided yet if Shades of Grey is the jump the shark moment (I just typed humped the shark! ack! lol!) for romantica.  Until I see what new trend would replace it, it is probably too early to call that one. Steampunk?]

Well, thanks for reading this rambling post.  Agree?  Disagree?