Specifically, looking at near future, lab enhanced humans, there are several successful series that I’d consider SF but are marketed YA, paranormal or UF right now, but folks ARE reading and buying Sci-Fi Rom, even if they don’t know it.Darn straight! I think near-future SFR, with genetically enhanced characters or other kinds, is ripe for exploring. I love a rollicking space opera adventure but I also dig stories closer to home. I keep wondering why we don't see more near-future settings in this subgenre, especially since some of them have cross-over appeal for superhero fans.
Near-future stories also lend themselves to a variety of tags and genre labels (e.g., suspense, thriller), so it could also be a case of meeting readers where they are comfortable. For example, a book could be recommended as a "near-future suspense with romantic elements." Publishers wouldn't use that phrase on the spine of a book (at least, I think it's a pretty safe guess), but it's a useful description when one is hand-selling titles.
Ms. Drake has put together a short list but would like to crowdsource a longer one. Head on over and add your favorites to the pot!
Joyfully yours,
Heather