erotica

Hide and Seek: Erotic Tales of Voyeurs and Exibitionists

barbara — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 08:00:00 +0000

Edited by Rachel Kramer Bussel, Alison Tyler

Sometimes a sexually arousing or a sexually fulfilling experience does not necessarily have to involve physical contact with another person. This is the premise behind the erotica anthology Hide And Seek: Erotic Tales of Voyeurs and Exhibitionists, in which the characters in the scenarios that enfold find sexual fulfillment and release from viewing others in the throes of sexual passion (be it with an attractive partner or with a vibrator). The characters take pleasure in each other, not through sexual intercourse, but simply through sight. This premise makes the set-ups and plots of these stories differ from typical erotica fare.

Talented erotica writer Rachel Kramer Bussel one again lends her editorial eye to Cleis Press for this anthology, selecting steamy, well written, and well-developed erotic stories that all fit under the broad umbrella of voyeurism and exhibitionism. While the title made me initially assume that the stories within this anthology would be specifically voyeuristic, the stories in this collection actually cover the gamut, with voyeurism leading to arousal for couples, friends, neighbors, and total strangers. As is the case with most erotic works put out by Cleis Press the stories within this anthology are all smoothly composed, with enough character and plot development to satisfy more cerebral readers.

Among the tales I found to be most scintillating within this anthology were “A Girl, Two Guys, and a Sex Toy,” by Kristina Wright. As one would perhaps conjecture from the story’s obvious title, the plot does indeed involve a woman, two men, and a large dildo. A lovelorn woman heals her wounds when she finds herself in bed with her two male best friends. However, instead of engaging in the expected ménage a trois scenario one would anticipate, she instead pleasures herself with the aforementioned sex toy, soaking in the fact that she is able to arouse two men.

In Teresa Noelle Roberts’ story “Visual Memory,” an artist finds artistic inspiration by recalling past voyeuristic memories, and laments upon how they transformed her own perception of sexuality. Roberts’ writing in the story is often poetic and rich with detail and character introspection, making it literary enough to surpass the erotica genre.

Written by: Adrienne Urbanski, March 25th 2011

Best Lesbian Erotica 2011

gwen — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 20:00:00 +0000

Edited by Kathleen Warnock

Cleis Press

As the title indicates, Best Lesbian Erotica 2011 is a compilation of short erotic fiction from a variety of authors, both established and obscure. What the title fails to express is that this is not just yet another compilation of middle-of-the-road lesbian erotica. This edition, unlike others before it, centers on lesbian outsiders, the ones whose radical gender bending and subversive sexuality sometimes makes the rest of us just a little bit squeamish.

The history of lesbian feminism has been filled, unfortunately, with a bit too much self-righteous policing of lesbian gender expression and sexuality, a sometimes defensive response to the pressure we feel to reject heteronormativity while being just enough like the heterosexuals to be “acceptable.” Of course, many a put-upon femme can tell you of the pressures to be identifiably lesbian and very much “unacceptable.” While I am quite the middle-of-the-road, vanilla sort of lesbian, I think it’s about damned time, really, that we lesbian feminists get over ourselves and embrace how very diverse we Sapphic types can be and how very different our community is from the heterosexual majority.

For me, reading Best Lesbian Erotica 2011 was most definitively a “getting over myself” moment. Some of the stories fit right in to what I consider erotic, mainly because I could identify myself or, at least, my type, in the characters. Most were foreign to me. The characters and settings were recognizable enough in type. I have, after all, been a member of the lesbian community for nearly two decades now. But what distance there is between having observed and having experienced! Reading stories written from the perspective of those who blur the lines between genders and push the boundaries of human sexuality put my own gender identity and sexuality in a strange sort of perspective. It was, admittedly, a bit discomfiting at times but overall, rather enjoyable.

Ultimately, while most of the stories in the compilation are well written and structured and quite creative, I think that whether a reader enjoys them will depend a great deal on what she brings to the reading. For the lesbian outsider often excluded from such compilations, this one will surely be a welcome opportunity to find her fantasies expressed and her identity reflected in a way that is too seldom encountered in mainstream lesbian fiction. The insiders will be taking a journey in a strange land with the occasional rest stop in familiar territory. An open mind will be as vital on this expedition as a good map.

Written by: Melinda Barton, February 28th 2011

Best Bondage Erotica 2011

brittany — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 08:00:00 +0000

Edited by Rachel Kramer Bussel

Cleis Press

As the title would imply, this erotica anthology contains solely stories that involve bondage, the use of restraints for the purpose of sexual pleasure. Along with the use of bondage in sexual encounters comes the play of submissive and dominant roles. As one might expect, nearly half of stories in this book stick to standard dominate/submissive heterosexual roles, with men tying up women in various scenarios and then sexually dominating them. As a feminist with a lifelong interest in challenging gender roles, I found these stories to be a bit lackluster and predictable, though surely they might appeal to some readers. (To be clear, I'm not suggesting feminist beliefs necessarily negate interests or arousals derived from women in submissive sexual roles.) That said, the stories that I found to be the anthology’s gems did not pigeonhole men and women into clearly defined submissive and dominate roles.

Among the stories within the collection that I found to be most scintillating was “The Rainmaker” by Elizabeth Daniels, in which a married couple whose sex life is marred by the wife’s frigidity finds renewed fire with some BDSM play involving a gag and rope. Similarly, in Lux Zakari’s story “Truss Issues,” a heterosexual couple experiments with the use of restraint for the first time, and although the female is restrained it is her sexual needs that are fulfilled, rather than that of the male, as is the case with some of the other heterosexual stories in the collection.

I also liked “Reasoning” by Tenille Brown, in which a woman restrains and sexually dominates her male lover in an attempt to make amends over past transgressions. For less heteronormative narratives, I recommend “Bound Helen,” in which a lesbian couple’s use of corset by day is a precursor to their bondage play by night, and during which neither partner has complete control of the other. In “Daddy,” a lesbian couple takes the submissive and dominate roles to the extreme, with the plot’s apex centering around a trip to a party in which the submissive is blindfolded and restrained for the exploration of others.

While bondage as well as domination and submission are not sexual scenarios that will appeal to all readers, most fans of erotica will most likely find at least a few stories arousing. Those who find the subject matter more to be their cup of tea will surely find the anthology to be a gem. The most valuable attribute of this anthology is the high quality of writing in every story, scenes that are set well, and characters that are fully developed despite the short stories in which they appear. Those who enjoy books with more literary merit will surely value editor Rachel Kramer Bussel’s pattern of selecting well-written stories that sometimes trigger the intellect as well as the sex drive.

Written by: Adrienne Urbanski, February 15th 2011

Girl Crush: Women's Erotic Fantasies

tina — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 16:00:00 +0000

Edited by R. Gay

Cleis Press

Truthfully, I wasn’t expecting to like Girl Crush. I wasn’t expecting well written girl-on-girl erotica. I wasn’t expecting to have my breath taken away.

My first crush was Elizabeth; she was my assigned seventh grade science lab partner. She was so beautiful that I was embarrassed to sit by her. I spent the whole semester in awe, watching her when she wasn’t looking, trying to talk to her, longing to touch her. I was smitten. I dreamed about being her friend, holding her hand, going to sleepovers together, and kissing her. I wanted to be just like her: beautiful, mysterious, alluring, and anything else she wanted me to be. She was the one constant in my sexual awakening; the girl I always had a crush on and the more I learned about what I wanted, the more I wanted her.

I never expected to see those feelings in print, but the stories in Girl Crush capture that extraordinary mix of longing and awe that comprise a crush on a girl. These writers know exactly what it is to be consumed by desire, to be overtaken by lust and envy. The characters experience the held breath, the tentative gesture, the sidelong glances, the profound hope that somehow, you will get to see this girl naked. These stories do not disappoint; the girls do get naked. The sex is wonderfully explicit and the details show that this is not just about sex, it’s about wish fulfillment. The hottest dreams made real, getting to do what you’d only imagined.

If you’ve ever had a girl crush, these stories will grab you and not let you go until you’ve turned the last page. Whether you’ve wanted a friend, a colleague, or a customer, this collection has a story for everyone. It’s a sexy reader for those still lusting from afar and a wash of memory for those lucky enough to have had their dreams come to fruition. If you’re like me, you’ll close the book just long enough to reopen it at the beginning.

As for Elizabeth, no, I never got to kiss her. We keep in touch and twenty-five years later, I’m still hoping to see her naked.

Written by: Melissa Ruiz, December 28th 2010

Fast Girls: Erotica for Women

tina — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Edited by Rachel Kramer Bussel

Cleis Press

Fast. The word itself is a contradiction. By definition, fast can mean unrestrained and held tight; reckless and secure; promiscuous and faithful. A fast girl can be one way and then another or often both at once. A fast girl can be wild, even when caught in the firmest of knots.

In Fast Girls, fast means quick thinking and quicker action. Fast girls see what they want and take it, cleverly making the most of circumstances around them. Fast girls crave attention, thrive in the spotlight, and live in the moment. A fast girl goes all the way, every time, and loves it. A fast girl makes her own choices and loves to defy expectation. Taking her pleasure as she chooses, a fast girl follows no rules of conduct.

The women here are connected by their willingness to experience life as it comes, taking chances and being handsomely rewarded for their bravado. These stories cut directly to the action, focusing on the sex rather than on preliminaries. From quiet arousal to public masturbation, sex in a communal shower to exploration of marital roles, this collection has something for everyone. Many stories explore the darker side of erotica, as women find their pleasure in pain, submission, and public displays of need and desire.

Orgasm is a given in each of these stories; each woman knows what she needs to reach it and she will not be denied. Explicitly detailed, you are privy to each woman’s thoughts, her reactions to every touch, lick, slap. With a lover, stranger, or customer, the woman’s body is the focus and her pleasure the priority.

Fast Girls is a celebration of sexual liberation, where women single-mindedly follow their desires. They have girl on girl sex, sex with boys and sex in groups. They have sex where, when, and with whom they want, without offering any apology. If you are looking for explicit, edgy erotica, dive in anywhere. These girls like it fast.

Written by: Melissa Ruiz, December 15th 2010

Best Lesbian Erotica 2010

gita — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Edited by Kathleen Warnock

Cleis Press

The photo on this anthology’s cover, of two near identical women in rapturous embrace serves to convey the collection’s reoccurring theme: sex with one’s doppelganger. While the majority of stories in this collection do not adhere to this theme, two of the most unusual tales in this collection do. As one would assume, the stories within this collection often veer outside of the clichéd, cookie-cutter lesbian erotica setups. While many of the traditional ingredients are here, this anthology manages to put them together in new ways, offering a bit of variance for those familiar with the typical erotica set up who are perhaps looking for some new spins. We can thank the selectors of the stories, the musical group Betty (most recently of The L Word fame), for choosing works that stray off of the usual path.

While there are many tales that adhere to the butch/femme setup, the outcome differs in many of the tales with femmes being the dominant party (oddly, the butch/femme tales are also almost exclusively told from the butch’s point of view.) Among the most stimulating and heartfelt of the stories including the butch/femme dynamic, is “Bloodties,” by Alex Tucci in which a young butch finds relief from her grief at a funeral by having a steamy sex session with her second cousin in a church bathroom. Tucci delivers stimulating sexual description while combining genuine plot and character development—attributes not always found in steamy erotica. In “Shameless,” writers Kymberlyn Reed and Anais Morten surprisingly include heterosexual men in their tale. However the two lesbian characters do not engage in heterosexual sex with the two men. Instead, they are allowed to drool over the two while they engage in sex. Later on, the lesbian couple uses their strap-ons on the two men, convincing them into such a position by offering it as their only means of sexual release. This creative setup offers an interesting spin on the heterosexual male fetishization of lesbian sex.

Among the collection’s most unique tales are the two that adhere to the cover’s theme, tales that I did not find to be sexually arousing, but instead intellectually stimulating. In “Self-Reflection,” by Tobi Hill-Meyer, a female to male pre-op transsexual runs into her time traveling post-op self and gives new meaning to the phrase “having sex with yourself.” My favorite, and the most literary tale in the collection, is “Uppercasing,” by Charlie Anders. It tells the story of a near identity-less girl who travels to San Francisco to find herself. Instead, she finds an arrogant artist, with the same name who proceeds to transform her into her double. The strange sexual situations that unfold between the two are undercut with such statements as: “I’ve always wanted to see the look in my own face when someone fists me…And now I can.”

While the sex that occurs between the two serves to only be the stuff of humiliation and rampant narcissism, the tale offers an interesting lament on the concepts of identity and ego. I was unsure as to why this story was in an erotica collection, but I found its strange theme to be one that stayed with me weeks after I finished reading the collection, and finding well crafted writing amidst a book of erotica was a pleasant surprise.

Overall, this collection succeeds in offering up unusual and eclectic tales that are a nice diversion from the standard erotica that gets dull much too quickly. While the unusual tales may be too far out to be stimulating for some, there is most likely at least one story to get your motor racing.

Written by: Adrienne Urbanski, November 23rd 2010

Lesbian Lust: Erotic Stories

payal — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Edited by Sacchi Green

Cleis Press

The stories featured in Sacchi Green’s edited collection of lesbian erotica are intensely sexual. As the name of the volume, Lesbian Lust, implies, each of the stories focus on the deep sensual and sexual desires of the characters featured in them. The narratives are varied in their settings, characterizations, and kinds of sex offered for the reader’s (and their companions’) interest. As Green writes in her introduction to the volume, “Variety is also the spice of lust.”

Many of the stories are not for the faint of heart; there are few typically “vanilla” sex acts and story lines included in Lesbian Lust. This said, the volume presents a wonderfully wide-ranging assortment of active, desiring lesbian subjects who are in charge of their own sexuality, whether they play out their own fantasies or submit at their own will to the desires of their partner(s). The stories are kink-friendly and as one might imagine of a collection written by and for lesbians, sex- and woman-positive. Overall, this was my favorite aspect of the collection of stories. Even if any one story didn’t fall within my own particular set of turn-ons, I appreciated reading the entire group of stories for their collective interest in portraying lesbians in powerful positions, engaging one another in both playful and serious emotional, psychological, and/or physical situations.

Perhaps my favorite story of the collection, “The Office Grind” by R.G. Emanuelle, brings sex to the boardroom as Casey secretly tends to Nina, company Vice President, while Nina participates in a business meeting with her pompous and oblivious male co-workers. The story is simultaneously sexy and funny, and makes the introduction of cunnilingus to the workday seem a brilliant idea to chase away the staid boredom all too typical of a desk job, especially for a female executive who is used to being treated as a second-class citizen both by her boss and her subordinates. “The Office Grind” turns on its head the conventional voyeuristic tale of men getting off on watching lesbians having sex, emphasizing Nina’s business and sexual power in the face of her ignorant co-workers. Using wordplay to drive the story home, “The Office Grind” brings a whole new meaning to the terms “powerpoint” and “working lunch.”

I highly recommend this story, and the Lesbian Lust collection as a whole to the reader looking for multi-layered tales of sex, romance, and power in all sorts of lesbian relationships.

Written by: Stefanie Snider, November 18th 2010

Making the Hook-up: Edgy Sex with Soul

alicia — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 08:00:00 +0000

By Cole Riley

Cleis Press

What business does a White woman like me have reviewing a collection of erotica by African American authors? I figure when it comes to erotica, it's matter of whether the story turns you on or doesn’t, and I can’t see that race has much to do with that.

As you’d expect, most of the characters in this eighteen-story collection are Black, and it's wonderful to see a full range of sexual expression within them. Making the Hook-up contains threesomes, lesbians, BDSM, a spanking fetish, and anonymous (and near-anonymous) encounters in movie theaters, public restrooms, and hotel rooms. There's something for everyone, and several damn good stories.

Reginald Harris’ “Keeping Up with the Joneses” is the amusing account of long-married couple Roy and Lynn, who are inspired to rekindle their sex life when they hear the nighttime romps of their new next door neighbors, a gay couple, through the wall of their townhouse. (Notably, the overheard sexual escapades of the neighbors are the only depiction of sex between two men in the book.) “Pharaoh’s Phallic” by Deepbronze is good for chuckles and some seriously erotic images when the protagonist learns the truth about his girlfriend’s secret lover. Zaji’s “Lights on a Cave Wall” combines Caribbean spirituality and mysticism with pulsing, sensual descriptions, while “Lonnie’s Licks” by Tenille Brown and “All Day” by Asha French are probably the best bets for turning on the ladies.

Erotica is an wildly unbalanced genre; some writers think describing a sexual act is enough to qualify while others devote attention to the story. I’m happy to say this collection favors the latter, and it’s clear these storytellers have bright futures as writers. “Strangers in the Water,” by R. Gay, details a Haitian immigrant’s complicated relationship with her homeland and her husband, and Fiona Zedde’s “Velvet” recounts a college freshman’s first sexual experience with another woman. Both are particular standouts for the complexity of the characters' feelings.

Making the Hook-up provides a varied menu of sexual titillation and compelling stories, so go ahead and take a bite.

Written by: Karen Duda, October 19th 2010

Orgasmic: Erotica for Women

mandy — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 18:00:00 +0000

By Rachel Kramer Bussel

Cleis Press

I remember flipping quickly through the pages of my friends’ romance novels in high school looking for the juicy parts. The sexy parts. I had been told the books would be like "porn for women," so I assumed there would be something pornographic in the material. Alas, as soon as I found a creamy white thigh slipping out of a slit in a skirt, it was magically the next morning and the characters were talking... again. So, I gave up. Fortunately, Orgasmic addresses the need of female-oriented erotic literature more directly.

Admittedly, as an adult well grounded in societal norms, it was difficult to take Orgasmic seriously when I opened it with a friend over margaritas at a Mexican restaurant. The collection of stories found in the book contain, though not intentionally, some humorous material. However, while some of the dialogue (or the words authors come up with for sexual anatomy) makes for solid comedy, other stories are not to be taken so lightly.

Do not, for example, read Dusty Horn's “Share” while on a plane (trust me). Unless you’re a veteran member of the mile high club or know how to take care of business in tight places, public spaces are not the right place to read this story. Dusty writes a truly erotic lesbian adventure that is both cervically and cerebrally stimulating. What makes this story stand out from a few of its neighbors is that it is really well written, and really sexy.

Take this line about her double-ended toy for example, “A tug of war—I pull on the dick with my hand and counter clench around the bulb with my pussy wall. Where do you think you’re going?” Dusty does not stop there with her toy-inspired escapades; there is dildo pistol whipping, dildo sucking, fucking, jerking, and on... and on.

Lolita Lopez’s “The Chair” is also eye wideningly kinky, and may inspire you to take a more mechanical approach to your sex life. “Hurdles,” by Rowan Elizabeth, is nearly a how-to guide. While her methods for getting off on oral may not work for you, there’s still a great lesson to be learned about communicating with your partner about what you need to get it done.

Perhaps some of the clichés and silly references to the fins on Cadillacs looking like dicks are part of Orgasmic's charm. Sometimes sex is funny. Sometimes the things that turn us on are funny. Some might say, “different strokes for different folks.” Orgasmic is, indeed, full of a lot of strokes. If one story makes you laugh, try the next; that one might just get the job done.

Written by: Tatiana Ryckman, September 20th 2010

4:Play: A Contemporary Cocktail of Erotic Short Stories

admin — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 01:00:00 +0000

By Jess C. Scott

4:Play: A Contemporary Cocktail of Erotic Short Stories, is a compilation of short erotic stories designed to whip its readers into an erotic frenzy. This goal is only mildly achieved. Jess C. Scott’s use of modern formatting and writing style often bogs the reader down in trying to figure out who is speaking in a story, causing the erotic material to get lost.

In the first story, “Black Velvet,” the author uses copies of instant messenger and text message conversations throughout the story. These often become confusing and difficult to read along with all of the contemporary language short cuts used within the conversations between the characters. Perhaps this is an indication that this reader is more of a traditionalist, because I still do not fully understand what LOL or ROFL mean.

The themes used throughout 4:Play appear to be more about shock value than eroticism. The story “Wicked Lovely” is about a brother and sister pair locked in passion, while “Devilin Fey” has a sort of macabre feel that makes it difficult to connect with for me. The section titled “Appetizers” contains short poems or texts that fail to deliver erotically and only made me feel like an awkward voyeur. Overall, the stories at the beginning of the book are somewhat steamy, but as the collection continues the momentum is becomes lost and fizzles.

Throughout the book the use of mixed pacing methods with email, text, letters, and journals within one story at times make this a difficult book to read. 4:Play is for those who enjoy this type of mixed pacing and use of modern, contemporary language; however, if you prefer more traditional writing, themes, and language choices or a good quick read with lots of steamy content, this is a book to avoid. The material is more like a slow burn with no real climax.

Written by: Jenny Greenfield, January 4th 2010

Lesbian Cowboys: Erotic Adventures

admin — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 09:00:00 +0000

Edited by Sacchi Green, Rakelle Valencia

Cleis Press

Lesbian Cowboys: Erotic Adventures is a collection of fifteen short stories that, as promised, feature lesbian cowboys. On average, the stories run approximately fourteen pages or so, which results in the feeling that there is not much in the way of plot or character development. Actually, a more fitting title would have been Lesbian Cowboys Having Sex, as the majority of the stories are pretty to the point and do not waste much time getting to the good stuff (and by good stuff, I mean lots of sex).

As for the eroticism, some stories are soft and sweet. My favorite of these was Craig J. Sorenson’s “Two Fronts,” a quaint coming-of-age story about a young woman living on a ranch during World War II. Others are written with crude details, such as Roxy Katt’s “Fancy Pants.” Personally, I have never found the words “fur” or “titties” to be especially erotic, but to each her own. Most of the stories are just fun little sexual romps. In their quest to set the right “cowboy” tone, some of the authors get a bit cheesy with their use of slang, such as “I reckon,” “Yes’m,” and “obliged,” but, if you are reading anything that falls into the romance, erotica or love story category, a little bit of cheese is probably what you are seeking.

Despite them all sharing a central theme of the cowboy lover, the stories are definitely individual works and each has its own take on the lesbian cowboy. There is something for everyone here, with stories set in every time period from the Old West to the current day in the twenty-first century. The heroines are all variations on the cowboy stereotype: ranch hands, rodeo cowgirls, detectives, and drifters, meaning that there is something for everyone in this collection. Because this is a themed collection, the stories sometime can get a bit monotonous when read one right after the other, so I do not recommend trying to read them all in one sitting, unless you really love lesbian cowboys. In the end, the book delivers exactly what its cover tagline promises, sexy little stories filled with “lust, dust and leather.”

Written by: Victoria Kroeger, December 4th 2009

Bottoms Up: Spanking Good Stories

admin — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 01:01:00 +0000

By Rachel Kramer Bussel

Cleis Press

Although I would not say I have a particular propensity for spanking, I am fascinated by various kinks or sexual fetishes, and like to support writing that allows people the space to explore their desires, even if it just in a fantasy realm. I am also usually not the biggest fan of erotica, as I have found many of the collections I've read to be either quite stale or laughably cheesy—neither of which are very steamy. However, I found myself surprisingly intrigued and pleasantly provoked by Bottoms Up: Spanking Good Stories.

Editor Rachel Kramer Bussel has put together a number of anthologies of erotica with a variety of themes ranging from domination and submission to voyeurism. Bottoms Up is a collection of erotica focusing on being either a spanker or spankee, and is Bussel's fourth anthology on this particular theme. There is an even mix of stories representing different perspectives: giving, receiving, fantasizing, and watching spanking. The majority of stories comprise male/female partnerships, though there are a few involving queer characters. Since openly male authors in this genre are apparently uncommon, this particular collection has mostly male authors.

One of the things I liked most is that many of the stories felt real in the sense that the characters were often experiencing the conflicting feelings of arousal, confusion, and guilt that often come with having a fetish. The sensation of pleasure mixed with pain is a major theme and, of course, is pretty much the basic idea of BDSM. The character in "Ass Worship," for instance, is drawn to experiment with being spanked. He has many questions about it and is extremely nervous at first, unsure if he can actually go through with it.

Many of the stories involve a person's first time being spanked or spanking someone else. Others involve such exciting and sometimes amusing subjects as swingers, Renaissance Fair fantasies, church frolicking, and (in the editor's piece) a spanking machine. My very favorite story, "I'm Going to Grab Your Hair," is written as though the author (and spanker) is "dirty talking" to the reader (and spankee). It is rough and nasty and thrilling. I'd never read an erotica piece in quite that style before.

If you consider yourself a spanking enthusiast or are just curious, Bottoms Up is sexy, engaging, and fascinating. I don't think you will find yourself disappointed.

Written by: Lesley Kartali, November 23rd 2009

Girl Crazy: Coming Out Erotica

admin — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 08:00:00 +0000

Edited by Sacchi Green

Cleis Press

Stories of self-discovery and coming out comprise the overwhelming majority of lesbian imagery in literature, television, and film internationally. Many of us lesbian types truly wish we could get a bit more exploration beyond those murky borders, but I know of few people who actively dislike the coming out story. After all, if it is done well, it can be quite romantic and caters to the notorious lesbian love for nostalgia. As an avid consumer of coming out stories in more languages than I care to count, I decided that Girl Crazy: Coming out Erotica would be perfect summer reading.

Some of the stories balanced nostalgia, romance, and eroticism very well. (However, I wouldn’t advise anyone as prone to blushing as I am to read them on the bus or any other form of public transportation.) Although they were standard for the genre, their explicit honesty separated them from the romantic but “safe” stories generally available in the mainstream. Sommer Marsden’s “Spitting Seeds,” which captured the emergence of lust and love from youthful friendship, was probably the best of the lot.

Others were more problematic. In reviewing erotica, it’s often difficult to draw the line between what I don’t find sexy and what isn’t sexy—period. The language, the situation, or the characters might be a turnoff for me, but perfect for someone else. For instance, in Lux Zakari’s “Sabra,” we read of a lustful encounter between a wealthy divorcée and her driver in the back of the limo. When the two finally kiss, the main character says she’s “reminded of smoky bonfires, wild blooming orchids, and pristine white beaches at night.” That’s a bit too Danielle Steel for my taste, but perhaps other readers might find such things erotic.

Others still were just downright wrong. They left me wondering whether the author had ever had a lesbian encounter (in one case, he obviously hadn’t) or in one or two instances, whether the author had ever met a lesbian. Seemingly inspired by “lesbian” porn made by and for heterosexual males, they included character descriptions, language or events that would be highly unlikely if not impossible between two sane, adult women in a sexual relationship. Whether it’s a discussion of memories of forced sodomy in the midst of what is supposed to be an erotic moment or a character described as having claw-like nails despite being a lesbian or language so crass that it seemed like it was written and spoken by a teenage boy, these “inaccuracies” would be jarring to anyone remotely familiar with lesbian sensibilities.

In the end, I’m not certain if the good are worth the trouble of the bad. I’ll let you decide.

Written by: Melinda Barton, October 28th 2009

Boy Crazy: Coming Out Erotica

admin — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:13:00 +0000

Edited by Richard Labonté

Cleis Press

Boy Crazy is a series of firsts: first coming out of the closet experiences, first feelings of sexual awakening, first realizations of “otherness,” first times falling in love... the list goes on and on. In a series of otherwise unrelated stories, multiple authors tell the tales of coming out and first encounters, all from the perspective of boys, of young homosexuals' way of perceiving the world. It’s not complicated, as Richard Labonté writes in his introduction, “Those are the stories of those boys, and the boys who are crazy about them.”

There are seventeen different stories in Boy Crazy, told by seventeen different voices. The title can be a bit misleading, as it can be assumed that all of the stories are of sexual nature, but that is not the case. Some of the tales are about the innocent discovery of love, the moment in which the boy realizes he loves other boys—and they love him. Other tales are about the excitement brought on by the first sexual encounters, at times told in fun detail. Regardless, the stories deal with reciprocated feelings and for the most part are entertaining to read.

A very interesting element to Boy Crazy is how each author brings a different portrayal to life. Depending on the tone and mood, the story can be comical, or provocative or at times even a bit darker in mood or outlook. The writing styles vary greatly, in one story we are in the world of a young boy and his pearl clutching grandmother and in the next story a college freshman sits around a coffee shop checking his laptop and texting his roommate that he won’t be home. The multiplicity of authors brings a fun perspective, but it does not mean that there won’t be similarities.

For the most part, the stories either revolve around or have elements based on the idea of a young unpopular boy who lusts after his sister’s boyfriend and eventually has his first sexual encounter with him. At times it can be repetitive, varying only in location. After all this is a compilation of stories about the same subject. However, there are other stories, such as “Sundelin,” in which a new type of awakening is discovered and it has nothing to do with a sibling, or with anything in general, but only leaves the reader wanting more (like the main character).

Boy Crazy is a fun book to read. At times it’s provocative, and it can be sweet. It can be a light read, but also has enough good writing to be taken seriously.

Written by: Jessica Sánchez, October 27th 2009

Where the Girls Are: Urban Lesbian Erotica

admin — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 17:05:00 +0000

Edited by D.L. King

cleis

When I first began reading Where the Girls Are, I thought I had made a mistake. As I turned the pages of the first short story, Charlotte Dare’s “The Critic,” I thought, “This must be doing nothing for me because I’m not a lesbian.” Oh-oh. Fortunately, things changed as I moved on to the following stories. It turns out “The Critic” just wasn’t very good.

This compilation of short stories is satisfying on numerous levels—there is variety of length, fetish, pace, style, and even talent. We cruise through night clubs, BDSM initiations, taxis, butt plugs, whips, cityscapes, cocktails, and a rushed stint through the backstage of a fashion show. We’re even introduced to a ‘50s pinup lookalike in these pieces of “true tales and explicit fiction.”

Lisabet Sarai’s “Rush Hour” is my favorite. Unpredictable from start to finish, riveting and fun, it’s a non-cheesy tale of opposites attracting that puts you right in the cab with Ruth and Mina. Both characters are bold, independent, and snarky—just the way I like them.

Kathleen Bradean’s “Don’t Fuck with Country Girls” also positively stands out. From the very first sentence, I was drawn in with a smile on my face. I mean, how could you not love a story that begins, “My clit is fat and sassy.”—impossible. Plus, it’s (sort of) a story about two people who meet on the internet. Story of my life.

Of course, I also have complaints. I was positively appalled as I sat on the toilet reading “The City Pony” by Roxy Katt. Granted, there are no actual ponies in the story, but this is the closest thing to zoophilia I have ever read (not that I have searched). Apart from that, it is a long, dull story filled with dialogue both corny and forced, and it ends exactly how you think it will. Feel free to skip it, if only because it just can’t be healthy to roll your eyes for seventeen straight pages.

Other than that, Where the Girls Are overflows with tantalizing tales of both rural and urban girls gone wild in the city—but not in the raunchy sense. Okay, yes, in the raunchy sense. But I don’t think I read anything about cameras.

Written by: Natalia Real, September 5th 2009