There are far too many book out there that tout themselves about as "erotic fiction" when in fact they rarely have the cojones to go beyond the trite sex scenes that appear in every Danielle Steele book - a wayward nipple and heaving bosoms - to make an erotic story. Erotic fiction worthy of your lustful devotion should be a well-written work of fiction that flows so well that each word spurns you on to the next. The action should get your blood pumping and put a devious smile on your face. It's not over the top pornography in written form, it's erotic art. It gets you off. That's the definition of erotica.
Little Birds by Anais Nin Nin was a beautiful writer and was clearly eloquent in the language of love as well as the language of fiction. Her stories are not overtly romantic or sentimental, but are real and gracefully seductive. This would be a good introduction into erotic fiction, for erotic fiction virgins if you will-it won't blow a fuse (and if that is what you're looking for, skip ahead to the next review.) I personally fell in love with Nin from reading her dairies, particularly the volumes that described her relationship with fellow writer and lover Henry Miller. I should add that I have also read Miller's erotic novel Under the Roofs of Paris and while it will probably get you off, one can easily see that his usual rough eloquence and style is lacking. It can be classified as pornography, pure and simple, and it is surprisingly lacking in his usual passion. Little Birds is one of Nin's best collection of erotic short stories, all of which feature fascinating and colorful characters that become involved in sometimes twisted and darkly passionate trysts. The fact that the stories take place in a time when women were held to strict sexual restrictions by society makes them seem somehow even more tantalizing. In the end you find it almost impossible not to love Nin and respect her as the sexually liberated woman she was. Another Nin favorite that is worth looking into is The Delta of Venus, a slightly more classic collection of erotica.
Wanderlust: Erotic Travel Tales by Carol Taylor The stories may vary in style but all are clearly works of polished and experienced fiction writers with mo pretensions towards their characters' sexual appetites. Some of these stories are more romantic in nature and some are just downright kinky. The thing I loved about these stories is that they were in fact travel erotica - you are wept away as much by the descriptions of the exotic locales as you are by the rampant raunchiness. It may be a hit or miss as far as getting you to the big O but that's what makes this collection such a safe bet: there's something for everyone. And if the story doesn't get you to the finish line you can enjoy them from a pure literary appreciation. Carol Taylor is also responsible for Brown Sugar, a series of collections of erotic short stories written by black authors from around the world. While I haven't read it myself (although it is on my wish list), I have heard great things about it.
Bounce by Preston L. Allen I loved this book. It was everything an erotic novel should be and it was just cool, cool, cool. It goes way beyond anything that was written before. It's a Frankenstein creation that's part slam poetry, part pure sex and part psychological thesis. It revolves around a hard-core, independent sista, Cindique, who is sexy and flawed and strong. Cindique seduces the hot-shot telemarketer at her work (yes, an erotic novel who's main characters are telemarketers, now that takes cojones) who is caught in the jowls of their boss, a woman called Groan of Dark. That's the thing that really hooks you into this story: It feels real. It's like holding a slice of still-throbbing life in the palms of your hands. It will make a poet and a sinner out of you.
About the Author
Jenny Stein is a writer/artist/photographer/activist/bum currently located in Los Angeles. She lives in a basement apartment where she gets to watch bad shoes walk by all day. She is a self-professed bibliophile that enjoys fiery debates, people watching, and making friends with bums. Her favorite place to be is the subway, where you can get proposed to by a religious whacko, hear witty repartee between two bums, and win a debate with a stranger without speaking a word.
She dreams of traveling spontaneously for absolutely no reason. If she can keep her friends laughing when she's 99.9 years old then she will consider herself a success. Cheese is awesome.
Jenny is also the Sexuality Editor and Funny Grrrls Editor for Empowerment4Women. You can e-mail her at
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My curse is my gift. My nightmares, deep sensitivity, and emotional instability gives the best (and most uncomfortable) inspirations I could ever have. For me, art is passion - and visions are the mirror, which show my feelings and connect me with the rest of the world. Read More...
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