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Summertime is a great opportunity to pick up a new book. On these hot and steamy days, you may crave an equally hot and steamy read. Erotica, or erotic literature, may fill this void in your life. But how do you select erotica? And where would you even find it? Never fear, “Doin’ It Well” is here to guide the wayward reader to fulfill their literary desires.

SexLit

When we talk about erotica, we usually mean erotic literature, or sexually explicit stories. Erotica is nothing new. From the Kama Sutra to Lady Chatterley’s Lover to Letters to Penthouse, sexually explicit literature has a long, tawdry history. Erotica authors explore sexuality, romance, feelings, and experiences, and allow the reader access to sexual information and stories. At one time or another, most erotica has been cherished, banned, smuggled, and celebrated because it contained tales that challenged societal mores and pushed limits with respect to sexuality. Because of this, erotic literature was often hard to find.

Today, this information is much more available. Sex manuals can be purchased in bookstores. The internet allows for a host of information to be viewed anonymously and (vastly) free. And the porn industry, though we have issues with it, provides viewers with sexually explicit imagery including stories. Sexual images in general are not only accessible, they’re common. But erotica still carves out its own niche.

Many readers of erotica may choose it because they don’t like the images or messages in the mainstream porn industry (or don’t see their sexuality portrayed accurately). There may also be less stigma attached to consuming sexual literature than accessing images. Finally, erotic literature is free from constraints of reality, so the possibilities of settings, behaviors, and characters are endless.

What’s Out There?

It might be easier to ask what genres aren’t out there. Whether you’re interested in Westerns, science fiction, comedy, mystery, or fantasy, there is already a story (or anthologized collection) waiting for you. You can read about the sexual lives of vampires, cowboys, or firefighters. You could read a story about having sex on the moon, or underwater (Aqua Erotica is actually a waterproof anthology), or in ancient times. Ever wondered what would it be like to make love with Joan of Arc or Abraham Lincoln? Erotica authors have already done the footwork for you!

Some erotica anthologies focus on the behaviors, like bondage, fetishes, anal sex, three-ways, or voyeurism. Others may focus on the relationships; some erotica focuses exclusively on sex within committed relationships.

Also, many erotic anthologies are also marketed to (or about) a target demographic. Racial/ethnic-based anthologies may collect stories of African-American, Latino/a or Asian erotica. There are collections of erotic stories about people of size (such as Unruly Appetites), erotica for gay, lesbian, straight, or bisexual folks, and erotica especially for women, men, and transgendered folks, too. If you’re wondering about a topic, someone has probably written a story about it. (And if they haven’t, you should!)

Book Sale

Seeking out erotica may feel anxiety provoking. Ultimately, it is important to find an environment where you feel comfortable perusing the books. Local adult bookstores tend to carry little erotic literature, but some of the mainstream bookstores, such as Borders, have entire sections devoted to erotica. Often, public libraries may also have erotica anthologies on their shelves. Additionally, the e-book (books printed exclusively online) erotica industry is fast growing. Searching the internet for recommendations of erotica anthologies may be a good place to start, and then you can find authors and topics that you enjoy. Or if you make it to a bookstore, you can take your time and browse. Porn Vs. Erotica

Although erotica is often referring to erotic literature, sometimes erotica is framed as distinctly different from pornography (images). Gloria Steinem and other feminist writers have attempted to define erotica as depictions of respectful, egalitarian sexuality, whether those be images or literature, as opposed to porn, which may eroticize unequal power relations and violence. With this other definition of erotica out there, it might be tempting to imagine that all erotic literature presents nice, happy, consensual, fun sex. Not true.

One of the popular genres of erotic literature in many sex shops is incest, “family” or child sex. Because erotica is simply a written description, it is often able to explore taboo subjects. For us, when those “taboo” subjects cross into areas where people are non-consensually injured or taken advantage of, this is promoting the sexualization of violence. As you’re thumbing through erotica, take into account not only how it makes you feel, but also how the characters are being treated. There’s nothing inherently wrong with taboo being sexy; the forbidden is often very hot. But we do have a big problem with excusing violence against others as sexy!

Finding what you like can be a fun experiment, and the options are limitless. You may want to read alone, or read aloud to a partner. However you enjoy your erotica, find what’s right for you!

Check us out next week as we talk about “homosexuals.”