Adult Themed Books

[ATDrake]

Originally Posted by Enkidu of Abydos

Sorry, I got 3 questions.
1. What the hell is a Fandom Wank ?
2. What the hell is wangst ?
3. What the hell is screed ?
I thought I knew everything there was to English, but people keep thinking up new words all the time...

The Wiki Explains All: 1, 2, 3. The third one is also an actual English word of long standing, by the way.

[Enkidu of Abydos]

Originally Posted by Bilbo1967

Not hard core porn by any means, but Robert Vardeman and Victor Milan's fantasy War of Powers series contains quite a few sex scenes.

I quite enjoyed both the stories and the sex scenes!

Interestingly, most people here seem to be mentioning non-porn/erotica-oriented books with some sex scenes, while I took this thread to be mainly about porn/erotica-oriented books... There's another thread for the first kind :
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=127731
For me the two are very different categories... Like ordinary movies and porn movies...

Originally Posted by Nyssa

Not my cup of tea! Nor is rape or any other kind of sexual assault. Kinky is fine as along as they are all consenting adults. I don't care who you ask, incest is not part of that. There is always psychological manipulation involved.

Argus' books are mostly consensual but they also mostly include subtle psychological manipulation (which isn't bad for me). Basically, an inexperienced (at least in the kinky stuff) woman is drawn deeper into submission by a dominant man or woman using either her own lust or some other means, her limits constantly being moved, and while she's basically happy AFTER every step of the limit moving, she's generally not aware it's happening or of the final destination...
Anyway, not everything you read in books is practical or moral or meant to be implemented in reality, sometimes fantasy is just fantasy (though there are still some sane limits ofcourse).
Actually those books are pretty much completely anti-feministic as a sexual fantasy, but in real life I consider myself a feminist and oppose any gender discrimination (I actually like books with strong female heroines, like John Varley's "Gaea" or John Brosnan's "Sky Lords")...

[Enkidu of Abydos]

Originally Posted by ATDrake

The third one is also an actual English word of long standing, by the way.

Well cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war, I had no bloomin' idea ! I'll have to brush up on me' medieval English...

[TaureanBull]

How about Nancy Friday? Secret Garden and.......

[Nyssa]

Originally Posted by Enkidu of Abydos

Interestingly, most people here seem to be mentioning non-porn/erotica-oriented books with some sex scenes, while I took this thread to be mainly about porn/erotica-oriented books... There's another thread for the first kind :
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=127731
For me the two are very different categories... Like ordinary movies and porn movies...

The thread is meant to be an "all of the above" type deal.

Originally Posted by Enkidu of Abydos

Argus' books are mostly consensual but they also mostly include subtle psychological manipulation (which isn't bad for me). Basically, an inexperienced (at least in the kinky stuff) woman is drawn deeper into submission by a dominant man or woman using either her own lust or some other means, her limits constantly being moved, and while she's basically happy AFTER every step of the limit moving, she's generally not aware it's happening or of the final destination...
Anyway, not everything you read in books is practical or moral or meant to be implemented in reality, sometimes fantasy is just fantasy (though there are still some sane limits ofcourse).
Actually those books are pretty much completely anti-feministic as a sexual fantasy, but in real life I consider myself a feminist and oppose any gender discrimination (I actually like books with strong female heroines, like John Varley's "Gaea" or John Brosnan's "Sky Lords")...

That's cool. In simplest terms - as long as either participant is allowed to say "no" without violent repercussions, I don't see it as a problem. To clarify even more, (I hope) I feel there is a difference between reading a story where a rape happens (like in a crime drama or something), vs reading a "rape fantasy" novel.

[Enkidu of Abydos]

Originally Posted by Nyssa

The thread is meant to be an "all of the above" type deal.

In that case the OP's question is a bit wrong - because non-erotic/porn-oriented books are not classed/defined by whether they contain sex or not (because that's besides the point) but by the genre (SF / fantasy / historical / adventure ...) so you can ask me what my favorite SF book/author is or what my favorite fantasy book/author is, but asking me what my favorite book/author that contains sex in it but is not about it is kind of meaningless, because then I'd have to remember my 10 favorite books/authors of all genres and go down the list checking which contain sex and which don't (which has nothing to do with them being on my favorites list in that case), while answering who my favorite author of the erotic/porn genre on the other hand is easy...
I don't know how much sense this makes, how clearly I've managed to explain what I'm trying to say.
For example, the "Gaea" series is my favorite SF even if you take out all the sex and regardless of the sex, while sex books are mainly about sex.
So my favorite SF book is "Gaea" while my favorite sex book is some book about sex (don't really know which)...
Movies for example practically all contain some sex (except Disney movies ) so asking which is your favorite movie which contains sex is equal to asking which is your favourite movie...

[Nyssa]

Sorry. I didn't realize there was so much to the question. I thought both the name of the thread and the nature of the poll was enough of an explanation. I guess I should have left the thread creation to the experts. I obviously am not one (as I mention in the Original Post).

All that being said, I think it did still manage to start a pretty good conversation, as well as, a (small) list of books /authors for consideration.

[Enkidu of Abydos]

OMG, stupid me, not realizing I WAS talking to the OP. Sorry about that, didn't mean to bash you. The thread is very interesting and it's good you started it, the thing is I understood a slightly different meaning from your title than you seem to have meant.
In the usual Internet / TV talk "adult" is synonimous to porn, such as "adult entertainment", so when you said "your favorite adult themed book / author" I immediately thought about hard porn books and not about for example an SF book containing sex like Miles Vorkosigan, while you obviously meant the other thing rather then the first (I don't know if you even know of the first)...
Anyway let the discussion about everything from innocent romance to kinky sex in literature continue on...

[Nyssa]

Originally Posted by Enkidu of Abydos

OMG, stupid me, not realizing I WAS talking to the OP. Sorry about that, didn't mean to bash you. The thread is very interesting and it's good you started it, the thing is I understood a slightly different meaning from your title than you seem to have meant.
In the usual Internet / TV talk "adult" is synonimous to porn, such as "adult entertainment", so when you said "your favorite adult themed book / author" I immediately thought about hard porn books and not about for example an SF book containing sex like Miles Vorkosigan, while you obviously meant the other thing rather then the first (I don't know if you even know of the first)...
Anyway let the discussion about everything from innocent romance to kinky sex in literature continue on...

No need to apologize. This is summing up to be a very bad communication week for me! LOL I think I need to reset my brain or something.

I literally meant "all of the above" - whether it was porn, erotica, just really steamy novels, etc. Anything that would be labeled as "Adult" - PG17, R, X or XXX. Maybe I should put that in the OP.

[Elfwreck]

Recently, I've loved ZA Maxfield (also available with periods after the initials) and LA Witt; they're both on the "just buy everything as soon as I can afford it" list. Both write M/M erotica; I gather that LA Witt writes het romance as well under a different name, and I want to track down some of that. I believe they also have other works that don't sell through Fictionwise, but I like multiformat options; not yet up to buying from the mess that is AllRomanceEbooks.

I've also loved the PsyCop books by Jordan Castillo Price; psychic cop investigations with a gay protagonist.

[tponzo]

Now a question on the side, has anyone here read a pure porn book / story (one where sex doesn't serve the plot but the plot serves the sex and the purpose of the book is to arouse rather than entertain in the classic sense) and found themselves carried away by the non-sex plot (such as a fight against crime) and wished that the same author wrote another book only about that and without the sex (even though you started reading it because of the sex)

I kind of felt like that about the Sleeping Beauty trilogy by A.N. Roquelaure (aka Anne Rice). I actually got interested in the story.

As far as the original question, my definition of "adult themed" has changed over the years. I think society's definition has changed also. Back in the mid 70's I read Sweet Savage Love by Rosemary Rogers. Quite steamy for the times, it was considered adult themed. Lots of pretty descriptive sex and not always between the h/H. I recommended it to my mom, who had never censored my reading. She said she might have objected if she had known in advance what I was reading. (I wasn't stupid I only told her about it after the fact.)

Course by today's standards SSL might be considered pretty tame. There are some erotica/romance authors who I find pretty good - Angela Knight comes to mind because I just read something by her. I want to try the Merry Gentry books by Anita Blake, lots of people like them although I guess the last couple have been disappointing.

I also read "The Pearl" (not the one by Steinbeck) way back when it would probably have been illegal for me to own it. Really liked it. Also liked A Man with a Maid and the sequels as well as Fanny Hill. (those Victorians were not as repressed as we like to think.)

I don't really like much of the pure sex stuff being published today. I much prefer the "erotica" which has at least a pretense of a plot. Red Sage and Ellora's Cave both publish some good stuff.

To the OP, thanks for starting this discussion. There's some sites I'll be checking out later.

[Enkidu of Abydos]

Originally Posted by tponzo

(I wasn't stupid I only told her about it after the fact.)

Now if this isn't the most usefull tip (for any teenager) I've seen here I don't know what is...

P.S.
Interesting how we haven't yet seen any of the most frequent forum posters in this thread... Is someone shy ?

[FizzyWater]

Talking about the kind of "adult" literature you like reveals your kinks to the world (or at least gives people leave to speculate). The authors I enjoy are ones I read only certain of their books because of certain kinks they have in other ones!

[Nyssa]

Originally Posted by tponzo

As far as the original question, my definition of "adult themed" has changed over the years. I think society's definition has changed also. Back in the mid 70's I read Sweet Savage Love by Rosemary Rogers. Quite steamy for the times, it was considered adult themed. Lots of pretty descriptive sex and not always between the h/H.

I looked for this on Amazon. The original is not available, at least not as an ebook, but someone has taken the liberty or rewriting it (Sweeter Savage Love) sans a rape scene, apparently.

Oh, what does "h/H" stand for?

Originally Posted by tponzo

I don't really like much of the pure sex stuff being published today. I much prefer the "erotica" which has at least a pretense of a plot. Red Sage and Ellora's Cave both publish some good stuff.

A good plot is essential to any story, but it does seem more difficult to find if sex is involved. Now, if they would only make the movies that way as well.....

Originally Posted by tponzo

To the OP, thanks for starting this discussion. There's some sites I'll be checking out later.

I'm glad you're enjoying the thread. Hopefully others will join in and add to the list as well.

Originally Posted by tponzo

I recommended it to my mom, who had never censored my reading. She said she might have objected if she had known in advance what I was reading. (I wasn't stupid I only told her about it after the fact.)

Originally Posted by Enkidu of Abydos

Now if this isn't the most usefull tip (for any teenager) I've seen here I don't know what is...

I agree!!!

[Joykins]

Originally Posted by Enkidu of Abydos

What a connoisseur of the male and female mind...
Read and learn, girls...

One time I had a tire blowout on the highway and had pulled over to change the tire when a man pulled up and changed the tire for me. I thanked him and he went on his way. My husband later told me that guys do that because they have some secret hope that if they do that the woman will have sex with them.

Now a question on the side, has anyone here read a pure porn book / story (one where sex doesn't serve the plot but the plot serves the sex and the purpose of the book is to arouse rather than entertain in the classic sense) and found themselves carried away by the non-sex plot (such as a fight against crime) and wished that the same author wrote another book only about that and without the sex (even though you started reading it because of the sex) ?

There are some stories in the Clean Sheets fiction archive like that.