My apologies. Between holidays travels and the recent but unrelated deaths of two long-time friends, I’ve been a tad overtaxed emotionally and I’m likely to remain so until well after the second funeral has concluded late this week. With that in mind, I’m going to keep it simple and talk dirty books this week.
I’ve been remiss in pointing out that the Venus Book Club has some recent gems. The second volume of M. Christian’s Best S/M Erotica is now available as is Sage Vivant’s Swing! Plus there’s Greg Wharton’s Big Book of Erotic Ghost Stories. If you’re a member of the book club, take a look at them. Personally, I find fiction so much more inspiring than how-to books and these collections feature some of the best smut writing around.
I commented before about N.T. Morley’s Master/slave collection at VBC, but I must add that, after getting my copy, it’s really nice. Not only does a fine book design showcase its stories — one of the best designs I’ve ever seen come out of the Venus Book Club — but its content not only feature many of the best professional erotica writers, but crosses over to include many “scene” writers and people actively involved in the S/M community. All told, it makes for an exceptionally well-rounded book.
Yes, I have stories in the Best S/M Erotica collection and the Master/slave book. Guess it’s time I updated my weblog images, huh?
A while back I picked up an ARC of Susie Bright’s new series, Three the Hard Way and I see the book’s now in stores. The current anthology features novellas by William Harrison, Greg Boyd, and Tsaurah Litzky. I suspect this collection could become (and probably is being planned as) a recurring series, much like Bright’s AME annual. But it’ll take sales to make that happen. (My not-so-subtle attempt to tell you to go buy this book.)
Somehow, I came across the fact that Samuel R. Delany’s highly pornographic novel Hogg has finally seen print again. This book’s like the Kill Bill of fucked-up faggots. Only worse. I wonder if its publication will prompt any attempts to prosecute literature as obscenity. I hope not because my inner trannyfag’s drooling to read it.
Ah, which reminds me of another ARC I bought: Michael Turner’s Pornographer’s Poem. Kind of a 1970s diary of a pornographer who finds fascination behind the film, replete with the “snuff” fascination that was rumored to have happened in any number of exploitation films. I haven’t delved far into the book and can’t offer up an assessment, largely because Pat Califia’s Moral Companion has been my summer travel companion over the last three weeks. It’s been a damn good read, one that I’ve savored in long sittings, but now that I’m home for a spell, I hope to finish it in coming days.
Well, I think I’ll call it a day. I’ll be back with a few links before the week is out.
