Order this book

 

This collection short stories was Antoniou's first published work. It is not as polished as her later stories and novels, but is still quite good. Its eight stories focus on the different reactions of people to a bdsm film they have just finished viewing. All of them are turned on by it and rush off to try out what they saw. Activities run from bondage to humiliation and a variety of heavier activities. They include gay, lesbian and straight stories. Among them are a dominant woman with a sissy maid, two gay men and their leatherdaddy, and a rape fantasy. Some of the characters introduced in these storeies appear later in the Marketplace series. 
 

Order this book

In her introduction, Antoniou writes "if any reader can't handle stories about men, SM, humor, pain, humiliation, bisexuality, lesbianism, power, cross-dressing, heterosexuality, whippings and fuckings, gender ambiguity, bondage and knives, novices, smart-ass masochists, people who talk dirty and/or wear girl scout uniforms, I can only suggest one thing. Get over it." 

How can a review compete with that? This is Antoniou's first edited work and proves she is as good an editor as she as a writer. The stories run the gamut from the politically correct education of a novice to knifeplay and other exotica. Contributors include Michelle Dubois, Carol Queen, C. W. Redwing, and Trish Thomas. 

Antoniou followed this book with the equally superb Leatherwomen II: Revenge of the Leattherwomen a few years later. 

Order this book

 

In Antoniou's latest edited collection she has gathered stories that avoid most of the cliches that mar far too many bdsm stories: ultra-wealthy tops, "my adventures at leather convention X," ultimate ceremonies of submission, and reworked scripts of "what I did last night in my bedroom" (or what I wish someone had done to me last night in my bedroom).  The stories in this collection are told from the viewpoints of women who are not white, not wealthy, and for the most part not members of the organized fetish community. It is a nice breath of fresh air. Particularly impressive is Vivian Sinclair's "Nacht Ruck." If anyone had told me they could write a plausible lesbian, let alone bdsm, story set in the Amish community, I would not have believed them. Her story alone is worth the cost of the book. Among the other contributors are M. Christian, Pagan O'Leary, Joan Sherwood, Shar Rednour, and Margaret Weller. 

For the full text of this review see SandMUtopian Guardian #32.

Order this book

 

Antoniou's tightly focused collections of bdsm stories continue to outshine those of her competitors. In proper order, she first addressed tops in her 1995 collection By Her Subdued: Erotic Tales of Women in Power which contained fourteen stories of female domination. The plots ranged from women dominating other women and women dominating men, to men dominating other men under female direction and other complex iterations. A year later she presented the other side of the equation in No Other Tribute which offers sixteen stories centered on submissive women. Typical of Antoniou's collections, the stories push the edge and avoid many of the stale and sappy cliches that are drowning this genre. Despite their submissivness, the characters are self-confident, and generally take-charge people. In one of my favorites the protagonist, depressed at the lack of good tops (and who isn't?), turns to her cat for help.  There's also a hot bdsm initiation in the woods, futuristic robot bdsm, and more.
 

This is another superb collection of Califia's short work. It is not up to the quality of Macho Sluts, but is still quite good. There is a note of sadness that runs through many of the stories. Califia's efforts at science fiction succeed brilliantly in the post-apocalyptic worlds she favors, but fall a bit short in one of the stories in this collection where she tries the standard s-f theme of a clash of cultures on an alien world. The sex scenes, as always, are hot, exciting, and frequently on the edge, but Califia never loses her story within them as so many erotic authors do. If you're one of the people upset by Califia's frequent use drugs and substance abuse in her stories, you might want to avoid this collection. 

See also her latest collection: No Mercy.

Amazon.com
Price: $11.95

Order this book

Keri Pentauk(ed.), Spanked Husbands Satisfied Wives
( Retro Systems, 1998), paperback, 96 pages, $11.95

A collection of four illustrated, short stories from the editor of Whap! Magazine. All feature that delightful, 50's touch of the magazine. In Nigel McParr's The Young Brides, a newlywed husband finds himself in the hands of a sadistic, enema-wielding nurse. In Keri Pentauk's Dog's Day, cheating, husband gets his comupance. In Linda's Lessons by Paula Andante, a wife discovers her husbands collection of bdsm porn and learnd from a friend how to give him what he needs. In Susan Flannery's The Princess, a middled-aged husband has the tables turned on him by his new, much younger, wife.

Order this book 

 

One of Tan's first efforts, this small book contains two short stories in addition to the title story."Cat Scratch Fever" describes the taming of a feline-woman. "Heart's Desire" describes the travails of an abused bottom who finally discovers his true Mistress. "Telepaths Don't Need Safewords" is the story that made Cecilia Tan a household name (at least in the bdsm community). As the name implies, it explores the implications of telepathy on bdsm play. All three of the stories have autobiographical elements that make them even more interesting. All three are good stories and you will probably read them more than once. At this price, this book is an excellent way to sample Tan's writing. If you like it, you should read Black Feathers (1998). This long awaited collection of twenty-three of her short stories has something for every taste and includes the critically acclaimed "Pearl Diver." 

Order this book

 

This is a collection of ten erotic science fiction stories that explore how technological innovation might affect the way we have sex and engage in bdsm. Particularly impressive is Lauren Burka's "The Specialist." She offers a fascinating, multi-layered vision of the future. Her characters are well-developed, and her world well thought out and coherent. It is reminiscent of some of Mack Reynolds' work, though obviously more erotic. It is also one of the few bdsm stories that I regularly reread. The other contributors include Tammy Jo Eckhart, Raven Kaldera, R. L. Perkins, and Thomas Roche. Contrary to the recent trend in science fiction, these stories offer an optimistic vision of the future. At least in erotic SF we're getting away from Gibsonesque technological distopias. 

This book's counterpart is S/M Pasts which contains ten erotic bdsm stories in historic settings including feudal Japan, the Inquisition, the American frontier, and the Roman Empire. In a similar vein, see also Fetish Fantastic: Erotica on the Edge.

Order this book

 

In this book Circlet Press has repackaged the first four small books with which Cecilia Tan launched the company in the early 1990s. It includes the stories for cat lovers that originally appeared in "Feline Fetishes;" the three stories from "Forged Bonds" on interacial relationships with fantasy creatures; Lauren P. Burka's three stories from "Mate;" and finally the three stories by Cecilia Tan that originally apeared in "Telepaths Don't Need Safewords" (reviewed above). If you have the originals, don't buy this book. If you don't, it's an excllent collection of Circlet Press fiction and will give you an idea of the kinds of stories Tan publishes. All feature sex in a positive light with happy, often fairy tale endings. The introduction by Tan examines the historical development of her favorite genre. 

Another good introduction to Circlet Press' blend of science fiction and fantasy is Sm Visions : The Best of Circlet Press which Masquerade publishes. It includes the best story from each of the early Circlet Press books including Tan's "Telepaths Don't Need Safewords" and Burka's "Mate."

Order this book

 

This book came to my attention after two of my friends purchased it thinking it was a guide to low cost toy construction. It's not. It is actually a collection of erotic short stories in  which common household items are put to sexual use. The authors start with Ace bandages and work their through the alphabet to zucchinis. With 69 different stories, there's bound to be something in the book you haven't tried. After each story is a short section of advice on technique, similar things you might try, and the obligatory warnings on safety. The stories are all very short. Some are only two pages long. The average is about four pages. If you like well-developed settings, involving plots, or character development, this book is not for you. This is a book for all the people who 'skip to the good parts,' jack off, and get back to what they were doing. Erotica for the attention deficit disordered would have been a more accurate subtitle.

For the full text of this review see SandMUtopian Guardian #31.

Tyler has also written a similar collection of sixty short lesbian stories: Come Quickly: For Girls on the Go.