The Mammoth Book of Lesbian Erotica (Mammoth Books) - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0786707267 ISBN 13: 9780786707263

Publisher: Running Press, 2000

Synopsis

Passion and lust, anticipation and regret, expectancy and ecstasy -- all the moods and emotions of erotic love cast their spell in this collection of forty-eight original tales commissioned especially for this daring volume of international lesbian fiction. Whether sharing intimate reminiscences and intensely personal experiences or recounting humorous encounters and magical matches, writers as varied as Joan Nestle, Stella Duffy, Emma Donoghue, Susan Stinson, Patience Agbabi, Karen X. Tulchinsky, and Bente Clod uncover the depths of erotic desire and scale the heights of sensual bliss in the pages of this culturally diverse and fascinating anthology. So it is that the travails of star-crossed lovers in contemporary Vancouver stand in contrast to a fiery encounter in snowbound Iceland, and the ritualistic preparations of a Japanese girl for the return of her warrior queen cast light on the rites of grief quietly observed by a lonely old woman for the passing of her lover in a shadowy corner of midwestern America. In these worldly tales Eros takes many shapes and wears many faces, and rarely fails to strip the emotions bare. The consequences may be poignant, intriguing, shocking, or sexually delicious. Whatever, they are always titillatingly unpredictable.

About this title

Review

For readers devoted (or addicted) to erotic fiction, here is a welcome British twist on the genre. Though an uneven collection, The Mammoth Book of Lesbian Erotica is nevertheless large enough to contain some real gems from writers around the world. The strongest work comes from the British contributors, such as Emma Donoghue and Stella Duffy, among others. "Sweet Violet," by Ruby Vise, is a classic tale of first love. In Mary Gerideau's "Marvin the Mouse," on the other hand, a stifling mouse suit is the scene of a literally steamy encounter. Be warned, though: several of the pieces are protoerotic rather than the graphic fare readers have become accustomed to. Nina Rapi's "Josie's Restrooms" purports to be the transcript of a toilet attendant's video diary, with a lot of bragging and a bawdy business plan but no real sex scene. And the two-part story that brackets the collection, Daphne Adams's "I Married Madam," reads like the opening pages of an Edwardian novel: promising characters, interesting settings, lively dialogue, but precious little action. Happily, however, there's also a lot of humor in the collection, and even some slapstick, as when the heroine of Karlyn Lotney's "Clash of the Titans" accidentally grabs a bottle of sex-toy cleaner instead of lube and watches in horror as bubbles pour out of her demanding new lover. New meaning for a romantic "bit of the bubbly." --Regina Marler

About the Author

Barbara Cardy is an experienced editor of erotica, and also publishes the bi-monthly erotica collection The Hot Spot. She lives in Brighton.

About this edition

• Publisher: Running Press
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0786707267
• ISBN 13: 9780786707263
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 512
• Editor: Collis Rose