Historica Erotica Volume 20

The final one is called "Enter Me" by Tabitha Rayne. This one stood out to me, because the female is deaf.

It added a really unique dynamic to the story, and I don't think it's anything I've ever read before. It was very well written. If you're into girls loving men, or each other, and you're looking for a book to warm up those cold February nights, look no further than this collection. You can read it in one go, or take it slow and read each story separately. There's a huge amount of variety, and I wasn't disappointed. I received a copy in exchange for my honest review. This review can also be found on my blog, Bitches n Prose. This is an anthology of erotic short stories from different authors.

I read only two of them—I wish I had time to read the rest, but C'est la vie. So… here go my reviews: Ivy has worked fo This is an anthology of erotic short stories from different authors. Ivy has worked for Lennon for a couple of years and they have had an ongoing sexual tension since then. I loved reading this sinners short story. Something really cool happened to me when I was reading it. I was lying in bed, reading my paperback—Yeah! Hahaha that is old news, anyway.

So, great Original Sinners short story, kinky, funny, sexy. Read and excerpt in bestwomenseroticaoftheyear. Her writing style was unique, it was my first time I read in that style, it was weird at the beginning but I got used to it pretty quickly. It was like if the female main character was talking directly to the male main character. I ended up loving it. This was the story of Sunny and her husband. They always had an open relationship and right after they got married, they starting having threesomes with other men and women when they traveled.

This short story was all about those sexy times, and the final one was when Sunny had to travel alone.

Erotic literature

Go read it and enjoy it yourself. Great story, sexy, romantic and awesome. Dec 28, Emmanuelle Maupassant rated it it was amazing Shelves: I received an advance review copy of this edition, from the editor, Rachel Kramer Bussel. Readers familiar with Rachel's erotic fiction anthologies know that they are guaranteed a rollercoaster ride.

This edition certainly meets the mark, being not only skin-tinglingly exciting but diverse across ages, ethnicities and writing styles. I read the collection within a weekend, eyes bulging and, inevitably, wobbly-legged: Paying homage to their transportational power, the story is both original and moving. Here, we observe the power of the long tease, of role-play and power-play.

Her dialogue is faultless; her details crystal shards of anticipation. On the theme of allowing our desires free reign, there is Tiffany Reisz 's 'The Assistant' in which our heroine attends a masked party and, safely behind her veil of anonymity, enters into an encounter more thrilling than she could have imagined: He was fucking her so hard now she could feel it in her stomach.

For those daring to enter the dark recesses of a sex dungeon, there is Rose Caraway 's 'Carnalarium', in which all pleasure and pain awaits. Here, the true theme is not simply the lure of the forbidden but the agony of parting from a lover, allowing them to be free. Rose's tale explores the nature of 'possession' and of love.

However, there are deeper themes swimming beneath: The story navigates smoothly towards its highly charged threesome, ending, at last, with the words: Kramer Bussel's own addition to the collection, 'Flying Solo' is both tender and sexually thrilling. We peek through the lens at a marriage, like most others, of mutual love and respect, except that, here, there is some extra spice in the mix. Our happy couple regularly invite a third person into their bed and, in doing so, enhance their understanding of and admiration for one another.

Also well-delivered is L. Marie Adeline's 'Matilda's Secret'.

See a Problem?

Again, we are invited to explore the theme of an older woman's sexual self-esteem, and the complexities of desire v. Recruiting men for S. T an agency orchestrating women's sex fantasies we glimpse 'behind the scenes'. Another little gem in the anthology is Lazuli Jones' 'Starstruck': Tara Betts ' 'A New Canvas' is a poetic rendering, in which we can feel the artist's pen drawing upon our heroine's skin.

1. ?
2. The Enchanted Wolf;
3. Algo por lo que luchar (Harlequin Romance) (Spanish Edition).
4. ;
5. !
6. MS Office Quick Tips To Help You Do The Work Of Multiple People (How To Get The Most Done In The Least Time Book 2).

Valerie Alexander 'Demimonde' is sexy vignette of a woman's secret fantasies, daring parlour games, and an illicit liaison in her carriage, in 19th century New York. Waters ' 'Ophelia the Second' is a subtle journey through the attraction between actors on and off-stage, and Ria Restrepo 's 'Restitution' offers a wonderful twist no spoilers! So many stories, and perspectives, each awaiting the reader's own interpretation.

Take to your bed for the weekend, and snuggle down with this anthology. Just remember that I warned you Feb 28, Angie Elle rated it it was amazing. Thank you to Rachel Kramer Bussel, the editor of this book, for providing a print copy in exchange for an honest review. The Assistant -Tiffany Reisz 5 stars I feel like Tiffa Thank you to Rachel Kramer Bussel, the editor of this book, for providing a print copy in exchange for an honest review.

What I really enjoyed about this story aside from the heat level was the emotional intensity TR managed to weave with such a small word count. But the story as a whole was well written, and I do love it when an author explores the concept of open marriage. It read as an erotic letter from a wife to her husband, which would probably leave most men squirming for relief. It takes place two months after an accident that left a woman deaf, and she and her significant other have yet to regain physical intimacy. This was hot, but also a bit tender as a man and woman try to regain their physical bond.

The three stories I read from this book were incredibly erotic, just as the title claims. Jan 29, Ameliah Faith rated it it was amazing. Suitably Named This is a jammed packed book full of erotic goodness. It contains twenty two stories by different authors. There are straight couples, lesbians, trans-gendered pairings, some romantic, some BDSM, some quick hook ups and some that may last for years. Some of the stories are tender and beautiful and some just down and dirty. Really there is something for everyone, except male on male. I've included a few of the stories that were most memorable to me.

Ophelia the Second by Jade A Waters is a sweet story. Nat fancies herself Ophelia the second, she is an understudy and desperately in love with Phillip who plays Hamlet. He wishes Dear Nat was in the lead roll. After a show one night Phillip invites Nat home to run lines Suddenly being the second isn't so bad. In Rachel Kramer Bussel's Flying Solo we see a woman alone who reminisces about her honeymoon where they picked up a woman to join them.

She picks up a man at the airport and go to his hotel. After he is told her husband is fine with them hooking up, he insists she call her husband who listens in on them doing the deed. Star Struck by Lazuli Jones is a gentle story with endless possibilities for a romantic HEA Happily Ever After Angela is a huge fan of a 90's superhero show and in particular the character Tecton, her geeky adolescent crush. Now she is in her 40's waiting in line at a sci fi convention to get his autograph.

She spots Desmond aka Tecton alone in a bar and they begin to have a conversation. She makes him feel special and she begins to see him not as a character but for the man he is. Later in his hotel room its Desmond she is with and not the superhero she use to get off thinking about. He is just as taken with her. L Marie Adeline brings us Matilda's Secret. A 50 yr old woman trains a 32 yr old man to satisfy the female clients at S.

The problem is that Jessie falls in love with Matilda. He leaves when she won't let him into her heart. Several years later hes back and has a young son. After trying to find him a younger woman she gives up and allows herself to love and be loved. One of my two top favourites is Enter Me by the talented Tabitha Rayne. It is so full of emotions, sad, scared, joy, peace A woman who was in a crash is suddenly left deaf feels alone and trapped by the loss.

Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 1

When she is finally intimate with her man she breaks past the fear and can remember hearing him. She is not so trapped anymore. Just serious Awwww factor here! Finally we have my other favourite Lighting the Pyre by Theda Hudson. This story is very memorable and beautiful. It is also a lesbian tale so that's another big win for me.

Brin has beaten breast cancer and gets a tattoo to cover the scars on her chest. She is angry and feels dead inside. With the love and strength of her partner she begins to feel alive and whole again. I just really love this one! This was a fantastic book with a whole lot to offer. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Ok, I've been sitting on this review for almost two weeks struggling to figure out the best way to do it.

I really wanted to try and do a rough mini-review for each of the 22 stories but that is just not gonna happen. I'd be banned from posting reviews, the thing would be so damn long. I'll start out with this. Every time she comes out with an anthology I'm equal parts excited and nervous. I'm always excited because she has an exceptionally keen eye for well done er Ok, I've been sitting on this review for almost two weeks struggling to figure out the best way to do it. I'm always excited because she has an exceptionally keen eye for well done erotica. I'm always nervous because I know I'm never going to read a RKB anthology and not be faced with some type of scene I'm not sure how to handle.

Which I love because she's always opening my eyes to new types of stories and characters that I've never imagined before. I'm now going to bunch together some of the titles into specific groups to tell y'all how I felt about them. I also apologize for not knowing off-hand who the authors of each story was. I don't have my copy with me right now to go and check. I know I'll be going back and reading many of these stories again and again. Thank you Rachel Kramer Bussel for the signed paperback copy in exchange for my honest review Feb 01, Lucy Felthouse rated it really liked it.

The Best Women's Erotica series has had an overhaul. There's a new editor - the inimitable Rachel Kramer Bussel, and a slight tweak in the title format, as well as a change of hands for the publisher itself. Best Women's Erotica of the Year Volume 1 was sent to me for review, and I was eager to see if the changes were noticeable. Bussel's been editing for a long time and obviously knows her stuff, so as I expected, the quality of the stories was high. Granted, there were two or three in there tha The Best Women's Erotica series has had an overhaul.

Granted, there were two or three in there that really didn't do anything for me and I skipped over them altogether, but to me, that's the nature of anthologies.

Navigation menu

You're unlikely to like every author's writing style or story topic, and it's a personal thing. But the vast majority of the stories were excellent, and of course, very hot. My particular favourites were Jade A.

• !
• Presumption.
• Joy To The World?
• .
• Theology and the Dialogue of Religions (Cambridge Studies in Christian Doctrine);
• Meine Lyrik (German Edition);
• Celebrity and the Environment: Fame, Wealth and Power in Conservation!

I did notice a few errors throughout, which I'd not noticed in Cleis Press anthologies before. A good proofread would have fixed them easily, so that was a shame. Overall, though, this is a good collection, and a great way to dip in and find some erotica authors you enjoy, so you can go out and see what else they've written.

Mar 14, Tracey rated it it was amazing Shelves: This collection of erotic fiction featured the much needed diversity that Dirty Dates was missing. I can't tell you how happy it made me to see a sexy viable man described with dark skin. It literally made me squeal with joy. But the assortment of love interests were not the only reason I loved this volume. The writing was really really good.

I found myself wishing that more than half of these a free copy of the book was given to me by Rachel Kramer Bussel for an honest review Can I just say wow! I found myself wishing that more than half of these stories were full length novels. Everything was unique and intriguing and sexy and awesome. The stories that really struck a cord with me were: I have complete faith that Bussel will deliver no less. Oct 27, Absynthe rated it it was amazing Shelves: Outstanding anthology of female-centric erotica. I highly recommend this book to everyone who loves diverse storytelling in their erotica.

My favorite, of course, was Tiffany Reisz's The Assistant. Dec 14, Ren rated it liked it Shelves: Some short stories is too vanilla for me despite this entitled as "erotica" , some are "wtf I just read", some make me yawn aka pretty boring and some make me beg for more. A New Canvas For a first story, it's pretty yawn for me. Didn't left impression too to make me want to read another. But, hey, this is still the beginning. Demimonde Pretty generic historical romance. Didn't find it erotic at all if you can say that 3,5 stars A very diverse erotica anthology, written by women and for women.

Didn't find it erotic at all if you can say that quick tumble in the carriage is erotic , except that the heroine find her awakening. Disappointed that the author didn't explore much to the masquerade debauchery. Ophelia the Second Inspired by Hamlet.. Too simple for me and not erotic at all. Gosh, did I need to continue the rest? Well, I can endure this. Revisiting Youth The first diverse story finally. Set in Japan about widower past her 30 40 maybe? Have menage with young men. I like that the author write about love hotel, as a manga reader, I appreciate this, lol.

Date Night Story is usual but the sex steamy. If you want to spice up your relationship with your husband, that is. Flying Solo Wow, just wow. I might be find the first gem. Never read any by Rachel Kramer Bussel whom happen to be editor of this anthology and may check her others work. A good combination between 1st PoV and 2nd PoV as well, which is rare.

Erotic literature - Wikipedia

Steamy is another bonus. Drawn by Nic A quickie story. Not enough to burn. I have no slightest idea who this Nic is. The Ropes Old flames rekindle in the outing. Maybe you may consider to go to company training if it will end you up with your office crush. So hard to imagine they have sex in the height and just by ropes. I keep screaming "what if they fall?? The heroine is PoC, past her prime she's about ish , and nerd.

I like that finally she can meet her teenage crush and well.. The Altar of Lamented Toys The world might be near its ending, but not your love and passion. You can always find the heat in the hopeless situation. A nice erotic short story in the post-apocalyptic era. Matilda's Secret This story maybe part of the author's series, but can be read as stand alone as well. Its also give a nice ending, not just a quick meeting or open ending.

I can said it almost the same with Flying Solo, but just with a little spice aka no actual sex. Enter Me This is the first time I read a story about deaf character. The author masterfully write what its feel to can't hear anything, how its affect the character's life. I can relate a bit since my hearing is not good I'm not deaf, just my right ear is not functioning properly. The story feel melancholy too me, but also hopeful.

Took me a little bit to realize one of the characters is trans. It's a nice and steamy story and the author insert some insight how the trans character family treat him with his condition. A little bit sad, tbh. Lighting the Pyre A story about breast cancer survivor. Start with her having tattoo and then have outdoor sex with her girlfriend. Some make me confused, like when she using condom? Maybe she used strap-on?

I already new that her interrogation is just a cover up, lol The Carnalarium A lesbian story, with one girl is commitment phobic, want to leave her lover to travel around the world. I almost irritated by her. Like if she afraid of commitment, why she suddenly act jealous when her girlfriend try to forget her and move on with new lover.

The ending is bittersweet but I guess it's perfect for the phobic commitment character. You must deal with the consequences of your choice. Waiting to Pee All I can said is.. The title already said it. Sorry, can't find how the story is erotic! Not enough steam, despite its have two Doms. Just barely scratch the itch. The Assistant Save the best for the last! Written by Tiffany Reisz, I know that she will always deliver even with just short story.

I must make time to read her Original Sinners series! I can't said that this is "Best" collection, for some stories is pretty mediocre for me. I guess it's hard to choose 20 stories from hundred stories that meet the editor standards I know how it feels. Been there done that , and maybe my taste and her is somehow a little bit different. What she or others reader dubbed as erotic is not erotic at all for me example: BUT, I won't said that this anthology is bad, because I enjoy some of the stories.

Its diverse and give some new perspective for me like, a deaf character, PoC, lesbians, trans character and women past her prime age. Jan 12, Leela rated it it was amazing. So here's what's funny about this book. I usually blast through collections of erotica on the first read, eating them like junk food at my left elbow while half my mind is somewhere else, noting where I might want to go back and linger I read the first story, breathed a "thank you" to the empty room, read the second one, and stopped.

I thought, "this really is literature.



I wound them through the fingers of my day, co So here's what's funny about this book. I wound them through the fingers of my day, considering characters and motivation. Every story has its steam. Every story has its moments of this into that, tasting, smelling, undulating, yes, of course. It is, after all, erotica.

But there is a grace here, a quality, a depth, a craft of story itself that is often disappointingly missing in the world of the explicitly sexy. This is erotica in its mature form, erotica grown up and acting its best. It is a delight. It is engaging and even potentially challenging without losing sight of the possibility of getting you off. I highly recommend it. Pairs well with long baths or long train rides, sipped between appointments, or clean sheets and a curious lover or two. May 14, books are love rated it really liked it. Received in exchange for a honest review.

Wowza the shower you will need after reading this book. A brief look at a few of the amazing stories: The assistant by tiffany reisz is just yummalusciously delicious. I never thought a assistant would be so bold and brazen but also honorable. And the ending just wow. A new canvas by Tara betts is very sensual. I mean the way he using her as the Received in exchange for a honest review. I mean the way he using her as the canvas in such a delectable and erotic way.

Date night was fascinating and intriguing. The altar of lamented toys was unique and alluring. Each story adds its own allure and intrigue. Each with a different way of reaching the sensual side of us all and allowing us to see the delicious freedom of erotic acts of desire. Such an interesting and varied collection of erotic stories. First I've read that included transgender people in the lead roles, which was awesome.

A few acts I hadn't even considered before and some I considered, and decided, Hell No! Jan 19, Sinclair rated it really liked it. Excellent, diverse read of stories. RKB delivers a fantastic selection as always. Feb 15, Corrine Silver rated it it was amazing. This is a great collection- very diverse which is fun. I really enjoyed it. Feb 29, Tia rated it really liked it Shelves: This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. An important publisher of erotic material in the early 19th century was George Cannon — , followed in mid-century by William Dugdale — and John Camden Hotten — An important and entertaining conspectus and evaluation of 19th-century pre and earlier underground erotica, from the author's own private archive, is provided by Victorian writer Henry Spencer Ashbee , using the pseudonym "Pisanus Fraxi", in his bibliographical trilogy Index Librorum Prohibitorum , Centuria Librorum Absconditorum and Catena Librorum Tacendorum His plot summaries of the works he discusses in these privately printed volumes are themselves a contribution to the genre.

Originally of very limited circulation, changing attitudes have led to his work now being widely available. Towards the end of the 19th century, a more "cultured" form of erotica began to appear by such as the poet Algernon Charles Swinburne who pursued themes of paganism, lesbianism and sado-masochism in such works as Lesbia Brandon and in contributions to The Whippingham Papers edited by St George Stock, author of The Romance of Chastisement This was associated with the Decadent movement , in particular, with Aubrey Beardsley and the Yellow Book.

But it was also to be found in France, amongst such writers as Pierre Louys , author of Les chansons de Bilitis a celebration of lesbianism and sexual awakening. Pioneering works of male homosexual erotica from this time were The Sins of the Cities of the Plain , [61] which features the celebrated Victorian transvestite duo of Boulton and Park as characters, [62] and Teleny, or The Reverse of the Medal Important publishers of erotic fiction at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th were Leonard Smithers — [63] and Charles Carrington — , [66] both of whom were subject to legal injunctions from the British authorities in order to prohibit their trade in such material.

Because of this legal harassment the latter conducted his business from Paris. Vladimir Nabokov 's Lolita is often described as an erotic novel, but other critics view it more as a literary drama with elements of eroticism. It published a mix of erotic fiction and avant-garde literary works. Another trend in the twentieth century was the rise of the lesbian pulp fiction.

Many of the authors were women themselves, such as Gale Wilhelm and Ann Bannon. Many male homosexuals also enjoyed gay pulp fiction , which borrowed the same sexploitation format as the lesbian books. Chinese literature has a tradition of erotic fiction dating back to at least the 16th century. The critic Charles Stone has argued that pornographic technique is the "union of banality, obscenity, and repetition," and contains just the "rudiments" of plot, style, and characterization, while anything that is not sexually stimulating is avoided.

If this is the case, he concluded, then The Lord of Perfect Satisfaction is the "fountainhead of Chinese erotica," but not pornography. The most famous sexually explicit novel is the Jin Ping Mei written by an author who used only a pseudonym his real name is unknown. There is also a tradition of erotic fiction in Japan. Some portion of this is doujinshi , or independent comics, which are often fan fiction. Plots revolved around humor and entertainment at the pleasure quarters.

It is a subgenre of gesaku. In Indonesia, a mysterious erotic writer known only as Enny Arrow [94] wrote countless novels from the late s until the early s which were secretly circulated through magazine sellers. Most of the novels are known for their vulgar and hyperbolic, sometimes comical language. They are now regarded as classics by some Indonesians and have been scanned for historical purposes. In the 21st century, a number of female authors have risen to prominence, including Alison Tyler , Rachel Kramer Bussel and Carol Queen.

Janine Ashbless, Kristina Lloyd, and Portia da Costa are well known for their erotic novels and short stories. Kristina Wright [95] is well known for her bestselling genre themed anthologies through Cleis Press , including steampunk erotica, [96] paranormal erotic romance, [97] and fairy tale erotica, [98] [99] exemplified by authors such as Shanna Germain [] and Michelle Augello-Page. Other authors celebrate the term 'erotica' but also question why literature 'with the sex left in' should be considered outside literary fiction.

The debate has been rekindled by the release, in , of the 50 Shades of Grey trilogy written by E. The phenomenal success of her erotica for every woman, dubbed 'mommyporn', has given rise to satires like Fifty Shames of Earl Grey by 'Fanny Merkin' real name Andrew Shaffer , a book of essays called Fifty Writers on Fifty Shades ed.

Lori Perkins , a parody called Fifty Sheds of Grey [] and editors of erotic imprints re-evaluating the content and presentation of the genre. A development in contemporary erotica has been that, contrary to some previous views that it was mainly a male interest, many women readers are aroused by it, whether it be traditional pornography or tailor-made women's erotica.

Romantic novels are sometimes marketed as erotica—or vice versa—as "mainstream" romance in recent decades has begun to exhibit blatant if poetic descriptions of sex. Erotic romance is a relatively new genre of romance with an erotic theme and very explicit love scenes, but with a romance at the heart of the story.

Erotic fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy fiction and utilizes erotica in a fantasy setting. These stories can essentially cover any of the other subgenres of fantasy, such as high fantasy , contemporary fantasy , or even historical fantasy. The extents of the genre to break existing conventions and limits in subject matter have managed to shock popular audiences, with genres such as monster erotica emerging with the ease of digital publishing. Erotic fantasy fiction has similarities to romantic fantasy but is more explicit.

Erotic fantasy can also be found in fan fiction , which uses plot elements and characters from popular fiction such as television series, movies or novels. Erotic fan fiction may use characters from existing works in relationships undreamed of by their creators, such as " slash " homoerotic fan fiction.

Fan fiction and its Japanese counterpart, doujinshi , account for an enormous proportion of all erotica written today. The Internet and digital revolution in erotic depiction has changed the forms of representing scenes of a sexual nature. One researcher [] concluded that erotic literature was available among the poor and performed at public readings in 18th-century Britain.

Erotica was present on the Internet from the earliest days, as seen from rec. This news group was a moderated forum for the exchange of erotic stories that predated the creation of the World Wide Web. Most of this migrated to the alt.



• ;
• Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 1 by Rachel Kramer Bussel.
• .
• The Silk Spy.
• Das Phänomen der Boy Actors und ihr Publikum am englischen Hof und im Private Theatre (1559-1608) (German Edition)?
• Magnolias and Murder.

The vast majority of Internet erotica is of an amateur nature, written for the enjoyment of the author and readers instead of for profit. Increased interactivity and anonymity allows casual or hobby writers the opportunity not only to author their own stories but also to share them with a world-wide audience. Many authors adopt colorful pseudonyms and can develop cult followings within their genre, though a small number use or claim to use their real names.

Among transgender or genderqueer authors it is a common practice to adopt a feminine or masculine alter-ego, although it is not unheard of for a writer to use his or her own given name. Prostitution was the focus of much of the earliest erotic works. The very term " pornography " is derived from the Greek pornographos meaning "writer about prostitutes", originally denoting descriptions of the lives and manners of prostitutes and their customers in Ancient Greece.

According to Athenaeus in The Deipnosophists these constituted a considerable genre, with many lubricious treatises, stories and dramas on the subject. Accounts of prostitution have continued as a major part of the genre of erotic literature. In the 18th century directories of prostitutes and their services, such as Harris's List of Covent Garden Ladies — , provided both entertainment and instruction.

In the 19th century, the sensational journalism of W. Stead 's The Maiden Tribute of Modern Babylon about the procuring of underage girls into the brothels of Victorian London provided a stimulus for the erotic imagination. Stead's account was widely translated and the revelation of "padded rooms for the purpose of stifling the cries of the tortured victims of lust and brutality" and the symbolic figure of "The Minotaur of London" confirmed European observers worst imaginings about "Le Sadisme anglais" and inspired erotic writers to write of similar scenes set in London or involving sadistic English gentlemen.

Well-known recent works in this genre are The Happy Hooker: Erotic memoirs include Casanova 's Histoire de ma vie , from the 18th century. Edward Sellon was a writer, translator and illustrator of erotic literature who wrote erotica for the pornographic publisher William Dugdale, including such works as The New Epicurean Various discrepancies with known facts of the singer's life, however, have led many to doubt the veracity of this book and the erotic adventures contained in the second volume, at least, appear to be very implausible. These include the author indulging in lesbian sadomasochism, group sex, sodomy, bestiality, scatology , necrophilia , prostitution and vampirism: Sex manuals are among the oldest forms of erotic literature.

Three brief fragments of a sex manual written in the fourth century BC that is attributed to Philaenis of Samos have survived, though modern scholars generally regard it as a work of parody probably written by a man, most likely the Athenian sophist Polycrates. The Indian Kama Sutra is one of the world's best-known works of this type. The Ananga Ranga , a 12th-century collection of Indian erotic works, is a lesser known one.

Also very famous, and often reprinted and translated, is The Perfumed Garden for the Soul's Recreation , a 16th-century Arabic work by Sheikh Nefzaoui. There is anecdotal evidence that at least as late as the midth century sex therapists and other physicians prescribed erotic literature as treatment for erectile dysfunction. The ancient Chinese versions of the sex manual include the texts that contain the Taoist sexual practices. These include books that show illustrations of the ideal sexual behavior because sex in this religion is not considered taboo but a manifestation of the concept of the yin and yang , [] wherein the male and female engage in an act of "joining of energy" or "joining of essences".

The belief is that proper sexual practice is key to achieving good health. The manuals included the Ishinpo text, [] which is a medical document that also included sections devoted to sexual hygiene and sexual manuals of the Tang and Han dynasties. Not all sex manuals were produced to arouse or inform readers about sexual acts.

There are also those created as a form of satire or social criticism. For instance, there is the case of mock-sex manual produced in the early sixteenth century by Pietro Aretino in response to the clerical censorship of the nude engravings of the Roman artists Marcantonio Raimondi. Erotic or pornographic works have often been prosecuted, censored and destroyed by the authorities on grounds of obscenity. After the Reformation the jurisdiction of these courts declined in favour of the Crown which licensed every printed book.

Prosecutions of books for their erotic content alone were rare and works which attacked the church or state gave much more concern to the authorities than erotica or ' obscene libel ' as it was then known. For instance the Licensing Act of was aimed generally at "heretical, seditious, schismatical or offensive books of pamphlets" rather than just erotica per se. Even this Licensing Act was allowed to lapse in and no attempt made to renew it.

The first conviction for obscenity in England occurred in , when Edmund Curll was fined for the publication of Venus in the Cloister or The Nun in her Smock under the common law offence of disturbing the King's peace. This set a legal precedent for other convictions. Prosecutions of erotica later in the 18th century were rare and were most often taken because of the admixture of seditious and blasphemous material with the porn.

For instance, no proceedings were taken against the publishers of Cleland's notorious Fanny Hill It was the Obscene Publications Act which made the sale of obscene material a statutory offence, for the first time, giving the courts power to seize and destroy offending material. The origins of the Act itself were in a trial for the sale of pornography presided over by the Lord Chief Justice , Lord Campbell , at the same time as a debate in the House of Lords over a bill aiming to restrict the sale of poisons. Campbell was taken by the analogy between the two situations, famously referring to the London pornography trade as "a sale of poison more deadly than prussic acid, strychnine or arsenic", [] and proposed a bill to restrict the sale of pornography; giving statutory powers of destruction would allow for a much more effective degree of prosecution.

The bill was controversial at the time, receiving strong opposition from both Houses of Parliament , and was passed on the assurance by the Lord Chief Justice that it was " The Act provided for the seizure and destruction of any material deemed to be obscene, and held for sale or distribution, following information being laid before a "court of summary jurisdiction" Magistrates' court. The Act required that following evidence of a common-law offence being committed - for example, on the report of a plain-clothes policeman who had successfully purchased the material - the court could issue a warrant for the premises to be searched and the material seized.

The proprietor then would be called upon to attend court and give reason why the material should not be destroyed. Critically, the Act did not define "obscene," leaving this to the will of the courts. Whilst the Act itself did not change, the scope of the work affected by it did. Cockburn's declaration remained in force for several decades, and most of the high profile seizures under the Act relied on this interpretation. Known as the Hicklin test no cognisance was taken of the literary merit of a book or on the extent of the offending text within the book in question.

The widened scope of the original legislation led to the subsequent notorious targeting of now acknowledged classics of world literature by such authors as Zola , James Joyce and D. Lawrence plus medical textbooks by such as Havelock Ellis rather than the blatant erotica which was the original target of this law.

In contrast to England, where actions against obscene literature were the preserve of the magistrates, in America such actions were the responsibility of the Postal Inspection Service, embodied in the federal and state Comstock laws , named after the postal officer and anti-obscenity crusader Anthony Comstock who proved himself officious in the work of suppression both in his official capacity and through his New York Society for the Suppression of Vice.

Twenty-four states passed similar prohibitions on materials distributed within the states. This question of whether a book had literary merit eventually prompted a change in the law in both America and the UK. In the United Kingdom the Obscene Publications Act provided for the protection of "literature" but conversely increased the penalties against pure "pornography.

After this piece of legislation questions of the literary merit of the work in question were allowed to be put before the judge and jury as in the Lady Chatterley trial. The publishers of the latter book were found not guilty by the court on the grounds of the literary merit of the book. In later prosecutions of literary erotica under the provisions of the act, however, even purely pornographic works with no apparent literary merit escaped destruction by the authorities.

Purely textual pornographic texts, with no hint of libel , ceased to be brought to trial following the collapse of the Inside Linda Lovelace trial in However, in October , a man was unsuccessfully prosecuted under the Obscene Publications Act the R v Walker trial for posting fictional written material to the Internet allegedly describing the kidnap, rape and murder of the pop group Girls Aloud.

The First Amendment to the United States Constitution gives protection to written fiction, although the legal presumption that it does not protect obscene literature has never been overcome. Instead, pornography has successfully been defined legally as non-obscene, or "obscene" been shown to be so vague a term as to be unenforceable. In Brian Dalton was charged with creation and possession of child pornography under an Ohio obscenity law.

The stories were works of fiction concerning sexually abusing children which he wrote and kept, unpublished, in his private journal. He accepted a plea bargain, pleaded guilty and was convicted. Importing books and texts across national borders can sometimes be subject to more stringent laws than in the nations concerned. Customs officers are often permitted to seize even merely 'indecent' works that would be perfectly legal to sell and possess once one is inside the nations concerned. Canada has been particularly notorious for such border seizures.

Although the and legislation outlawed the publication, retail and trafficking of certain writings and images, regarded as pornographic, and would order the destruction of shop and warehouse stock meant for sale, the private possession of and viewing of pornography has not been prosecuted until recent times. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. This section may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards.

The specific problem is: January Learn how and when to remove this template message. This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. No cleanup reason has been specified. Please help improve this section if you can. December Learn how and when to remove this template message. This section needs additional citations for verification.

Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. April Learn how and when to remove this template message. Novels portal Sexuality portal Erotica and Pornography portal.