Best Fantastic Erotica, Volume 1 [Paperback]

Cecilia Tan (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 2007

The best erotic science fiction and fantasy as determined by the annual contest run by Circlet Press. Rewarding originality and positive sensuality, the contest inspires well-known and unknown writers alike to excel in this provocative genre. Erotic sf/f combines erotic and sexual themes with magic, futurism, high fantasy, cyberpunk, space opera, magic realism, and all the many other sub-genres. The 2006 winner is a multi-genre writer from Canada Arinn Dembo, whose Monsoon draws on the mythic tradition of India. Second and third place went to two well-known erotica authors, both of whom have published with Circlet Press before, Thomas S. Roche for The Night the New Hog Croaked and Jason Rubis for Circe House. Over 400 manuscripts were submitted and only 20 were chosen for publication.

Cecilia Tan is simply one of the most important writers, editors, and innovators in contemporary American erotic literature. It was her revolutionary, genre-breaking efforts decades ago that brought science fiction, fantasy, and erotic communities into the same literary room together. -- Susie Bright

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Tan (Sex in the System) presents the top stories from Circlet's Best Fantastic Erotica contest in an anthology that runs the gamut from sensual SF to surreal fantasy. Arinn Dembo's Monsoon, the deserving prize winner, tells the tale of Benton, a photographer and womanizer traveling in India, whose encounter with a mysterious seductress results in an eerie surprise. Other highlights include Carolyn and Steve Vakesh's wry Capture, Courting and Copulation: Contemporary Human Mating Rituals and the Etiology of Human Aggression, a scholarly lecture by and for dragons; Connie Wilkins's The Bridge, about a British veteran's curious encounter with the Green Man; and Catherine Lundoff's hilarious Twilight, in which half-vampire co-ed Mariel tries to dodge annoying yet seductive vampire hunter Christopher Van Helsing. (May)
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About the Author

Cecilia Tan is the founder and editor of Circlet Press. She has edited 40+ anthologies of erotic science fiction and fantasy for Circlet, Masquerade Books, Thunder’s Mouth Press, and Blue Moon. Her own work regularly appears in Best American Erotica, Best Women’s Erotica, and other markets. She holds the distinction of being the only person to have published erotica in both Ms. and Penthouse, as well as in Asimov’s Science Fiction magazine and elsewhere.

Product Details

• Paperback: 312 pages
• Publisher: Circlet Press (December 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1885865600
• ISBN-13: 978-1885865601
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #847,838 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An impressive and superbly produced volume, May 8, 2008

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Best Fantastic Erotica, Volume 1 (Paperback)

The difference between pornography and erotic literature is a fine line of literary demarcation that is as subject as any other distinction between categories of art and artistic expression. Circlet Press is a premier publisher of erotic literature and its publisher, Cecilia Tan, is an expert in all aspects and segments of this specialized literary genre. Her newest publication is "Best Fantastic Erotica", a compilation of eighteen stories from authors around the globe who were winners of the first worldwide search for the best in erotic science fiction and fantasy genres. Five hundred entries were narrowed down over the course of a year, leaving readers to enjoy the contributions by both winners and runner-ups. The carefully crafted, deftly executed, imaginatively original, and memorably entertaining stories range from Arinn Dembo's Monsoon, to Argus Marks 'Copperhead Renaissance', to Fauna Sara's The Caretaker; to Dan Recht's 'A Circlet Crossword'. "Best Fantastic Erotica" is an impressive and superbly produced volume that is enthusiastically and confidently recommended for readers of sophistication who appreciate an erotic element infused with seminal stories of science fiction and fantasy.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another quality collection from Circlet Press, April 4, 2008

By 

TammyJo Eckhart "TammyJo Eckhart" (Bloomington, Indiana United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Best Fantastic Erotica, Volume 1 (Paperback)

After four years and over 500 submissions, Circlet Press presents 18 erotica pieces with some "fantastic" element to them. Some are science fiction, other fantasy, and others are very subtle in their unusual qualities that qualified them as "fantastic". As with all anthologies, some of the stories you'll love, some you'll like and some you frankly won't. Out of the 18 though I think anyone who likes literary erotica will find several pieces to enjoy. There are authors whom may be familiar to some of you as well as brand new authors; again anthologies are great for presenting new authors as well as giving work to well-tested writers. My two favorite stories were "Marked" by Cory Nelson and "Circe House" from Jason Rubis -- both had that darker quality I often like in erotica. Not all the stories are dark though, some are romantic, some silly, and some will make you think deeply. Overall an excellent collection.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great collection, June 5, 2011

By 

B. Smith (Hong Kong) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Best Fantastic Erotica, Volume 1 (Paperback)

If you're looking for something that is not only erotic but also full of fantasy and imagination, look no further. The stories in this volume range from titillating to peculiar and will help the hours pass by in a pleasant way.

I also liked this collection: Millennia of Lust: The Erotica Anthology