Sex and death have always been connected. The French call orgasm “la petite mort” (the little death). In Shakespearean England, “to die” also meant to have an orgasm. The Victorians believed a man’s climax depleted his physical strength and moral resolve and brought him closer to death. Likewise, the sex act drained women of their vitality.
We are as keen to examine sex as we are death: put the two together and you have an explosive, daring literary venture into the taboo. Dying for It: Tales of Sex and Death satisfies with an exciting and entertaining variety of expressions on the two most intimate human acts.
Contributors include novelists from across the literary spectrum: Lauren Henderson; Vicki Hendricks; Adréana Robbins; Tobsha Learner; Niall Griffiths; Lisette Ashton; and the editor, Mitzi Szereto.
Mitzi Szereto has nearly a dozen books to her credit, including the critically acclaimed "Erotic Fairy Tales: A Romp Through the Classics," and the anthologies "World's Best Sex Writing 2005" (TMP), "Wicked: Sexy Tales of Legendary Lovers" (spring 2005 from Cleis Press); "Foreign Affairs: Erotic Travel Tales," and "Erotic Travel Tales 1 & 2" (all from Cleis Press). She’s also penned several best-selling erotic novels under the name M. S. Valentine: "The Celia Collection," "The Governess," "The Captivity of Celia," "The Possession of Celia," "Elysian Days and Nights" (all from Blue Moon and Venus Book Club), and "The Martinet" (Chimera UK and Venus Book Club). Aside from having pioneered the erotic writing workshop in the UK and Europe, this transplanted Californian is a well-known fixture on the international interview circuit, appearing frequently on television and radio. She also travels in academic circles, presenting papers on erotica at literary conferences. Her outspoken views on the erotic literary scene have made Mitzi a trendsetter, earning her a reputation as an author and editor who has put the "literature" back into erotica. She conducts her erotic writing workshops around the world, from the Greek islands to the Cheltenham Festival of Literature. Her anthology "Erotic Travel Tales 2" is the first anthology of erotica to include a Royal Fellow of Literature.
MITZI SZERETO is a bestselling author and anthology editor of multi-genre and erotic fiction and non-fiction, blogger for the popular ERRANT RAMBLINGS: MITZI SZERETO'S WEBLOG (http://mitziszereto.com/blog), and the creator/presenter for the internet TV channel MITZI TV (http://mitziszereto.com/tv), which offers a quirky take on London.
Her published titles include PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: HIDDEN LUSTS; RED VELVET AND ABSINTHE: PARANORMAL EROTIC ROMANCE; IN SLEEPING BEAUTY'S BED: EROTIC FAIRY TALES (solo short story collection); THE NEW BLACK LACE BOOK OF WOMEN'S SEXUAL FANTASIES (non-fiction/survey); GETTING EVEN: REVENGE STORIES (crime/multi-genre); DYING FOR IT: TALES OF SEX AND DEATH (erotica/multi-genre); WICKED: SEXY TALES OF LEGENDARY LOVERS (erotica/romance/historical); the EROTIC TRAVEL TALES anthology series (erotica/romance); THE WORLD'S BEST SEX WRITING 2005 (non-fiction/criticism); EROTIC FAIRY TALES: A ROMP THROUGH THE CLASSICS; and the popular M. S. VALENTINE erotic novels (which have sold in excess of 100,000 copies). Her short fiction and erotic novels have been translated into Russian, Italian and German.
MITZI SZERETO's Web TV channel MITZI TV covers "all things quirky and London" and has attracted an international audience. Segments have ranged from prowling the streets of London in search of jellied eel and chatting about classic cars with Formula 1 racecar driver/BBC TV presenter Tiff Needell and couture shoe designer Jimmy Choo, to joining in a lively pub singalong, being recruited into dance by a troupe of Morris dancing software geeks, hanging out with a chapter of Harley Davidson riders, and covering a teddy bear festival with her famous bear and cohort, Teddy Tedaloo.
In addition to books and web TV, MITZI SZERETO is a pioneer of the erotic writing workshop in the UK and Europe, teaching them from the prestigious Cheltenham Festival of Literature to the Greek islands. Her outspoken views on the erotic literary scene have made her a trendsetter, cult figure, and frequent interviewee, earning her a reputation as the author and editor who's put the "literature" back into erotica. Frequently sought out for her opinions on a range of topics, she's been featured in the Sunday Telegraph, Independent, Times, Observer, London Evening Standard, Toronto Star, The London Paper, Company Magazine, Dare Magazine, First Magazine, Family Circle, Writing Magazine, Scarlet Magazine, and Forum, as well as on Bravo UK Television, Telecinco TV 5 (Madrid), BBC Radio, Newstalk Ireland, and FM4 ORF Radio (Vienna). She's performed readings of her work from Los Angeles to London and Vienna, and has given talks on such subjects as erotic writing, women's publishing, and social media. Her work as an anthology editor has earned her the American Society of Authors and Writers' Meritorious Achievement Award. She also travels in academic circles, having lectured in creative writing at a number of British universities as well as presenting papers on erotic literature at conferences. Her anthology "Erotic Travel Tales 2" is the first anthology of erotica to feature a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. Originally from the USA, she now resides in London, England.
This review is from: Dying for It: Tales of Sex and Death (Anthology) (Paperback)
I bought the book because it includes a story by Kelley Armstrong. I was unfamiliar with most of the other authors. Frankly, in an anthology that include just three or four stories, I can usually find one or more that are sophomoric, poorly written or edited, or simply a rehash of dozens of short stories I've already read.
Dozens of the stories in this well edited book were interesting and original. Yes, some of them were about uncomfortable topics, but then the entire book is about sex and death. Both are bound to be tied to some uncomfortable topics. I found it an overall very satisfying find.
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This review is from: Dying for It: Tales of Sex and Death (Anthology) (Paperback)
Its a nice book, but I didn't like all of the stories, some of them were really sick. Including sex with animals. I would recomend buying it because it has some very good and sensual stories.
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This review is from: Dying for It: Tales of Sex and Death (Anthology) (Paperback)
Unlike really well-edited anthologies, this one suffered from inconsistency in the quality of the stories contained within. Most of the stories reflected disturbed people or situations, which is part of the anthology's overall charm and quality. The stories varied considerably, however, with regard to their interestingness, how engaging they were, and the extent to which the characters were compelling or developed. Some of them were fabulous, and some of them were "eh", but none of them were dreadfully bad. This isn't the first book I'd recommend a person read, but it certainly isn't on the do-not-read-at-all-costs list.
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