Customer Reviews

Exhibitions: Tales of Sex in the City

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is the first erotica anthology I've read for a looonnngg time that is well-balanced between literary sexual arousal stories and good old retire to the bedroom sexy stories. These erotic stories are different than other anthologies because the stories have a fantastic twist -- they're set in public! I found the stories did what they were supposed to do for me, the reader. Plus, there are straight, lesbian, and gay stories all in one book. Seems like most anthologies are just one or the other, which is very boring. Exhibitions is far from boring -- I totally recommend it! Women and men (straight or not) will enjoy it. Good gift.

Given our current cultural climate, it'll probably be a while until you'll be able to read a book of erotica in public and have passersby think you're reading literature. It's a shame, really, since good erotic writing actually has more in common with short stories than with the "Forum" section of Penthouse. Such is the case with Exhibitions, a collection of stories about people having sex in public places, some of which may be true. Many of the pieces, including Ron Smith's "Desire" and Lawrence Schimel's "Frighten The Unicorns," use the kind of detailed imagery and pacing found in good fiction, while the former piece, in fact, doesn't even have any scenes of sexual contact. This is not to say that some of these pieces aren't arousing. "Night Train" by Nell Carberry, for example, has many of the hallmarks of a "Forum" letter, including a confessional tone, a woman seduced by a confident younger man, and lines such as, "I didn't feel safe around him." But when things get hot and heavy, Carberry avoids such Penthouse-ian tricks as using every euphemism for penis known to man, or making the guy sound like a super-human love machine. Of course, you'll probably still want to avoid reading this book in public--some people will never understand, no matter how convincing the evidence might be. But if you do, don't worry, you'll have nothing to be ashamed of.

--Paul Semel

The new collection from Canada's Arsenal Pulp Press not only takes you on a virtual trip around the world, it also features some of the most exciting erotica around (I should know, since I read and review quite a bit of it). These are tales of sex with saints and strangers, in saunas and subways. These authors took their task of bringing a city to life seriously, and have crafted stories which richly describe locales such as Vancouver, Sydney, San Francisco and Berlin, as well as famous landmarks such as the U.S. Mint (Andi Mathis's "Penny Candy" is not to be missed!), and the Sistine Chapel. Featuring some of the most prominent writers in the field,the main attraction of these stories, besides the erotic aspect, is that they are proudly set in a city -- be it England, India or my very own New York City.

Mecca Normal's Jean Smith contributes The Pink City, an evocative tale of a traveler to Jaipur who finds much more than a colorful landscape, while Thomas Roche tells an amusingly hot story about climbing St.Stephansdom in Vienna, to receive a special treat from his girlfriend at the top. Lawrence Schimel takes us to New York City's Cloisters for some naughty sex in the bushes, and Ina Proeber offers a sauna visit to remember.

"She Was A Mountain of a Woman" is a delightful tale of a sexy female bodybuilder, which will leave you cheering for its athletic heroine and the woman who wants her.

One of my favorite stories, and one that I will not soon forget, is Nell Carberry's "Night Train." I don't want to give too much away, so let me just say that I'll never look at the New York subways that I ride each and every day in quite the same way after reading this story! Whether you ride public transportation or not,this story is hot!

Major kudos also must go to Janice J. Heiss for "Dr. Holl's Adventures in Wonderland," a brilliantly hilarious tale (and yes, a takeoff on the infamous Alice's adventures) about a sex researcher who learns how to relax and enjoy herself. Humor and erotica should mix more often!

All of the contributors took care to craft detailed stories that have as much to say about the characters as the locations. Exhibitions takes you on many journeys to farflung reaches of the world, and to tales of sex that are anything but ordinary.

Reviewed by Rachel Kramer Bussel of VenusorVixen