Slow Hand: Women Writing Erotica [Hardcover]

Michele Slung (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1992

An anthology of twenty-one new erotic stories by women explores the unspoken fantasies of a broad range of lesbians and straight women whose real jobs range from bureaucrat to performance artist. 25,000 first printing. National ad/promo.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Stories about sex can have many goals, but erotica's prime raison d'etre is always to provoke "strong skin responses," in Slung's ( I Shudder at Your Touch ) apt phrase. This collection of 19 stories by and for women offers enough variety to stimulate virtually any taste. Each with a brief editor's foreword and author's note, the entries explore many nuances of sexuality, more than a few positions and some of the most daunting sexual issues there are. Represented are bisexuality, voyeurism, the line between violence and desired force ("to be made to do what I wanted to do," observes the woman narrating Lisa Tuttle's "The Story of No"), sex for love and sex for sex. The stories place context on a par with action, a different recipe than that of most erotica directed toward men. As reading experiences, some tales fare better than others. Carole Maso's "The American Woman in the Chinese Hat" attempts "an homage to . . . Robbe-Grillet, and the French Nouveau roman," while such stories as "Oh, Brother," by Bea Wilder, seem only recollections of sexual memories. Many readers will welcome the realism that informs most of these tales: protagonists who are aging, afraid, confused or aggressive, and who admit their failings as readily as they proclaim their desires. BOMC alternate.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

The best of intentions motivated this collection of original erotic stories by and primarily for women. As editor Slung (Women's Wiles, 1979, etc.) explains in her introduction, she wanted to expand the genre on the high end, present fantasies enacted by real women (as opposed to airbrushed nymphets), combat contemporary prudishness, and...well, help women pursue better orgasms. However, in her effort to produce fresh material, Slung has also included a few strikingly unripe entries, like the bludgeoningly obvious ``Leaper,'' about two women who witness a suicide and then have sex, and ``The Footpath of Pink Roses,'' a rape vs. ravishment story that's politically correct to the point of ridiculousness. Things look up when pros like Sara Davidson take their turn. The author of Friends of the Opposite Sex (1984), etc., offers a frank and stimulating look at the sexual bending of a strong woman (``The Wager''), and Carolyn Banks's salt-sprayed tale of sexual initiation (``The Shame Girl'') is fine enough to hold its own outside the genre. Besides the unevenness, Slung's need to explain the meaning of her choices results in irritating pre-story exegeses; then she lets the authors also have a whack at explaining things once their stories end. It's enough to curl your toes. Someone should have told Slung to stop making sense. -- Copyright ©1992, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 228 pages
• Publisher: Harpercollins; 1st edition (July 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060165987
• ISBN-13: 978-0060165987
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,659,406 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My Favorite!, October 15, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Slow Hand: Women Writing Erotica (Paperback)

Of all of the women's erotica I have experienced, I enjoy this collection the most. The stories are compelling and well written, steamy and vivid.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Erotica That Spans the Gamut, May 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Slow Hand: Women Writing Erotica (Paperback)

This is a delicious collection of erotica which presents well written and clever pieces. While the works may be primarily intended for a female audience, I think that many men will find it instructive of the female mind. The wide variety of erotic subjects explored will surprise even the most experienced lovers; however, if you don't have an open mind, you may be turned off by some of the selections.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must Read, November 15, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Slow Hand: Women Writing Erotica (Paperback)

If you like reading erotic stories read this exclusivly written for women this is a must read. Even the opposite gender would enjoy it. This book has 19 stories, all written by women,stories from a one night stand and well you'd have to read for your self and what you think. If enjoy reading this i also recommend reading Fever