Best Gay Erotica 1998 [Paperback]

Richard LaBonte (Author, Editor), Jack Fritscher (Editor)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Erotic fiction has rarely been given its due. Usually viewed simply as a printed aphrodisiac, it is ascribed a utilitarian purpose that precludes "art" or even talent. Yet this does not have to be the case. Best Gay Erotica 1998--the third in an annual series--proves that smut can be smart, witty, insightful, and even funny. This year's installment, produced under the guidance of series editor Richard Labonte, is selected and introduced by award-winning novelist Christopher Bram, and it's the best collection so far.

Bram's thoughtful and intelligent introduction places gay male porn in the broader realm of American literature--right up there with Phillip Roth and John Updike--and his selections prove his point. While all of the pieces here are sexy--or at least include sexual material--they are also about real life as well. Will Leber's "White Picket Fence" deals with romantic illusions and expectations, Brian Bouldry's "Pioneering" is about the confusions of sex among young boys, and horehound stillpoint's "All the Hookers in America" examines the reality behind the fantasy of tricking. Best Gay Erotica delivers on all three of its title's promises. -- Michael Bronski

Product Description

Celebrating sexy, literate queer writing, Best Gay Erotica features the steamiest, most thought-provoking sexual writing of each year. Guest judges selected from the queer literary world select and introduce the collections, which represent a wide range of styles and voices. The series is edited by Richard Labont. Best Gay Erotica 1998 is selected and introduced by guest editor Christopher Bram, author of Father Of Frankenstein and Gossip. "Sex is a wonderful subject for fiction," writes Bram, "It's so expressive, so dramatic.a way of thinking with our bodies, the mind climbing down for a brief visit"

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Product Details

• Paperback: 154 pages
• Publisher: Cleis Pr (January 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1573440310
• ISBN-13: 978-1573440318
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #2,080,298 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Intellectual Erotica, December 5, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Best Gay Erotica 1998 (Paperback)

This year's volume of erotica is similar to the others in that it contains a couple stories that really turned me on, some that were mildly arousing, and a couple that were just hard to read. The problem I find is that some of the stories are to experimental and poetic. I'd rather not read about the AIDS crisis or world poverty within the context of erotica, which I consider to be an escape from the harsh aspects of life. But that's just my personal preferance. I know others feel differently.