What do books on the Amazon Women, the planet of Gor, and telepathic lovers have in common? They are all what fabulously nerdy people crack open when they want to get that sexy tingle in their spine. The paranormal, supernatural, and alien genres form the perfect framework for exploring the uncharted territory in our sexuality—especially when were crossing the borders of into the land of taboo.
Yes, I’m talking about BDSM.
Oddly enough, BDSM and paranormal erotica are a match made in geek heaven. When they play off of each other, the results are stunning, and hot. Why? Because BDSM in a paranormal setting can be far more palatable to people who ordinarily might not be able to accept it.
Jabba the Hut and Princess Leia. BDSM in space?
Even those who are curious can find BDSM intimidating to explore in the real world, so very unrealistic power dynamics—such as those between captured human slaves and aliens—can be just the thing to wet one’s feet and whet one’s appetite. Conversely, for those already in the know who are practitioners of BDSM, extravagant plotlines and impossible feats of domination can still be a thrill.
Sometimes, the games that kinky people play do carry a lot of baggage. Master/slave dynamics already engage millennia of real human suffering. Some people find this kind of play cathartic and healing. Others don’t want to hear about it. But paranormal power dynamics are pretty far from reality. Alien/captive, vampire/victim, ghost/human: these power dynamics carry very little baggage. They have rich cultural associations, and are, in vital ways, the same as earthly power dynamics. But overall, they hardly hit close to home.
One of the reasons that erotica survives, despite the flood of free explicit porn, is that it offers sexual situations in the context of a larger plot. Erotica, especially in whole-book form, is not just content. It is an entire story with an arc that flows from beginning to end, fraught with the sexually charged plot twists its characters encounter and endure, and unlike other genres, in erotica, that are carried out to their end in intimate detail.
Another aspect of erotica’s ability to contextualize is that it can portray sex as easy and intuitive—in other words, how we all wish it was, but know it isn’t. The title of the book Telepaths Don’t Need Safe Words is a fine example of erotica plugging into BDSM fantasies that, in real life, would be absurd and unsafe. Even for a person that wouldn’t want to watch Kink.com’s intense but decontextualized BDSM play scenes, erotica about big, sexy Amazon mistresses might be just the thing.
Yes, I’m talking about BDSM.
Oddly enough, BDSM and paranormal erotica are a match made in geek heaven. When they play off of each other, the results are stunning, and hot. Why? Because BDSM in a paranormal setting can be far more palatable to people who ordinarily might not be able to accept it.
Jabba the Hut and Princess Leia. BDSM in space?
Even those who are curious can find BDSM intimidating to explore in the real world, so very unrealistic power dynamics—such as those between captured human slaves and aliens—can be just the thing to wet one’s feet and whet one’s appetite. Conversely, for those already in the know who are practitioners of BDSM, extravagant plotlines and impossible feats of domination can still be a thrill.
Sometimes, the games that kinky people play do carry a lot of baggage. Master/slave dynamics already engage millennia of real human suffering. Some people find this kind of play cathartic and healing. Others don’t want to hear about it. But paranormal power dynamics are pretty far from reality. Alien/captive, vampire/victim, ghost/human: these power dynamics carry very little baggage. They have rich cultural associations, and are, in vital ways, the same as earthly power dynamics. But overall, they hardly hit close to home.
One of the reasons that erotica survives, despite the flood of free explicit porn, is that it offers sexual situations in the context of a larger plot. Erotica, especially in whole-book form, is not just content. It is an entire story with an arc that flows from beginning to end, fraught with the sexually charged plot twists its characters encounter and endure, and unlike other genres, in erotica, that are carried out to their end in intimate detail.
Another aspect of erotica’s ability to contextualize is that it can portray sex as easy and intuitive—in other words, how we all wish it was, but know it isn’t. The title of the book Telepaths Don’t Need Safe Words is a fine example of erotica plugging into BDSM fantasies that, in real life, would be absurd and unsafe. Even for a person that wouldn’t want to watch Kink.com’s intense but decontextualized BDSM play scenes, erotica about big, sexy Amazon mistresses might be just the thing.
From the Word to the Deed
So, maybe you’re a kinky person already. You don’t need your kink clothed in spacesuits or velvet capes. What can paranormal erotica do for you? Well, for one thing, it’s a great way to communicate your tastes to a partner who doesn’t quite get it.
When most vanilla people think of BDSM, they picture miles of squeaking latex, a woman with long, crimson claw-sharp nails smacking a crop against the palm of hand, or a hairy leather daddy in assless chaps chained to the wall of a dungeon. While many find these images simply delicious, there are those among us who, understandably, are squicked. If your lover is a “squickee,” do not lose hope.
Paranormal BDSM erotica makes it possible to identify with brave and fantastical creatures—that do dastardly yet delicious things. Perhaps your lover will find him or herself more attuned to a valiant human on an alien planet replete with cruel alien masters. It’s fertile fodder of much youthful sexual fantasy, and who doesn’t want to feel young in the sack?
Otherworldly fiction is also an excellent way to access different BDSM styles and harmlessly explore, “What if?” Whether you prefer the classic leather and whips ouevre, or more subtle variations, the genre can reveal uncharted sexual dimensions by taking fantasy out of the realm of the real or probable, and setting it free.
Tori Spelling channels JoBeth Williams' Poltergeist sex scene for Scary Movie 2
When most vanilla people think of BDSM, they picture miles of squeaking latex, a woman with long, crimson claw-sharp nails smacking a crop against the palm of hand, or a hairy leather daddy in assless chaps chained to the wall of a dungeon. While many find these images simply delicious, there are those among us who, understandably, are squicked. If your lover is a “squickee,” do not lose hope.
Paranormal BDSM erotica makes it possible to identify with brave and fantastical creatures—that do dastardly yet delicious things. Perhaps your lover will find him or herself more attuned to a valiant human on an alien planet replete with cruel alien masters. It’s fertile fodder of much youthful sexual fantasy, and who doesn’t want to feel young in the sack?
Otherworldly fiction is also an excellent way to access different BDSM styles and harmlessly explore, “What if?” Whether you prefer the classic leather and whips ouevre, or more subtle variations, the genre can reveal uncharted sexual dimensions by taking fantasy out of the realm of the real or probable, and setting it free.
Tori Spelling channels JoBeth Williams' Poltergeist sex scene for Scary Movie 2
| The Naked Reader Book Club | Selections for October 2010 |
| Fairy Tale Lust
edited by Kristina Wright | In Sleeping Beauty's Bed
by Mitzi Szereto |
 |  |
| The Sweetest Kiss
by D.L. King | |
 |
Comments