HEROTICA 4: A New Collection of Erotic Writing by Women

by Marcy--Ed. Sheiner ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 1996

The fourth in the most successful series so far of erotica written by women, this time edited by a contributor to the previous Herotica books and a writer for publications such as Penthouse and On Our Backs. Ranging from the graphic through the exotic to the experimental, these 29 stories represent an astonishingly wide spectrum of tastes, styles, and techniques, both in literary approache and subject matter. The most notable flesh out their erotic material without letting it stand alone, while the least effective succumb to the common--and often fatal--flaw of gimmickry. One of the best is Susan St. Aubin's ""Coming and Cummins,"" a seductive growing-up story featuring a teacher who instructs one particular student in far more than the rules of grammar. Also noteworthy is Eve Mariposa's ""Back to the Future with a Vibrator,"" which explores the turbulent transitional stage between adolescence and adulthood by describing a 25-year-old woman's return home for a weekend and the conflict between her public (familial) and private selves. Some stories focus primarily on erotic description: ""The Best Whore in Hillsboro,"" by Carol Queen, begins when a suburban couple hires two high-class prostitutes for a festive foursome romp; and Angela Fairweather's ""My Dance at Juliana's"" is an interior monologue about one woman's repressed lesbian fantasies and her desire to break loose from the cultural constrictions that have inhibited her sexuality. A few tales, meanwhile, offer more groping than pleasure: Debbie Ester's ""My Nail Broke: A Story in Four Scenes"" is a vapid device waiting for a plot; and Annalisa Suid's ""After the War"" is an overly ambitious attempt to capture elusive feelings of loss and sorrow. From raunch to romance, from literary to lightweight.

Pub Date: April 1, 1996

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 224

Publisher: Plume

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1996

Categories: FICTION