Some people discover erotic fiction by snooping around a friend’s bookshelf and stumbling across something that gets their pulse racing. While others may have been introduced to the genre by a certain film and book franchise which has turned an entire generation on to BDSM.
No matter how you feel about 50 Shades of Grey, one incredible thing to come out of this book and film franchise is the increased popularity of erotic fiction. If you’ve never touched a mucky book before you stumbled across 50 Shades, you might be wondering where to go once you’ve finished reading it for the 50th time and purchased the entire 50 Shades of Grey adult toys range.
The problem so many people face with erotic fiction is that it combines two very important stands which rely entirely on preference: fiction and sexual fantasy. It’s a difficult task to find a writer you enjoy who crafts stories that turn you on. If you’re wondering where you’ll find your next erotic fiction fix, why not try one of these tips…
Try Beautiful Bastard by Christina Lauren. It’s a similar setup to the 50 Shades franchise in that it features an ambitious intern, a perfectionist executive and a whole load of sexual tension. This book also started life as a Twilight fan fiction, so you know you’re getting something that was crafted with the same intention in mind. If you liked 50 shades but wish it were more literary, try The Crossfire Series by Sylvia Day. The characters are a little less flat and the sex scenes are somehow racier.
If you want a book you could probably get away with reading on the tube on the way to work, then you should be reaching for the classics. No one is going to judge you for whipping one of these classic books out. Forever by Judy Blume is a classic coming of age story that was banned from many school libraries when it was first released in 1975. If you get turned on by the idea of “the first time” then this classic is for you. The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough is another classic literary novel with grand, sweeping storylines and tales of forbidden love.
If your idea of a good erotic page-turner is the literary equivalent of a romantic comedy, then you can’t go wrong with anything by Nora Roberts. Roberts is a New York Times bestseller and crafts intricate stories often revolving around meddling families. There are murder mysteries, strong female characters and a healthy dose of romance.
Into stories of the undead, blood-sucking vampires and sexy werewolves? You’re not alone. Fans of the Bad Blood franchise will recognise the characters in The Sookie Stackhouse Novels by Charlaine Harris. Filled with blood and lust, and seductive paranormal characters. Other contenders include J R Ward’s The Black Dagger Brotherhood Series. A favourite with Twilight fans, if vampires get you going you won’t want to put this down.
Ann Bannon’s legendary lesbian pulp fiction is still getting folk all in a flutter to this day. Her novels are all set in 50s and 60s Greenwich Village, a melting pot of hot lesbian action, apparently. For man on man action, look no further than Ella Frank’s Try. A story of one man desperate to “try” another, it’s a real page-turner filled with flirtatious and steamy scenes that are sure to get you all flustered.
Anais Nin, the queen of erotic fiction, penned this collection of short stories as a private commission. Delta of Venus is a collection of 15 short stories, each as thrilling as the last. It’s a real exercise in escapism as each story is crafted in ever more creative lands.
The characters housed within this collection of short stories each explores their sexuality in new and exciting ways. It’s refreshing, empowering and highly seductive literature that will have you coming back for another taste time and time again.
There’s no shortage of erotic fiction out there to whet your appetite, so if 50 Shades wasn’t for you, it’s worth trying a few different authors to see if you land on something you love!
