Erotica and Genre Fiction

The funny thing about erotica is how we tend to classify it according to the type of sex involved. Is it a story of romantic sex? Rough sex? Group sex? Gay sex? We label it by particular fetish being explored -- cuckold, interracial, BDSM. That often makes sense, because in the final analysis, in much of erotica the story -- the plot -- is really pretext. It is just an excuse to throw together the people that you want to have sex.

But I've been exploring recently, at least part of the time, writing in a particular genre and having the sex be genuinely germane to the plot. Now, I don't want to make it seem like the sex is an afterthought. It isn't. But I guess my idea recently has been to try to write more stories where the sex serves the plot rather than the plot serving the sex.

Part of my motivation is that when I think of really sexy moments and characters, say in film, they rarely come from the world of porn. Rather than come from interesting fiction where the sex somehow seems organic. Think of Bound. One of my favorite movies of all time. Jennifer Tilly and Gina Gershon set the screen in fire, but it is very much in service of the plot.

Or think of Linda Fiorentino in The Last Seduction.

Or Kathleen Turner in Body Heat.

Yeah, I like modern film noir. 

Anyway, my new book, Whatever It Takes -- which will be out in the next few weeks (still working on final edits) -- tried to be in that mold. A crime thriller with lots of sex. Keep an eye out. I am getting close on that one.

But I have an idea for a science fiction book as well. We'll see how that idea develops.