Blast from the past!

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NOTE: This review originally appeared in my Tumblr account. As they attempted to censor it, here it is, in its entirety: 

- Best Gay Erotica 2001. Eds., Randy Boyd & Richard Labonté. A selection of twenty-two short stories (well, a couple of them are excerpts from longer works), illustrating the general panorama of gay erotica at the end of the past millennium. The selection is pleasantly varied, ranging from straight-forward one-handed reading to more intricate literary pieces (crisscrossing with the likes of Sci-fi, Noir, Period drama, Poetry in prose, even Metafiction!) to real-life confessionals. The respective introductions by the editors provide a nice glimpse into the selective process as well. 

Of the stories themselves, my personal favorites were “You need a boy”, by Dough Harrison and “Onyx”, by Felice Picano. The first being a skillfully narrated, suitably intense account of an introduction to S&M scenarios; the second, a seduction scene distilled to it’s most powerful moments. There is enough variety and quality for both causal readers and more discerning treasure seekers. Overall recommended.

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