The books leading a new wave of erotica

The books leading a new wave of erotica

Credit: Courtesy of publishers

Books


The books leading a new wave of erotica

By Francesca Brown

3 years ago

3 min read

From uplifting celebrations of lust and relationships to darker takes on #MeToo, sex and desire: meet the books giving voice to our inner lives. 

Erotic fiction has evolved. In the past few years, a new wave of books exploring power, desire and sexuality have come to the fore, reshaping what erotica means for this generation of readers. It’s a far cry from 11 years ago, when 50 Shades Of Grey defined the genre, selling 150 million copies and launching a sea of copycats (Dirty Billionaire anyone?).

While EL James indisputably tapped into a mainstream desire, her books were a world away from the revolutionary breakthroughs of the 20th century such as Anaïs Nin’s posthumous 1977 book of short stories, Delta Of Venus, written in the 40s for a private collector, and Erica Jong’s 1973 novel, Fear Of Flying. 

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