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Cruising
Hot flings at a seedy truck stop. Homemade glory holes in the stall walls of a dorm shower. Fun and fornication at an infamous park. Steamy bathhouse trysts and other tales of public eroticism is what Cruising is all about. As Shane Allison says, "This is the anthology I have dreamed of doing for years. There’s nothing that gets the adrenaline flowing and the muscle throbbing like public sex." Filled with hot plots and even hotter characters, Cruising doesn't shy away from new erotic territory and includes several true confessions including those of the editor himself. As with all of Allison's sexy compilations, creativity and diversity of story lines are key along with the fun factor that is the hallmark if Allison's anthologies. "One Hot Baby" by Daniel Curzonperson is a wryly sweet short about an aging straight guy who stops to pee in a park and gets an unexpected blow job, which lifts his spirits.A fierce black queen enjoys some of "New York’s Phynest" in an "arresting" erotic encounter with a hot Domincan cop in Donald Peebles Jr.'s surprise-filled story while the narrator of Rob Rosen's "Small Town Blues" gets horny in the sticks, hits on a young Indian immigrant clerk in the jiffy mart and discovers that the hicks are up for group action anytime and anywhere. Cruising moves at the highest speed and is filled with kink, sex toys, exotic locations, wild scenarios and plenty of sexual intensity.
- GenresGay EroticaErotica
232 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 2, 2012
15 people are currently reading
69 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 1, 2014
I reviewed this for Erotica Revealed.
There’s a wonderful Walt Whitman poem I love so that includes the following lines: “Do I contradict myself? / Very well then I contradict myself, / (I am large, I contain multitudes.)” If that seems like a stuffy and odd way to introduce a review of Cruising, by Shane Allison, just bear with me for a bit.
Cruising is a collection of just that – erotic encounters where strangers negotiate quick trysts with the flick of a glance, the tap of a foot, or any other myriad signals that have evolved between men trying to hook up with other men for some quick relief. There’s often something of a dichotomy at play here – these are marginalized men (as Shane points out in his introduction) who haven’t got the typical outlet that straight society has – these are men resorting to the stink of a dirty highway bathroom, tea room, or dark bookstore stalls. There’s the edge of desperation here, as well as the shiver of anticipation of finally – finally – having some fun with whichever random stranger comes along. It’s dirty. From the outside, it seems empty and sad – but in the hands of the right authors, it can be all the more titillating for the rushed danger of it all. And in some cases, it’s only the outside appearance after all.
The “empty and sad” does have its place, and in the opening tale by Bob Vickery, “School Queer,” the overwhelming presence of this isn’t entirely unwelcome. The one boy that everyone knows is queer – but blows the straight boys behind the boathouse – carries this mix of pride and outcast status perfectly. This is what Pete can get right now, and he’s damned good at it. When something “more” appears – in the form of popular and handsome Bill, who is taking an odd amount of interest in Nick, another boy Pete services, there’s a tangle of power that starts to unravel a bit.
I look up into his face, but his eyes are trained on Nick’s spit-slicked, fully hard cock. Bill’s the big man on campus, and I may be the queer boy with zero status, but tonight the tables are turned.
I think this was a major part of “getting” the anthology for me in terms of theme. I’m not sure if I found something that wasn’t put there on purpose, but there’s a projection of power and freedom in many of these stories – especially from the characters most trapped and powerless – that breathes a freshness into what otherwise might have been an anthology like many others: eyes meet, clothes fall, orgasms happen. Instead, in many of the tales, there’s a sense the characters are claiming these moments and making their lives their own – even if that happens in a seedy bathroom stall.
This is not to say there is no danger. Anytime Jeff Mann’s name pops up, I sit up and pay attention, and with his tale, “Keeper,” a young trucker bear is about to learn the dangers of taking unknown cargo for some extra cash. In this case, an innocent cruising at a truck stop could lead to murder. Fans of Mann will know they’re in for a great piece of erotic prose with that edge he manages so well: bondage, rope, deprivation, and perhaps an end very final. Mann’s ability to leave you unsure until the last few moments plays out as strong as ever. It’s dangerous, violent, bloody and terrifying; all these things should not be erotic, but in Mann’s hands they rage. Again – the sense of contradiction so prevalent in the anthology.
I have to also mention “The Tuggle Muggs Magic Cave Ride” by Jonathan Asche as an amusing favourite in that it has a lighthearted and amusing tone throughout. Trapped with his sister and nephew at – horrors – an amusement park, here the narrator makes eye contact with a handsome stranger, and takes a quick trip to a closed amusement park ride to find some relief. The occasional sounds and theme park music overlaying the enjoyment the two men find inside the cave is funny, and I had a few good laugh out loud moments with this one. It brought a less seedy feel to the anthology.
Mark Wildyr’s “Bully” bothered me in a different way. It’s not to say that the erotica wasn’t well written, but more that the main character’s evolution left me feeling nauseous. From bullied to bully – especially over a smaller, more innocent character who never does anything wrong to him – Toby generated no empathy from me, and I was left more disgusted than anything else. This could easily be a case of “too close to home” though, in that having your face kicked in generally leaves you unable to connect with bullies thereafter.
The settings vary more than I’d thought they might. Beyond Mann’s truckstop, Asche’s amusement park, and Vickery’s boathouse, we’re also treated to Shaun Levin’s cemetery, Donald Peebles Jr.’s subways, Jeremy Anders Windsor’s greenhouse – there’s a good mix of age and body types, as well. And in a funny retelling of “Little Shop of Horrors” Gregory L. Norris gives us the “Little Shop of Hummers.” Another laugh-out-loud fun story.
I wasn’t sure what to expect with Cruising. Dirty anonymous sex, sure, but how could an entire book of those stories continue to be interesting? Well, put in the hands of capable authors, it can be done. These are not endless married men on the down-low (though some of their tricks might be), these are guys getting off incognito, and mostly doing so with a sense of empowerment I honestly hadn’t really considered before. Cruising is definitely worth a toe tap or two.
There’s a wonderful Walt Whitman poem I love so that includes the following lines: “Do I contradict myself? / Very well then I contradict myself, / (I am large, I contain multitudes.)” If that seems like a stuffy and odd way to introduce a review of Cruising, by Shane Allison, just bear with me for a bit.
Cruising is a collection of just that – erotic encounters where strangers negotiate quick trysts with the flick of a glance, the tap of a foot, or any other myriad signals that have evolved between men trying to hook up with other men for some quick relief. There’s often something of a dichotomy at play here – these are marginalized men (as Shane points out in his introduction) who haven’t got the typical outlet that straight society has – these are men resorting to the stink of a dirty highway bathroom, tea room, or dark bookstore stalls. There’s the edge of desperation here, as well as the shiver of anticipation of finally – finally – having some fun with whichever random stranger comes along. It’s dirty. From the outside, it seems empty and sad – but in the hands of the right authors, it can be all the more titillating for the rushed danger of it all. And in some cases, it’s only the outside appearance after all.
The “empty and sad” does have its place, and in the opening tale by Bob Vickery, “School Queer,” the overwhelming presence of this isn’t entirely unwelcome. The one boy that everyone knows is queer – but blows the straight boys behind the boathouse – carries this mix of pride and outcast status perfectly. This is what Pete can get right now, and he’s damned good at it. When something “more” appears – in the form of popular and handsome Bill, who is taking an odd amount of interest in Nick, another boy Pete services, there’s a tangle of power that starts to unravel a bit.
I look up into his face, but his eyes are trained on Nick’s spit-slicked, fully hard cock. Bill’s the big man on campus, and I may be the queer boy with zero status, but tonight the tables are turned.
I think this was a major part of “getting” the anthology for me in terms of theme. I’m not sure if I found something that wasn’t put there on purpose, but there’s a projection of power and freedom in many of these stories – especially from the characters most trapped and powerless – that breathes a freshness into what otherwise might have been an anthology like many others: eyes meet, clothes fall, orgasms happen. Instead, in many of the tales, there’s a sense the characters are claiming these moments and making their lives their own – even if that happens in a seedy bathroom stall.
This is not to say there is no danger. Anytime Jeff Mann’s name pops up, I sit up and pay attention, and with his tale, “Keeper,” a young trucker bear is about to learn the dangers of taking unknown cargo for some extra cash. In this case, an innocent cruising at a truck stop could lead to murder. Fans of Mann will know they’re in for a great piece of erotic prose with that edge he manages so well: bondage, rope, deprivation, and perhaps an end very final. Mann’s ability to leave you unsure until the last few moments plays out as strong as ever. It’s dangerous, violent, bloody and terrifying; all these things should not be erotic, but in Mann’s hands they rage. Again – the sense of contradiction so prevalent in the anthology.
I have to also mention “The Tuggle Muggs Magic Cave Ride” by Jonathan Asche as an amusing favourite in that it has a lighthearted and amusing tone throughout. Trapped with his sister and nephew at – horrors – an amusement park, here the narrator makes eye contact with a handsome stranger, and takes a quick trip to a closed amusement park ride to find some relief. The occasional sounds and theme park music overlaying the enjoyment the two men find inside the cave is funny, and I had a few good laugh out loud moments with this one. It brought a less seedy feel to the anthology.
Mark Wildyr’s “Bully” bothered me in a different way. It’s not to say that the erotica wasn’t well written, but more that the main character’s evolution left me feeling nauseous. From bullied to bully – especially over a smaller, more innocent character who never does anything wrong to him – Toby generated no empathy from me, and I was left more disgusted than anything else. This could easily be a case of “too close to home” though, in that having your face kicked in generally leaves you unable to connect with bullies thereafter.
The settings vary more than I’d thought they might. Beyond Mann’s truckstop, Asche’s amusement park, and Vickery’s boathouse, we’re also treated to Shaun Levin’s cemetery, Donald Peebles Jr.’s subways, Jeremy Anders Windsor’s greenhouse – there’s a good mix of age and body types, as well. And in a funny retelling of “Little Shop of Horrors” Gregory L. Norris gives us the “Little Shop of Hummers.” Another laugh-out-loud fun story.
I wasn’t sure what to expect with Cruising. Dirty anonymous sex, sure, but how could an entire book of those stories continue to be interesting? Well, put in the hands of capable authors, it can be done. These are not endless married men on the down-low (though some of their tricks might be), these are guys getting off incognito, and mostly doing so with a sense of empowerment I honestly hadn’t really considered before. Cruising is definitely worth a toe tap or two.
April 10, 2012
Hot, hot, hot!
Some stories are far more polished than others, but this is still a steamy read.
Some stories are far more polished than others, but this is still a steamy read.
March 14, 2021
Some Hot Scenes...But SO Racist
I like some smut once in a while, and this book delivered...but it’s not worth it when half the stories are super racist and several are ruined by comically bad writing. Skip it.
I like some smut once in a while, and this book delivered...but it’s not worth it when half the stories are super racist and several are ruined by comically bad writing. Skip it.
October 10, 2017
Good collection of short stories with different tales of cruising.
June 3, 2021
Some of the stories are hot but most are just ok. Even the ones that kind of stand out are not very memorable.
February 28, 2026
Not what I expected, especially a gay “little shop of horrors” short story.
April 6, 2013
As soon as I opened this book, I knew I was going to like it. A Lot. It’s a book filled with cruising and anonymous gay hook-ups… which means, for me, it’s a book filled with happy endings. Night after night of happy endings.
As you flip the pages, the writers take you from high school blow-job boys, to college glory holes, to mostly deserted rest areas, convenience stores, the streets of New York City to the latrines of Paris, to the parks of London. I recognized more than a couple of scenarios from my personal wank bank. That’s pretty hot, to see your favorite fantasy written expertly for endless future reference.
It may not be your cup of tea, or tea room as the case may be, but I am a longtime fan of gay male porn and erotica. And when I say I’m a fan, I mean, I have lots of happy endings.
Some favorite stories from the compilation:
First up to bat, School Queer by Bob Vickery… hot, dirty, sexy, high school studs and their Saturday blowjob date with the school queer. Great writing and a very hot story that I will return to.
My very favorite comes up second, Keeper by Jeff Mann. The action commences at a truck stop with a Bear and a Cub… need I say more? This is my choice for best writing in the collection — tight, suspenseful, definitely the darkest story line, it’s not meant to end well, but I won’t spoil it for you by saying more. I was hooked right away by the setting — ‘the truck stop’ is the site of many, many of my very favorite and productive wank bank scenarios.
I also really like Jonah and The Whale, by Aaron Travis. Older man takes younger man on for sex and training… starts quickly with great narration and hot sequences throughout.
By far the weirdest, most unexpected story was Little Shop of Hummers by Gregory L. Norris… and yes, it does borrow a bit from Little Shop of Horrors. I’m not gonna say more, you just have to read it to see what I mean.
There was only one story that didn’t do it for me, but all the rest got me off, sometimes more than once during the reading. Most of the situations are familiar to me from all the smut reading I’ve done, but a few are more original in their settings, characters and voice. This is all good writing, but some rise above and had me admiring them not just for the tent in my briefs, but for the craft their authors employed.
This is a great collection for dirty gay sex erotica fans and if that describes you, add this to your collection. You won’t be sorry.
As you flip the pages, the writers take you from high school blow-job boys, to college glory holes, to mostly deserted rest areas, convenience stores, the streets of New York City to the latrines of Paris, to the parks of London. I recognized more than a couple of scenarios from my personal wank bank. That’s pretty hot, to see your favorite fantasy written expertly for endless future reference.
It may not be your cup of tea, or tea room as the case may be, but I am a longtime fan of gay male porn and erotica. And when I say I’m a fan, I mean, I have lots of happy endings.
Some favorite stories from the compilation:
First up to bat, School Queer by Bob Vickery… hot, dirty, sexy, high school studs and their Saturday blowjob date with the school queer. Great writing and a very hot story that I will return to.
My very favorite comes up second, Keeper by Jeff Mann. The action commences at a truck stop with a Bear and a Cub… need I say more? This is my choice for best writing in the collection — tight, suspenseful, definitely the darkest story line, it’s not meant to end well, but I won’t spoil it for you by saying more. I was hooked right away by the setting — ‘the truck stop’ is the site of many, many of my very favorite and productive wank bank scenarios.
I also really like Jonah and The Whale, by Aaron Travis. Older man takes younger man on for sex and training… starts quickly with great narration and hot sequences throughout.
By far the weirdest, most unexpected story was Little Shop of Hummers by Gregory L. Norris… and yes, it does borrow a bit from Little Shop of Horrors. I’m not gonna say more, you just have to read it to see what I mean.
There was only one story that didn’t do it for me, but all the rest got me off, sometimes more than once during the reading. Most of the situations are familiar to me from all the smut reading I’ve done, but a few are more original in their settings, characters and voice. This is all good writing, but some rise above and had me admiring them not just for the tent in my briefs, but for the craft their authors employed.
This is a great collection for dirty gay sex erotica fans and if that describes you, add this to your collection. You won’t be sorry.
July 15, 2013
If you like lots of sex between hot guys in lots of different locations, you'll love Cruising edited by Shane Allison. From romps in London cemeteries to an amusement park hookup, this collection features sex outdoors, loads of bathroom sex and even a hookup in the cab of a big rig truck. There are lots of clandestine meetings between horny queers, young and old, who are looking to have their itch scratched by the next sweet faced schoolboy or rugged stranger. “Keeper” by Jeff Mann and “One Hot Baby” by Daniel Curzon were favorites.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews