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Bending: Dirty Kinky Stories About Pain, Power, Religion, Unicorns, & More
These are not nice stories.
They're filthy. They're fearless. Some are even funny.
Greta Christina's erotic stories are written to get you hard and wet -- and to change the ways you think about sex. Be forewarned -- stuff happens here that's borderline consensual. Or not at all consensual. These are dirty, kinky stories about shame, about pain, helplessness and danger, reckless behavior and bad, bad ideas....
A baby dyke is manipulated into fetish porn by her beautiful, self-absorbed porn-star lover.
A good Christian wife follows her duty to obey, even as her husband's sexual demands become bizarre.
A student, hungry for punishment, seeks it from a professor who should know better.
A woman with a dedicated fetish finds a lover who meets her more than halfway.
And then there's the one about the unicorn and the rainbow...
Raw, exciting, joyful, intensely believable, Greta's stories are written with a fierce respect for erotic fiction -- and for sex itself.
"Located at some far vanishing point of sex and language, Greta Christina's wildly hot and masterfully written stories make you rethink what you supposed you already knew -- about command and consent, fantasy, belief, and that whole body-mind thing. The payoff is pleasure; the price of the ticket is to leave a few certainties at the door."
- Molly Weatherfield, author of "Carrie's Story" and "Safe Word"
"If books are sex, this one is a sticky, urgent alleyway fuck that you carry in your limbs forever."
- Adele Haze, BDSM model and writer
"One of the most exciting things about fantasies is that they let us explore and get turned on by things we might not want to actually do in real life. And sometimes, we get turned on by things that we might not even want to admit to thinking about. But that doesn't mean that those fantasies aren't hot! In Bending, Greta Christina shares stories that'll get you excited, bring a blush to your cheeks, make you laugh, and even make you stop and wonder why you're enjoying them so much. It's full of twists and surprises, hot sex, raunchy details, and lots of edges. Will you like all of the stories? Probably not. But the ones you do enjoy will quickly become favorites that you'll come back to, again and again. So if you like to play on the edge, or if you simply get turned on thinking about it, pick up a copy of Bending and discover just how far sexy goes."
- Charlie Glickman, Ph.D., sexuality educator, author of "The Ultimate Guide to Prostate Pleasure"
"Greta Christina makes me want to live in one of her stories -- actually, most of her stories! Not because of the smoking hot sex, kink and power exchange alone, but because her characters are bold, brazen and willing to go to any length to live out their fantasies. Bending is a must read for anyone with an erotic imagination -- or who wants to develop one."
- Rachel Kramer Bussel, editor, "Orgasmic" and "Cheeky Spanking Stories"
"I have just one word for Greta Christina's erotic writing: Wise. What I mean by wise is, you won't want to pick it up at all if you don't want to know something deep, thoughtful, surprising, maybe troubling, and certainly inspiring about sex. (Sex, and spanking.)
"Well, actually, on second thought, I do have a few more relevant words: Completely freakin' knowingly and on purpose filthy dirty pervy.
"In a wise, deeply wise, way.
"There. That about covers it. So if you want to know more, a lot more about sex: Read Greta's book. Money in the bank."
- Carol Queen, PhD, cultural sexologist and author, "The Leather Daddy and the Femme"
"When I want the best erotica in the world, give me Greta Christina. Her new stories go where other writers dare not tread -- and I love her for it. Greta gives me throbbing clitoral erections and huge orgasms every time. Gracias Greta! I'm going to reread a story right now!"
- Annie Sprinkle, Ph.D., sex worker artist turned EcoSexologist
(Less)
Adult-content rating: This book contains content considered unsuitable for young readers 17 and under, and which may be offensive to some readers of all ages
They're filthy. They're fearless. Some are even funny.
Greta Christina's erotic stories are written to get you hard and wet -- and to change the ways you think about sex. Be forewarned -- stuff happens here that's borderline consensual. Or not at all consensual. These are dirty, kinky stories about shame, about pain, helplessness and danger, reckless behavior and bad, bad ideas....
A baby dyke is manipulated into fetish porn by her beautiful, self-absorbed porn-star lover.
A good Christian wife follows her duty to obey, even as her husband's sexual demands become bizarre.
A student, hungry for punishment, seeks it from a professor who should know better.
A woman with a dedicated fetish finds a lover who meets her more than halfway.
And then there's the one about the unicorn and the rainbow...
Raw, exciting, joyful, intensely believable, Greta's stories are written with a fierce respect for erotic fiction -- and for sex itself.
"Located at some far vanishing point of sex and language, Greta Christina's wildly hot and masterfully written stories make you rethink what you supposed you already knew -- about command and consent, fantasy, belief, and that whole body-mind thing. The payoff is pleasure; the price of the ticket is to leave a few certainties at the door."
- Molly Weatherfield, author of "Carrie's Story" and "Safe Word"
"If books are sex, this one is a sticky, urgent alleyway fuck that you carry in your limbs forever."
- Adele Haze, BDSM model and writer
"One of the most exciting things about fantasies is that they let us explore and get turned on by things we might not want to actually do in real life. And sometimes, we get turned on by things that we might not even want to admit to thinking about. But that doesn't mean that those fantasies aren't hot! In Bending, Greta Christina shares stories that'll get you excited, bring a blush to your cheeks, make you laugh, and even make you stop and wonder why you're enjoying them so much. It's full of twists and surprises, hot sex, raunchy details, and lots of edges. Will you like all of the stories? Probably not. But the ones you do enjoy will quickly become favorites that you'll come back to, again and again. So if you like to play on the edge, or if you simply get turned on thinking about it, pick up a copy of Bending and discover just how far sexy goes."
- Charlie Glickman, Ph.D., sexuality educator, author of "The Ultimate Guide to Prostate Pleasure"
"Greta Christina makes me want to live in one of her stories -- actually, most of her stories! Not because of the smoking hot sex, kink and power exchange alone, but because her characters are bold, brazen and willing to go to any length to live out their fantasies. Bending is a must read for anyone with an erotic imagination -- or who wants to develop one."
- Rachel Kramer Bussel, editor, "Orgasmic" and "Cheeky Spanking Stories"
"I have just one word for Greta Christina's erotic writing: Wise. What I mean by wise is, you won't want to pick it up at all if you don't want to know something deep, thoughtful, surprising, maybe troubling, and certainly inspiring about sex. (Sex, and spanking.)
"Well, actually, on second thought, I do have a few more relevant words: Completely freakin' knowingly and on purpose filthy dirty pervy.
"In a wise, deeply wise, way.
"There. That about covers it. So if you want to know more, a lot more about sex: Read Greta's book. Money in the bank."
- Carol Queen, PhD, cultural sexologist and author, "The Leather Daddy and the Femme"
"When I want the best erotica in the world, give me Greta Christina. Her new stories go where other writers dare not tread -- and I love her for it. Greta gives me throbbing clitoral erections and huge orgasms every time. Gracias Greta! I'm going to reread a story right now!"
- Annie Sprinkle, Ph.D., sex worker artist turned EcoSexologist
(Less)
Adult-content rating: This book contains content considered unsuitable for young readers 17 and under, and which may be offensive to some readers of all ages
196 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 15, 2013
About the author
Greta Christina
17 books98 followersGreta Christina has been writing professionally since 1989, on topics including atheism, sexuality and sex-positivity, LGBT issues, politics, culture, and whatever crosses her mind. She is on the speakers's bureaus of the Secular Student Alliance and the Center for Inquiry. She is editor of the "Best Erotic Comics" anthology series, and of "Paying For It: A Guide by Sex Workers for Their Clients." Her writing has appeared in multiple magazines and newspapers, including Ms., Penthouse, Chicago Sun-Times, On Our Backs, and Skeptical Inquirer, and numerous anthologies, including "Everything You Know About God Is Wrong" and three volumes of "Best American Erotica." She lives in San Francisco with her wife, Ingrid.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
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June 5, 2013This is an incredible collection. It's hot and unafraid of pushing boundaries. I would recommend this for the introduction alone, which reads as a manifesto that should charge up any erotica writer who fears this genre is growing too derivative and unthinking. Christina makes unabashed declarations about what erotica is and isn't, and specifically explains the difference between fantasies and things one would want to do in reality (there are many pieces in this book that are smoking hot but not anything you would want to try at home, and Christina is very clear about this distinction). After reading the introduction, I wanted to stand up and cheer.
I already knew that I loved the title story, "Bending," which I read years ago in Susie Bright's Three Kinds of Asking for It and remains one of the four or five pieces of erotica that will stay with me forever. I wasn't prepared for the breadth of exploration in this anthology.
If you're into spanking, this is your book. There is an entire section on spanking, and Christina knows all the buttons to push. I have noticed that writers who really "get" a fetish are tuned in to specific details that need to be mentioned and dwelt upon in order to display and satisfy the fetish, and Christina's spanking stories are a study in that technique. If you're into humiliation, you are also very well covered here. There are some breathtaking scenes of humiliating and objectification, and I say that as a person who is sometimes jaded about humiliation that I read (it's easier for some reason to get used to it on paper than in real life).
Those things, however, I could have predicted from what I already knew about Christina. Some pleasant surprises: Her unicorn and rainbows story seems to be included as a bit of a joke, but I loved it. It was weird and creative in a way that tickles me. A section on religion will be very satisfying to anyone who is working out issues with religion in the bedroom (or just enjoys playing that way). The best surprise, though, was the "sweet" section. I read all types of erotica, but I know that vanilla erotica doesn't normally push my buttons. I read it for literary interest, still, so I sighed and dived into the sweet section with low expectations. What I found was lovely, fresh, and hot. Christina's definition of sweet turns out to be stories that feel good in the chest, regardless of what else is going on. A lot of it is kinky. Not all of it is about people who are in a long-term romance with each other or who wind up in one. I absolutely loved that one of the sweet stories was about a pleasant encounter between a sex worker and a client, and that this story did not go with any "Pretty Woman" cliches.
One quibble is that the spanking stories are largely grouped together, which emphasizes the repetition of language and imagery. That's not bad for self-pleasure. Just read one at a time and enjoy the way Christina knows how to deliver the fetish. Reading the collection with at least partial intellectual purpose, however, I would have liked to see those stories divided. Also, even if I'd been at it for self-pleasure, this organization would lead to one well-thumbed section and other unfortunately neglected ones.
That organizational issue aside, this is a fantastic collection. It showcases the many fascinating corners of the psyche that erotica can plumb, and it does it all while being well-written and relentlessly hot.
Essential reading.
I already knew that I loved the title story, "Bending," which I read years ago in Susie Bright's Three Kinds of Asking for It and remains one of the four or five pieces of erotica that will stay with me forever. I wasn't prepared for the breadth of exploration in this anthology.
If you're into spanking, this is your book. There is an entire section on spanking, and Christina knows all the buttons to push. I have noticed that writers who really "get" a fetish are tuned in to specific details that need to be mentioned and dwelt upon in order to display and satisfy the fetish, and Christina's spanking stories are a study in that technique. If you're into humiliation, you are also very well covered here. There are some breathtaking scenes of humiliating and objectification, and I say that as a person who is sometimes jaded about humiliation that I read (it's easier for some reason to get used to it on paper than in real life).
Those things, however, I could have predicted from what I already knew about Christina. Some pleasant surprises: Her unicorn and rainbows story seems to be included as a bit of a joke, but I loved it. It was weird and creative in a way that tickles me. A section on religion will be very satisfying to anyone who is working out issues with religion in the bedroom (or just enjoys playing that way). The best surprise, though, was the "sweet" section. I read all types of erotica, but I know that vanilla erotica doesn't normally push my buttons. I read it for literary interest, still, so I sighed and dived into the sweet section with low expectations. What I found was lovely, fresh, and hot. Christina's definition of sweet turns out to be stories that feel good in the chest, regardless of what else is going on. A lot of it is kinky. Not all of it is about people who are in a long-term romance with each other or who wind up in one. I absolutely loved that one of the sweet stories was about a pleasant encounter between a sex worker and a client, and that this story did not go with any "Pretty Woman" cliches.
One quibble is that the spanking stories are largely grouped together, which emphasizes the repetition of language and imagery. That's not bad for self-pleasure. Just read one at a time and enjoy the way Christina knows how to deliver the fetish. Reading the collection with at least partial intellectual purpose, however, I would have liked to see those stories divided. Also, even if I'd been at it for self-pleasure, this organization would lead to one well-thumbed section and other unfortunately neglected ones.
That organizational issue aside, this is a fantastic collection. It showcases the many fascinating corners of the psyche that erotica can plumb, and it does it all while being well-written and relentlessly hot.
Essential reading.
September 26, 2014
I gave this bad boy only 3 stars not because it's mediocre, it's just because of a general sense of repetitiveness in the stories...a feeling of deja vu when reading a passage. A fare amount of the stories are quite brilliant, extremely erotic with heavy doses of twisted and fascinating psychology.
The author chose to categorise the book's content into the following main themes:
1) Bad Ideas
2) Force, Power, and Messed up Consent
3) Unicorns and Rainbows*
4) Religion
5) Sweet Stuff
6) Bending
* this one is priceless, from the introduction:
“These are not nice stories.
These are not “erotica”—except in the sense that “erotica” has become the term of art in publishing for “dirty stories with some vaguely serious literary intent.” These are not tender stories about couples in love making love. (Except for the one that is.) These are not sweet, gentle, happy stories about unicorns fucking rainbows. (Except for the one about the unicorn fucking the rainbow.)”
Who couldn't love a book with that intro?
The categorisation adds a very nice touch to the reading experience, really concentrating on a single theme and then moving on when you almost had enough. But herein lays the problem, the author could have skimmed the number of stories by half and it would have gotten a five star rating...just too much repetitive grinding.
Recommended story: "His Hands"
Please read responsibly
The author chose to categorise the book's content into the following main themes:
1) Bad Ideas
2) Force, Power, and Messed up Consent
3) Unicorns and Rainbows*
4) Religion
5) Sweet Stuff
6) Bending
* this one is priceless, from the introduction:
“These are not nice stories.
These are not “erotica”—except in the sense that “erotica” has become the term of art in publishing for “dirty stories with some vaguely serious literary intent.” These are not tender stories about couples in love making love. (Except for the one that is.) These are not sweet, gentle, happy stories about unicorns fucking rainbows. (Except for the one about the unicorn fucking the rainbow.)”
Who couldn't love a book with that intro?
The categorisation adds a very nice touch to the reading experience, really concentrating on a single theme and then moving on when you almost had enough. But herein lays the problem, the author could have skimmed the number of stories by half and it would have gotten a five star rating...just too much repetitive grinding.
Recommended story: "His Hands"
Please read responsibly
Want to Read
May 6, 2013DNF I couldn't take it any longer :(
I am afraid I would not recommend it as I didn't like it at all
But oh well :( On to the next one :)
I am afraid I would not recommend it as I didn't like it at all
But oh well :( On to the next one :)
July 14, 2019
I'm generally open-minded and interested in pushing the boundaries of what is acceptable in fiction. Still, in this case, some trigger warnings would've been nice. Agree also with another reviewer who said the themes were boringly repetitive. After the 3rd or 4th woman wanting praise and shame and spanking from a male power figure, I was struggling to go on. I wanted to read this as a collection of stories surrounding masochism but it would've been better promoted as a book about kink shame.
Definitely not recommended for people who don't share society's antiquated ideas about kink being something shameful or wrong. So, so tired of reading this in fiction.
Definitely not recommended for people who don't share society's antiquated ideas about kink being something shameful or wrong. So, so tired of reading this in fiction.
December 23, 2017
Thought provoking but definitely not for the faint of heart.
May 22, 2020
Worth reading more than once. I think the editing is killer and few of the stories haunt.
April 18, 2013
Fap fap fap...
Okay, so I just finished Greta Christina's new book of edgy erotica, Bending. So how is it? Well, pretty damn good, frankly, but that doesn't necessarily mean that you should read it.
She's very clear in the introduction that the following stories might rub some folks the wrong way. She makes a very good point that people, oddly, expect more veracity from erotica than they do from other forms of entertainment. These stories are dirty. They're not nice fluffy erotica and some of the things in them would be a bad thing in the real world. But this isn't the real world, it's fantasy. These stories are the things that get Greta off. They might get you off, too. Might not. You never can tell...
Anyway, I fully agree. After all, it's not that I actually want to be manacled and ravaged by a chubbly black female TSA agent. But there's no harm in fantasizing about it.
So, given that caveat, this is quality stuff. Greta's a superb writer in general and she's no less skilled in the realm of erotica. The stories are a good balance of set-up and pay-off. It's not just balls-to-the-wall sexual descriptions, but nor does it shy from those. For me, the build up and situation setting is just as important as the sex, so I was very happy. Many stories trail off, leaving the ultimate conclusion to your imagination. If I were going to pick nits, I would have liked them to trail off a little later then many did, though.
I found most of the stories to be blazing hot. A few didn't really do it for me, but that's to be expected. And I didn't dislike those few, they just didn't really hit the spot for me as well as the others did. (The unicorn and rainbow story, for example, was clever and a nice break, but didn't get me turned on. The Catholic one did. The other religious ones didn't.)
The final novella is great, going on longer than anticipated, but in a logical way.
If I'm going to make an actual complaint it's that most of the stories are from a female bottom perspective. I could have done with a few more stories of men being treated roughly.
Okay, so I just finished Greta Christina's new book of edgy erotica, Bending. So how is it? Well, pretty damn good, frankly, but that doesn't necessarily mean that you should read it.
She's very clear in the introduction that the following stories might rub some folks the wrong way. She makes a very good point that people, oddly, expect more veracity from erotica than they do from other forms of entertainment. These stories are dirty. They're not nice fluffy erotica and some of the things in them would be a bad thing in the real world. But this isn't the real world, it's fantasy. These stories are the things that get Greta off. They might get you off, too. Might not. You never can tell...
Anyway, I fully agree. After all, it's not that I actually want to be manacled and ravaged by a chubbly black female TSA agent. But there's no harm in fantasizing about it.
So, given that caveat, this is quality stuff. Greta's a superb writer in general and she's no less skilled in the realm of erotica. The stories are a good balance of set-up and pay-off. It's not just balls-to-the-wall sexual descriptions, but nor does it shy from those. For me, the build up and situation setting is just as important as the sex, so I was very happy. Many stories trail off, leaving the ultimate conclusion to your imagination. If I were going to pick nits, I would have liked them to trail off a little later then many did, though.
I found most of the stories to be blazing hot. A few didn't really do it for me, but that's to be expected. And I didn't dislike those few, they just didn't really hit the spot for me as well as the others did. (The unicorn and rainbow story, for example, was clever and a nice break, but didn't get me turned on. The Catholic one did. The other religious ones didn't.)
The final novella is great, going on longer than anticipated, but in a logical way.
If I'm going to make an actual complaint it's that most of the stories are from a female bottom perspective. I could have done with a few more stories of men being treated roughly.
May 1, 2014
I don't think this kind of book is for everyone. However, imo, "Bending" was interesting and insightful. Of course, there isn't much romance here ("Dear Marla" was sweet and really well written, though), but I found the whole experience fascinating, particularly the psychological aspect of it. This read like having a peek into someone else's escapist sexual fantasies bucketlist or running the whole gamut of a person's kinks. So obviously, it's very personal stuff (kudos to the author for daring to open at least a part of her secret garden, I don't think it's easy to do), full of unreasonable and insane ideas. Then again, not so crazy : it goes from tame to all kinds of shocking extremes, but hey, that's what fantasies are about, and it doesn't mean people want to or will act on it. And even if some people do, so what, as long as it's done right. Also, the author gives a fair and well-argued warning at the beginning for the thick-minded.
Anyway. Inevitably, some stories will seem weird (the unicorn one : intriguing but seriously, wtf ?) or perhaps will turn people off, but that is to be expected since some people like what some people don't and vice versa. Therefore, and also as a matter of respect, I don't think the book can be judged solely on that. Getting titillated is not even really the point here. It's more about reading "erotica" in the strictest sense of the word, as in, part of the whole array of human sexuality that can be more or less rationally explained, if at all.
That is how I know the writing was good, too. Because there are lots of things in here I'm not interested in, and still, somehow, the author managed to get across the page both the fact that her characters genuinely enjoy/get aroused by things and the fact that they understand perfectly the risks, consequences/are not completely stupid even if reckless, and all along, the story remains compelling. Another thing I found rather incredible was how the author managed to create a different atmosphere and feel to the different scenes depicted throughout the book : ominous, desperate, lighter, funny, etc. Overall, I thought this was an original book.
Anyway. Inevitably, some stories will seem weird (the unicorn one : intriguing but seriously, wtf ?) or perhaps will turn people off, but that is to be expected since some people like what some people don't and vice versa. Therefore, and also as a matter of respect, I don't think the book can be judged solely on that. Getting titillated is not even really the point here. It's more about reading "erotica" in the strictest sense of the word, as in, part of the whole array of human sexuality that can be more or less rationally explained, if at all.
That is how I know the writing was good, too. Because there are lots of things in here I'm not interested in, and still, somehow, the author managed to get across the page both the fact that her characters genuinely enjoy/get aroused by things and the fact that they understand perfectly the risks, consequences/are not completely stupid even if reckless, and all along, the story remains compelling. Another thing I found rather incredible was how the author managed to create a different atmosphere and feel to the different scenes depicted throughout the book : ominous, desperate, lighter, funny, etc. Overall, I thought this was an original book.
April 18, 2013
Reading this book was, for me, less about reading erotica and more of an amazing intellectual exercise. That is, I enjoyed these stories as pieces of writing but only occasionally as erotic. And this has naught to do with the author's abilities to convey desire, eroticism, etc. I mean, I'm giving this book 5 Stars, see?!
I've got a "Your Kinks Are Not My Kinks, And That's OK" mentality, and the author's (sometimes repetitive) kinks as on display here may or not overlap with yours or mine, even in cases where the differences are in the minutiae -- which can be pretty darn important when it comes to kink! -- but no matter what your kinks, this book is for anyone interested in exploring sexual psychology and the human condition.
I've got a "Your Kinks Are Not My Kinks, And That's OK" mentality, and the author's (sometimes repetitive) kinks as on display here may or not overlap with yours or mine, even in cases where the differences are in the minutiae -- which can be pretty darn important when it comes to kink! -- but no matter what your kinks, this book is for anyone interested in exploring sexual psychology and the human condition.
May 7, 2013
This is not something I usually read but I love Greta Christina's writing so I thought I'd give it a shot. Try something new. Very interesting stories, all of them. But not my thing. I appreciate her being candid about separating fact from fantasy. She gives lots of links at the end for those who want to try out safe and fun forms of BDSM. So I'm glad I read it but not my style for erotica fiction.
March 12, 2014
I read this in preparation for a FOGcon panel. I haven't read much erotica, and if I were choosing a collection on my own, this wouldn't be a focus I'd seek out. Most of the stories didn't appeal to my personal tastes, but the writing was good, and it was interesting to consider what did and didn't turn me on and why.
September 9, 2013
Atheists are good at kink.
May 15, 2016
Weirdest thing I've read - especially the unicorn/rainbow story. That being said it was all very well done. Themes were a bit challenging at times - some stories feat. abuse etc.
May 5, 2017
I heard Greta on Sex Out Loud with Tristan Taormino and she read an excerpt of this. Sooooo hot. The concept of consent in many forms is explored. It's not for everyone, but I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews