Studs: Gay Erotic Fiction

by Richard Labonté (Editor)

Rough and surly, smooth and sultry, or quick and raw -- however you like it, you'll find it in Studs , 20 of the hottest and best-written man-to-man sex stories to appear in print this year. In "Underground Operator" two men on a nearly empty subway platform indulge in rough, anonymous sex that lets them momentarily forget the stifling summer heat. "Donuts to Demons" finds a self-described "rock-n-roll artfag" searching for a lover "as patient and gifted and generous as he advertised on Craigslist."

Genres: Anthologies, Romance, M M Romance, Erotica

266 pages, Paperback

First published July 21, 2014

About the author

i read a lot of books. i review many of them. i edit many anthologies. i edit technical writing so it reads more like real english. i live on a small island with a man and a dog (tiger-lily, r.i.p). once upon a time, i was a bookseller.

Reviews

[Jillyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an okay mix of m/m erotic short stories, but I think other people will enjoy it more than I did.

Normally with these anthologies, there are a few that I think are mediocre and a few that stand out better than the rest. But honestly, looking back on these stories, I can't name you one specifically. They all just kind of blended together. They weren't altogether bad, but I didn't take away anything from this collection either. For the first time I feel like maybe I'm just not an intended audience for it (which is weird, considering that I normally really enjoy male/male stories). So don't let my opinions deter you too much- if you're a hardcore fan of gay erotica, you might absolutely love it.

I think part of what caused this misclick for me was the audiobook format. When you're listening to erotica, you need that voice to have that special something, otherwise it just feels a bit weird. This narrator didn't do it for me so to speak. There's a good chance that if I read this on my own from a paperback, I would feel differently about the anthology as a whole.

I will admit though, I do love the cover art. I know that's not really pertinent to the discussion of the stories, but I mean look at it. So pretty.

I think that this collection will be up some people's alleys, but unfortunately it fell a bit flat for me. It was an okay read, but it's not something I'm likely to recommend or reread in the future. If you're a fan of m/m erotica, you may enjoy it, and if you end up reading it let me know what you think about it.

Thanks to Cleis Press for my copy in exchange for my honest review. This review can also be found on my blog, Bitches n Prose.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Forget romance, tenderness and finding your soul mate. "Studs" has something for the sadist, masochist and fetishist in all of us.

Typically, erotic short story collections are crafted to accomplish one thing only. Literary merit and characterization are often secondary, because the author knows the reader's intention to get off. "Studs: Gay Erotic Fiction," edited by Richard Labonte and introduced by Emanuel Xavier, meets the titillation expectation tenfold.

This collection of seventeen arousing anecdotes drips with animalistic behavior, illicit encounters, self-destructive tendencies and audacious role-playing fantasies commonly associated with gay men. Most entries are void of any discernible plot, and whether the reader is taken by narrator's voice or the explicit sex, overall, the steamy anthology is a worthy, enjoyable read.

For the traditionalists among us who appreciate something more than just anonymity, there are several to choose from. Wayne Courtois's "Capturing the King" introduces Brian, a groundskeeper with an insatiable affinity for feet, who throws caution to the wind and reveals his fetish to Powell, manager of the estate of Brian's employ. "Breeding Season" by Taylor Siluwe examines the connection between childhood friends Dante and Ray who discover their feelings beyond friendship are not mutual when they decide to pose for a series of suggestive Polaroids.

Jeff Mann's imagination runs wild with "Snowed in with Sam," providing intricate detail of an author's bondage fantasy when he kidnaps a coveted country singer. The trials and tribulations of relationships are pertinent topics for Alana Noel Voth's "Release," the story of abuse survivor, Damon, and his unlikely other-half, the submissive Asa, and "The Best Sex Between Them" by Andy Quan profiles a couple, Max and Geoffrey, who rediscover hot sex with each other only after having broken up.

If you're partial to quirky, "Confession Angel" by Shane Allison is a presumably autobiographical litany of memorable sexual adventures, "Rushing Tide of Sanity" by Charlie Vazquez recounts a hardcore master and servant role play scene (complete with water sports and a cage), "Underground Operator" from Andrew McCarthy begins with the narrator decrying the NYC subway's deplorable condition, yet still fitting for an anonymous three-way, and Tim Miller's brief entry, "Sex Head," reads like a young man's diary entry of worry, shame and insecurity.

Like most short story collections, not every entry is a winner. I was puzzled by Tom Cardamone's "Funeral Clothes," a well-described but seemingly pointless profile of a young NYC couple on a dangerous path of destruction, and the opener, "My Boy Tuesday," from Arden Hill, introduces an unlikeable drag queen with unduly cruel intentions.

To be taken in small doses, the stories in "Studs" may amuse, amaze or horrify, but will undoubtedly leave the reader excited.

[Marsha · Rating 2 out of 5]

While the stories encased within these slick covers are undeniably hot (and in some cases disturbing), I found myself left a little distant. The compiler insisted that he needed an emotional connection present in the stories in order for the sex to work and there is certainly much of that. Desire sparked by recognition in someone’s eyes, the body barely glimpsed under the clothes or a pleasing configuration of features is on full display. There are graphic descriptions of what one person wants to do to another, along with the attendant physical and emotional feelings.

But I got little in the way of love, actual love. Most of it was clouded by wish fulfillment (one man imagining his favorite country music singer bound and helpless in captivity) or miscommunication (two men struggling to feed each other’s need and failing miserably) or outright kink masked as kindness.

Don’t get me wrong. This isn’t gross pornography (although the lines get really blurred in some places). This isn’t bad writing by any means. I’m sure a lot of readers of m/m sex would find this anthology highly enjoyable. They’re just not my…dish.

[Unapologetic_Bookaholic · Rating 3 out of 5]

**Orginal review for www.bdsmbookreviews.com . This review may contain spoliers. Read with caution**

Not sure what the "idea" for this anthology was other than being about gay sex (there isn't even sex in all the stories).

Since there were a coupleI did like...let's start with those...

MY BOY TUESDAY was a decent start. I was very pleased with this being the first story of the anthology and perhaps my expectations were set a bit high because of it. CAPTURING THE KING was an interesting theme. A tickle fetish. I have heard of foot/feet fetish but not for the sole purpose of tickling. FRANK FUDGEPACKER, TEENAGE WHORE was entertaining as was CONFESSION ANGEL. The final story UNDERGROUND OPERATOR much like the first was highly erotic and memorable.

I will say this. I reconized Shane Allison's name from another anthology and I would most likely seek out other books by him. I like his style. I cannot say the rest of the stories/authors had the same appeal. The title STUDS should have you envisioning arousing hot body hot males that invade your most wicked dreams. This collection however does not deliever. I did finish and I can rate it based on that.

Rating

2.5 (It was OK)

Heat level

2 (Flirty...and sometimes a little dirty)

[Brian Williams · Rating 2 out of 5]

An uneven mixed bag of short stories - not recommended.