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Drawing by Numbers
Following their success online, the stories of Benjamin Ashton are now published in a single collection for the first time. Raw and moving, graphic and biting, they chronicle both random and intense encounters, they sketch portrayals of modern gay men - conflicted, vibrant, resolute, or hedonistic. With unflinching, explicit and introspective honesty, "Drawing by Numbers" toys with the codes of gay erotica to explore questions of intimacy and bonding, levity and expectations, friendship and sex, and the seductive allure of storytelling.
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Published May 17, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 9, 2022
A bold, honest and uncompromising collection of short stories. Benjamin Ashton gives a frank account of gay sex and gay relationships with an addictive narrative style. I can’t ascertain whether these are autobiographical, semi-autobiographical or just clever fiction, but they’re so real they had me convinced of the former. One of those collections I wished would go on and on after I’d finished the last story.
May 30, 2021
This is the least polished of the Ashton books I've read. Lots of typos and issues with sentence structure. The frank approach to gay sexual life continues, and as usual, satisfaction lies elsewhere.
June 24, 2016
A surprisingly smart read that is insightful and entertaining at the same time. I look forward to reading more from Ben Ashton.
May 21, 2023
Benjamin, Benjamin, Benjamin. Where to start with you?
Let’s go through each, one by one, and then organize this mayhem into some semblance of clarity.
Washington, D.C. (1 star)
This becomes unreadable quickly. Ben and Tom’s antics are beyond juvenile. I can’t believe they’re grown-ass men in their 30s and are still getting their jollies by seducing closet cases. Like…they genuinely seem proud of this.
Hunter Mountain (2 stars)
Ben’s obsession with others’ sex lives continues. This isn’t hot, though. It’s just awkward. The circle jerk is…something. I’m glad he punches Schuyler. The connection with David is a bit jarring—he’s met someone who’s even more confused about sex than he is.
Utterly self-indulgent. He is aware of all of his surroundings, yet he lacks basic self-awareness.
Boston (5 stars)
The Jake story is executed quite well. Another guy who’s more screwed up and pervy than Ben is. It’s nice to see Ben get some comeuppance. It probably says a lot that the hottest story does not involve a physical encounter. Very enjoyable. I actually did not want to put this one down.
Fishers Island (5 stars)
Ben has a beautiful and “joyful” time with Ethan. The descriptions are considerably better. He seems to write about sex better when he has legitimate feelings for his partner. Could be onto something here. And as with Jake, it’s nice to see someone call Ben out on his B.S.
Barcelona (3 stars)
Does the author ever go anywhere and not cruise?
The guy he hooks up with truly wants to get to know him and have conversations. The horror. At least this one is short and not drawn out.
Lower East Side (5 stars)
Ben constantly whinges about Schuyler, yet he keeps he seeing him. It’s almost like they deserve each other.
“The concept of our friendship had appealed to the smug liberal, self-righteous gay hipster that I was.”
Following Ben’s awkwardness after the second “session,” I’m glad someone else in this book (Hugo) can speak the truth to him.
Columbia Heights (1 star)
Bizarre, cold, impersonal. It baffles me that he felt compelled to include this. Sexual without any intrigue.
Cape Cod (3 stars)
Perhaps it’s sublimely fitting, then, that this anthology concludes with an orgy. The self-described intellectual hipster attempts, and fails, to find meaning in meaningless sex acts.
The quality of the writing is often as chaotic as the content is. Parts of these stories have juvenile errors; others flow extremely well. It’s frustrating. There’s talent here. But the cognitive dissonance thrown at the reader is overwhelming.
The few times that the author mentions love, it’s in a snide manner. So it’s illuminating that only one of these stories leads to anything of significance whatsoever once the orgasms are over.
This is a collection of exploits that rings hollow. I think he’s attempting erotica—but that should be arousing. If these are his highlights, I’d hate to see the lowlights.
I would be tempted to pity him if he weren’t so intent on reveling in his own debauchery.
“I should have been tamed by an ounce of shame for giving in to such egotism, but I clearly wasn’t.”
Well said, Ben.
Let’s go through each, one by one, and then organize this mayhem into some semblance of clarity.
Washington, D.C. (1 star)
This becomes unreadable quickly. Ben and Tom’s antics are beyond juvenile. I can’t believe they’re grown-ass men in their 30s and are still getting their jollies by seducing closet cases. Like…they genuinely seem proud of this.
Hunter Mountain (2 stars)
Ben’s obsession with others’ sex lives continues. This isn’t hot, though. It’s just awkward. The circle jerk is…something. I’m glad he punches Schuyler. The connection with David is a bit jarring—he’s met someone who’s even more confused about sex than he is.
Utterly self-indulgent. He is aware of all of his surroundings, yet he lacks basic self-awareness.
Boston (5 stars)
The Jake story is executed quite well. Another guy who’s more screwed up and pervy than Ben is. It’s nice to see Ben get some comeuppance. It probably says a lot that the hottest story does not involve a physical encounter. Very enjoyable. I actually did not want to put this one down.
Fishers Island (5 stars)
Ben has a beautiful and “joyful” time with Ethan. The descriptions are considerably better. He seems to write about sex better when he has legitimate feelings for his partner. Could be onto something here. And as with Jake, it’s nice to see someone call Ben out on his B.S.
Barcelona (3 stars)
Does the author ever go anywhere and not cruise?
The guy he hooks up with truly wants to get to know him and have conversations. The horror. At least this one is short and not drawn out.
Lower East Side (5 stars)
Ben constantly whinges about Schuyler, yet he keeps he seeing him. It’s almost like they deserve each other.
“The concept of our friendship had appealed to the smug liberal, self-righteous gay hipster that I was.”
Following Ben’s awkwardness after the second “session,” I’m glad someone else in this book (Hugo) can speak the truth to him.
Columbia Heights (1 star)
Bizarre, cold, impersonal. It baffles me that he felt compelled to include this. Sexual without any intrigue.
Cape Cod (3 stars)
Perhaps it’s sublimely fitting, then, that this anthology concludes with an orgy. The self-described intellectual hipster attempts, and fails, to find meaning in meaningless sex acts.
The quality of the writing is often as chaotic as the content is. Parts of these stories have juvenile errors; others flow extremely well. It’s frustrating. There’s talent here. But the cognitive dissonance thrown at the reader is overwhelming.
The few times that the author mentions love, it’s in a snide manner. So it’s illuminating that only one of these stories leads to anything of significance whatsoever once the orgasms are over.
This is a collection of exploits that rings hollow. I think he’s attempting erotica—but that should be arousing. If these are his highlights, I’d hate to see the lowlights.
I would be tempted to pity him if he weren’t so intent on reveling in his own debauchery.
“I should have been tamed by an ounce of shame for giving in to such egotism, but I clearly wasn’t.”
Well said, Ben.
May 12, 2019
It kinda felt like the same thing over and over. I expected from the description the short stories to be fictional, and somewhat diverse. They turned out to be retellings of a guy (who Ia m guessing is the author) through various sexual encounters with different guys.
Also, the random typos threw me off a bit.
Also, the random typos threw me off a bit.
October 25, 2016
Easily one of the best books of gay erotica I've read. I have a few issues that keep it from 5-stars for me, but definitely check it out for free on Smashwords. It's probably smarter and more thought provoking than the erotica you're reading now.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews