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Best Gay Erotica 2006
Best Gay Erotica 2006 is a cornucopia of searing man-sex. From the languid, Bolero-paced striptease of a magnificently buff lover in James Williams’s “The End” to the fevered gropings of a skater boy and a pink-haired goth in “DogBoy and the BetaGoth” by Nadyalec Hijazi and Ben Blackthorne, Best Gay Erotica holds something for every wicked taste. In Jeff Mann’s “Daddy Dave,” a lover awakens his gentle new partner’s dominant side by letting him witness a master's skillful savagery. Steven Zeeland’s “Trouble Loves Me” maps a porn director’s odyssey through a vivid underworld of bad boy marines, sailors, and submariners. Edited by Richard Labonté and selected and introduced by the inimitable Matt Bernstein Sycamore, Best Gay Erotica 2006 furthers the series’ reputation for gorgeous storytelling and hot, no-holds-barred sex between men. The book also features an excerpt from Dennis Cooper’s new novel The Sluts.
- GenresGay EroticaErotica
287 pages, Paperback
First published November 11, 2005
1 person is currently reading
53 people want to read
About the author
Richard Labonté
64 books53 followersi 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.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
February 9, 2010
3.5 stars
As stated in the introduction by Mattilda, a.k.a. Matt Bernstein Sycamore, there is an entire hidden culture involving anonymous sex in bathrooms where porn can’t even begin to imagine the atmosphere. Although the anthology doesn’t stick to typical glory hole stories because truthfully there is nothing typical about this anthology of stories. As an introduction to the variety and depth of writing by gay men about sexuality, sensuality, gender, politics, and erotica this grouping of stories runs the virtual gamut. From bathroom stalls to jail cells and all manner of propositions in between both real and virtual, these stories never fail in their imagery and uniqueness.
22 stories make up this anthology and the topics range from a teenager having sex with Allen Ginsberg to a rapper obsessed with a tag on a bathroom wall. There were some highlights to the stories that were inventive, creative, and interesting while some stories were weird and bizarre but fascinating in their own right. With such a diversity of stories, there are some definite misses but that will change with each reader. While sex and sexuality are predominant themes, there is a surprising lack of explicit erotica instead focusing on the writing itself and the characters created.
Some of the stories that stood out were Site 1: from The Sluts by Dennis Cooper which detailed reviews on an Internet site about a particular hustler named Brad. The reviews range from positive to negative and give an erratic view of a handsome young man who is unstable. The hint of violence and illness is clear but what is true versus false even within these reviews gives an intriguing edge to the story. Just as Stephen by Kirk read gives an explicit and hard-hitting view of a male hooker as he meets a client. The mental detachment is clear as he services his client, even adding tips for potential sex workers on their trade. The graphic account is certainly no romantic view of sex.
Best Friendster Date Ever by Alexander Chee is very well written and weaves a birthday date into understanding of sexual needs and desires outside of the “norm.” The casual mentions of kink and drugs give an air of inevitability to the characters but the story holds tangible electricity that keeps you reading. The same electric emotion is elicited in The Pancake Circus by Trebor Healey, a story about a man who gets involved with a pedophile. The reluctant fascination and horror upon understanding “Clown Daddy” was actually a pedophile is absorbing as is the consequences of his actions. Interesting, creative, and fascinating this short story was definitely a great addition.
DogBoy and the BetaGoth by Nadyalec Hijazi is a great story about two teenagers that rebel against classic conformation as they explore drugs, alcohol and sexuality with the unlikely background of politics and young emo goth. By turns humorous and sympathetic, these two young boys are classic coming of age. The grouping of stories ends with a sailor and his accidental pornography in Trouble Loves Me by Steven Zeeland.
This is a unique and different collection of stories that has something to appeal to everyone. Due to the diversity, not every story is likely to appeal to every reader but for those fans of the Best Gay Erotica series by Cleis may want this anthology.
As stated in the introduction by Mattilda, a.k.a. Matt Bernstein Sycamore, there is an entire hidden culture involving anonymous sex in bathrooms where porn can’t even begin to imagine the atmosphere. Although the anthology doesn’t stick to typical glory hole stories because truthfully there is nothing typical about this anthology of stories. As an introduction to the variety and depth of writing by gay men about sexuality, sensuality, gender, politics, and erotica this grouping of stories runs the virtual gamut. From bathroom stalls to jail cells and all manner of propositions in between both real and virtual, these stories never fail in their imagery and uniqueness.
22 stories make up this anthology and the topics range from a teenager having sex with Allen Ginsberg to a rapper obsessed with a tag on a bathroom wall. There were some highlights to the stories that were inventive, creative, and interesting while some stories were weird and bizarre but fascinating in their own right. With such a diversity of stories, there are some definite misses but that will change with each reader. While sex and sexuality are predominant themes, there is a surprising lack of explicit erotica instead focusing on the writing itself and the characters created.
Some of the stories that stood out were Site 1: from The Sluts by Dennis Cooper which detailed reviews on an Internet site about a particular hustler named Brad. The reviews range from positive to negative and give an erratic view of a handsome young man who is unstable. The hint of violence and illness is clear but what is true versus false even within these reviews gives an intriguing edge to the story. Just as Stephen by Kirk read gives an explicit and hard-hitting view of a male hooker as he meets a client. The mental detachment is clear as he services his client, even adding tips for potential sex workers on their trade. The graphic account is certainly no romantic view of sex.
Best Friendster Date Ever by Alexander Chee is very well written and weaves a birthday date into understanding of sexual needs and desires outside of the “norm.” The casual mentions of kink and drugs give an air of inevitability to the characters but the story holds tangible electricity that keeps you reading. The same electric emotion is elicited in The Pancake Circus by Trebor Healey, a story about a man who gets involved with a pedophile. The reluctant fascination and horror upon understanding “Clown Daddy” was actually a pedophile is absorbing as is the consequences of his actions. Interesting, creative, and fascinating this short story was definitely a great addition.
DogBoy and the BetaGoth by Nadyalec Hijazi is a great story about two teenagers that rebel against classic conformation as they explore drugs, alcohol and sexuality with the unlikely background of politics and young emo goth. By turns humorous and sympathetic, these two young boys are classic coming of age. The grouping of stories ends with a sailor and his accidental pornography in Trouble Loves Me by Steven Zeeland.
This is a unique and different collection of stories that has something to appeal to everyone. Due to the diversity, not every story is likely to appeal to every reader but for those fans of the Best Gay Erotica series by Cleis may want this anthology.
Displaying 1 of 1 review