Introduction

If you prefer, proceed to the Stories directly.

This is an archive of what I consider to be the best mf teen rom stories. The emphasis is on quality, not quantity - there are only ten titles at the moment, but you will find enough here for days of reading. This is why I hesitate to use the word "story" for several of these works: the word to me implies something small, or at least insubstantial. In contrast, several of these, if printed as proper books, would run to hundreds of pages. Moreover, they have complex, well-developed plots; there is certainly nothing trivial about them. Basically I'm saying that if you are looking for non-stop multi-orgasmic mind-boggling sexfests, this is not the place to look. I am not saying that "long" necessarily equals "good" - there are many stories where, despite a high word count, the plot simply serves as an excuse for more wild sex, or is not present at all. I find that such stories quickly become monotonous; there are only so many variations and positions the author can employ before the reader tires of the story.

The plot has to explain the reasons why characters act as they do. One can easily write stories with a "Wannafuck? Sure!" type of mentality - this is fine for quick stimulation, but it hardly represents the situation of real life. Guys don't walk into shops, only to be propositioned by sexy sales assistants who take them out the back for a quick fling. Ladies don't beg doctors to overstep their professional duties. Improbable situations like these occur frequently in internet erotica. I find a story can be ever so much more effective if the author provides a rationale for the characters' behaviour - why someone chooses to associate with another in that way. There needs to be a sense that the story could "really happen".

Closely allied with plot is the concept of character development. To me, this means the process by which we learn more about a character through their thoughts and actions as the story progresses. It also implies the character has been changed in some way by the events of the story - that by the story's conclusion, their state of mind is different from when it started. Such considerations are often taken for granted in "normal" fiction, but in such a physically descriptive genre as erotica, the participants' mental activities are often ignored. Good character development naturally lends itself to longer stories, especially "character-based" ones where the focus is upon a single character: their mental, social and physical development; their thoughts, hopes and dreams. This structure is particularly appropriate for mf teen rom stories, where such development is a common theme.

A distinction is made in the archive between "shorter" and "longer" stories. Although somewhat arbitrary, this division is based on time scale: the three "shorter" stories are set over a period of a few days at most, and a single sexual encounter forms the climax <g> to the plot. The "longer" works, by contrast, embed the erotic elements within a larger plot context, and thus can reach novel-length proportions. Broadly speaking, stories of the first type rely on the event of the culminating sexual act to generate plot tension (i.e. "when are they going to go all the way?"). The length of these stories is consequently limited by the impatience of most readers to get to the "good bits", and the inevitable drop in tension caused by the eventual consummation. Authors of longer stories have to contend with the problem of sustaining interest after the protagonists have "done it" once. Lesser authors react by inventing ever more improbable positions, combinations and participants, loosely connecting the sex scenes with perfunctory concessions to a plot. It is a far more challenging, and rewarding task to create a longer story where the plot is an integral part of the whole, where our knowledge of the characters is not limited to their physical measurements. With the best of these stories, the division between erotica and "mainstream" literature is not so clear as one might think.

As one guest reviewer in the Celestial Reviews wrote: "..one so often hears from the literati that a typical weakness of erotica inheres in the inability or unwillingness of so many writers to weave their protagonists' actions into the subtle complex tapestry of human needs, desires and motivations - a criticism that certainly hits the bulls' eye for all too many a.s.s. submissions". It is my belief that, in the best moments of the stories archived here, this tapestry is woven very fully indeed.

I turn now to the genre of these stories, which in net parlance is mf teen rom. This genre has a long history - as early as the second century C.E., Longus wrote Daphnis and Chloe, a charming novel depicting the sexual awakening and romance of two teenagers within an idyllic pastoral setting. Indeed, the earliest surviving novels (six in total, and dating from around the second century) are all in this genre. They typically involve a post-pubescent boy and girl, both beautiful and high-born, who meet in "love at first sight", but are separated by "cruel fate". After many vicissitudes involving pirates, shipwrecks and apparent deaths, they are eventually reunited (with chastity intact), consummate their relationship, and live happily ever after. Apparently there is now a surge of scholarly interest in these books. I wonder why.

As seemingly simplistic as these novels are, many of their features have been reused in works that remain popular today. The tremendous success of the recent Romeo and Juliet cannot be entirely attributable to the presence of Leonardo DiCaprio or Claire Danes. Shakespeare's original is still one of the most popular for introducing students to the Bard's work. Tolstoy chose to make his heroine Natasha only sixteen in War and Peace. There seems to be a particular pathos associated with "teen love". Of course I am not proposing that these stories be compared with Shakespeare or Tolstoy (!), but the device of teenage love as dramatic impetus has a long history.

Teen rom stories often provoke a personal reaction in the reader, because the feelings expressed in them are common to so many people in their younger days - the thrill of the first relationship. But with that joy often comes a sense of poignancy, even of sadness - the uncertainties of the future, childhood lost forever. The protagonists in these stories experience these feelings strongly, and it is this bittersweet quality which produces a powerful dramatic and emotional impetus.

Common features of these stories include:

Separation - the protagonists are set apart from their peers in some way. This is often because they are unusually intelligent for their age, precocious, "gifted" or whatever other adjective you prefer (a condition of which I have had personal experience). Steven in Martha Jane, Dave in Passages of Life, Alex in The Watching Trilogy and Michael in Siblings all fit this category. Within these stories, this results in a more "thoughtful" attitude towards love and sex; they are more discerning and want more from a relationship than their sex-obsessed friends. With such an outlook, it is often harder for "gifted" teenagers to find a girlfriend/boyfriend who shares their attitude; when they do, it adds an extra element of intensity to the story. The protagonists' intelligence allows a more thoughtful and literate exploration of the theme of "first love". As an interesting sidenote, "gifted" young people generally go through puberty earlier than normal (F. Laycock, Gifted Children, p. 41).

Character basis - the focus is on the characters, not the sex they engage in (although of course erotica constitutes an essential part of the story). This focus is most commonly manifested in the use of first person narration, with emphasis on the narrator's mental activities as much as their physical exploits. As a story focusing on teenagers, the narrator will typically reflect upon the process of "growing up", difficulties with parents over sexual activity, and frustration with the slow pace of school. This emphasis on "rites of passage" and maturation naturally lends itself to long stories. The plot is concerned with the conflict between the protagonists' "ideal" relationship and the realities of the world; these realities are either imposed by others (parents, teachers, administrators), or are a result of the protagonists' own actions (infidelity, unwanted pregnancy).

Attitude towards sex - a common source of conflict between the protagonists results from their inability to express their feelings adequately to each other. One may be more eager than the other to "do it" for the first time; these features are best demonstrated in First Love. Nevertheless, the consummation of the relationship is generally approached much more thoughtfully than in the typical story, the characters "saving themselves" for the right time. They are likely to recognize their loss of virginity as a significant physical and emotional development. They will make efforts to mark it out as such, such as having a meal together beforehand, dressing formally, lighting candles, and giving each other mementos of the occasion (Passages of Life, Siblings, First Love, Cousins).

Why do people write these sort of stories? For adults, it could be for personal reasons: the authors of The Watching Trilogy and Siblings state that their stories explore a direction in life which has been influenced by their own experiences. Perhaps adult authors enjoy the challenge of getting into the mindset of a different generation. Teenage authors might write as a way of exploring ideas and emotions they couldn't express otherwise, being potentially embarrassing topics for conversation even among peers. My girlfriend and I enjoy reading these stories because in many respects they resemble our own early experiences together (First Love in particular).

This brings me to the vexed question of whether teenagers should be reading this material in the first place. I personally have no objections to older teenagers doing so. Of course that doesn't mean everything available in a.s.s. is suitable, but why should they be denied access to literature written about their own age group? They can easily walk into shops and buy books with explicit descriptions of rape and murder; some of these are even set for study in English classes (I studied Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, which is hardly light reading). There is no objection to teenagers studying this sort of material closely, so what is wrong with descriptions of loving, consensual sex between committed partners (the sort of thing they are probably doing themselves anyway)? I do not think such stories promote "promiscuity" either; the consequences of characters' irresponsible actions are shown very clearly, and the plots are hardly a ringing endorsement of thoughtless engagement in sex. These stories should not just be read for titillation either; at their best, I really do think that people can learn from them (and not just teenagers either). I'm also sure that many would prefer to write an English essay on descriptive techniques in Aphatos rather than on Nick's truthfulness in The Great Gatsby. The dialogue in First Love would promote more intelligent classroom discussion than the motives of the witches in Macbeth. As usual, Celeste (herself an English teacher!) expresses these sentiments more eloquently than myself; I quote from her review of First Love:

"Wouldn't it be nice if kids could read and discuss a book like this in their English classes? They can't, of course, because it talks about kids having sex and uses words like clit, cum, and cunt. The characters also engage in ecstatic sex that is a lot of fun and in irresponsible activities that cause them really serious problems. Of course, since high school kids don't have sex and don't know the meaning of clit, cum, and cunt, they shouldn't read a story like this - even if the vicarious experience might help them deal with some of those problems in their own lives....Since the present story is banned for them, they'll almost certainly read it, enjoy it, and learn from it. I certainly hope somebody reposts this story soon, so that the young people who don't lurk on this newsgroup can not read it."

Since believability has been an important criterion for inclusion, I have excluded stories which describe activities I can't imagine any young person would willingly engage in. This has led to the omission of stories which otherwise fulfill all the criteria I listed above (e.g. Tom Bombadil's Brenda). It should be made quite clear that there is no adult/minor material in this archive, and I do not endorse such disgusting behaviour. Most of the stories on Mr. Double's site, for example, I find repugnant. The archive is strictly limited to consensual relationships between people of similar age - the only situation that I consider acceptable either in stories or in real life. The borderline case of Martha Jane caused me great concern (as will be seen in my review of it).

I felt the above statements were necessary because so often any erotic story involving teenagers is automatically viewed with suspicion (not without reason). Yet books about the trials and tribulations of growing up and "emerging sexuality" are widely available (in quite explicit detail) under the "young adult" genre. These books receive serious attention (from adults) in scholarly book reviews and articles. It is in this spirit that I regard the stories in this archive; for while there is explicit sexual content, there is really not much separating many of them from anything you could walk into a bookstore and buy.

Very often, the only background information we receive about a story is the author's name. Considering their superb quality, and the obvious effort put into writing them, I felt these stories deserved better than that. I believed there was a need for specific and comprehensive treatment of this genre, and the result is this archive.

I hope this small venture proves to be a useful resource for the reader, as well as promoting interest and discussion in these stories. It is sometimes a laborious task searching for the story you want all over the net, locating all the parts and putting them back together, even working out whether you would be interested in it. I have written these pages with the intention of alleviating some of these difficulties. I have also made them as an example of what I believe to be "proper" archiving. There are many story WWW sites which claim to be "free", yet charge you for those stupid Adult Check things. The stories are often poorly organized and presented, and worst of all, the author's name and other details are often removed. This is totally immoral and unacceptable.

I have personally contacted the authors where possible and gained their permission to include their story in this WWW archive. I freely admit that I have been unable to do this for Aphatos (Yosha Bourgea), Cousins (Day Dreamer), First Love (?Gidget), and Martha Jane (Santo J. Romeo), simply because these authors have no current email address to the best of my knowledge. Unfortunately, these authors stated no specific distribution policy, and so (without justification) I have assumed the most common form: the story remains the copyright of the author, but permission is granted to distribute freely as long as nothing is changed and nobody makes a profit out of doing so. I know that several authors don't want their stories reposted or archived, but many people have reposted these stories on a.s.s. with no apparent objection from the author, so I can cite this as a small support for archiving their story. Of course, if any author requested the removal of a story I would do so immediately.

If the story came from a usenet post, I have removed irrelevant headers (such as path), but I have retained the original subject line and poster details, where these were present. Otherwise, the story is exactly as I have received it. I have included the source for each story in case you have any doubts as to the text or want to retrieve the original.

Each story gets a page to itself, due to the length of the information provided with it. Each page has the same format, as follows:

Title : the name of the story (duh), and any alternative or incorrect titles for it.

Author : who wrote the story. Sometimes this is a real name, sometimes a pseudonym. I also give the author's current email address if I can discover it. If you liked a particular story, email the author and tell them so!. These people receive no remuneration for their services, except comments from readers. Even if you didn't like a story, email the author and tell them why not. Feedback is absolutely vital if people are to continue to write stories.

Homepage of Author : the author's current WWW address, if any.

Date : when the story was written, or rather, when it was first posted. Authors hardly ever date their stories, and so in most cases, I have had to trawl through the internet searching for this information. If the date is given as "X or earlier", this means X is the date of the earliest posting of the story I can find, but I'm not sure whether it existed before this.

Size : how big the story is, once you uncompress it. I also give the number of chapters or parts, and the approximate word count and number of pages (if printed using size 12 Times New Roman on A4 paper). Note that some authors specifically reserve the right of making a hard copy, so check before printing the story. Also note that the original line lengths were preserved when the stories were imported into Word, so there might be large amounts of unused space on the page.

Code : the content of the story, as described in the Codes FAQ . All these are mine, not those of the authors.

Source : the URL from which I downloaded the story. This is only included if I didn't obtain the story from Usenet or its archive at Dejanews .

Author Information : some details about the author, what genre(s) they write in etc. I also give a list of other stories known to me by the same author, so you can track them down if you like this one. The lists are not intended to be comprehensive, and are not necessarily updated if the author produces new stories. If I mention that the author is recommended by Celeste, this means that he/she appears in Section 17 of the Celestial FAQ .

Celestial Review : If Celeste or another reviewer has written a review of the story, I include it here, with the number and date of the Celestial Reviews from which it was taken. They are all by celeste801@aol.com , or one of her guest reviewers. Piper's review is also included if there is one. I had nothing to do with the writing of these; the inclusion of them here does not imply collaboration. I'm simply including them as a service to the reader. Occasionally I make editorial additions; these are indicated with square brackets ([]).

Other Celestial Awards : the position of the story on Celeste's monthly and yearly "best" lists (if any).

Reader Comments: if I can find any comments about the story in alt.sex.stories or elsewhere, they are included here.

My Comments : my own discussion of the story. I hated writing those mechanical book reviews in the lower levels of school, but I must say that I really enjoyed reviewing these stories. Many times I take the opportunity to pick up on what Celeste has said (e.g. the comparison with Judy Blume's books in First Love). I don't, however, use any kind of ratings system.

Download : click on the disk or the filename to download the story.

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Send comments and questions to apuleius@poboxes.com