11/10/98 Screen Saver (mersenne19937); Punished Breasts (Jennifer K); Sharadzi (Rosemerry); The Great Mysto (Walter Ego); Hot Man for You to Use (Garth Wells)
11/19/98 Hothouse (Charybda); Ghostlight (Lucinda Gavin); Boarding School Adventures, Parts 3 and 4 (Herb Grinder); Seeing Stars (Poison Ivan); The Red That Is Gold, Parts 1 and 2 (Jewelie); The Slave Farms, Parts I, II, III (Kailani21)
11/28/98 The Ladies Who Lunch (Jenny Blythe); Blind Date (Martina Lee); Hypno Celeb TNG 16: Claire Danes (KMB); JTT and Erik von D (J. O. Dickingson); The Master, Parts 1 and 2 (Millamber); Movie Notes: Velvet Goldmine, Boogie Nights
Here's another batch of reviews, processed while I am still
recovering from my crash.
Screen Saver [B-/C]
Where posted: ASS, ASSM
When posted: 11/6/98
Author: mersenne19937
Address: mersenne19937@my-dejanews.com
Sarah and Kelly are college roommates, and, as in 99% of all ASS stories about female college roommates, they have the hots for each other. Notice, too, how college roommates who have the hots for each other never have boring names like Anne or Elizabeth or hippy-dippy ones like Sierra Sunshine. Anyway, Sarah invents a screensaver that utilizes stereograms and discovers it has a hypnotizing effect if you stare into it too long. It is this effect that causes the roommates to declare their desire for each other.
Though the subject matter (stereograms) could have been interesting and unusual, the story was not. It was woodenly written, dry, and predictable; the characters were cardboard and the sex they have was only briefly described: "Within moments both girls were shedding clothing. They explored each other with their eyes, hands, and mouths. After a while, Sarah was on her back with Kelly's head between her legs, bringing her to ecstasy."
Maybe stereograms and sex just don't mix.
Punished Breasts [B]
Where posted: ASS, ASSM
When posted: 11/6/98
Author: Jenny K.
Address: JennieK@selin.com
Website: http://come.to/be.punished
Mailing List: http://www.onelist.com/subscribe.cgi/punish
In this brief story the narrator and her boyfriend "T" go down the docks for an afternoon outing where the narrator ogles some sailors. It turns out the narrator is a subfem and accepts the warning of her maledom "T" to keep her eyes to herself. The story is confused on this point, but it seems "T" has the means to reinforce his orders using an X-frame, whip, and quirt, and the narrator accepts all this as being good for her in a personal sense as it forces her to act like less of a slut.
As a sex story, this one didn't deliver, but if you subscribe to the author's personal philosophy--that women need a man that sets limits on their sexual behavior, and reinforces the limits with physical punishment--it might interest you.
Sharadzi [A]
Where posted: ASS, ASSM
When posted: 10/29/98
Author: Rosemerry
Address: perigryn@earthlink.net
The author says of this story, "This story is the one I always give people when they first ask for a sample of my erotic fiction."
Sharadzi is an artificial human being engineered to look like an elf who services clients in a sort of interstellar brothel. Her mind has been altered to always be pleasing and look pleasing for her clients and harbor genuine emotion for whomever she is servicing. One of them, the heir to a large company, becomes infatuated with her and kidnaps her, intending to start a new life in which they are both equal partners. But Sharadzi's inborn programming betrays him.
This story was more story than sex, that is, a story in which sex is an outgrowth of plot, background and character rather than being the excuse for them; it should interest SF fans in particular. It was a little too polished maybe; it didn't have the wild, over-the-top events and imagery I read neterotica for. But considering the low quality of most ASS stories, I'd gladly accept my fiction without burrs.
The Great Mysto [A]
Where posted: ASS, ASSM
When posted: 10/6/98
Author: Walter Ego
Address: gwbridge@hotmail.com
The narrator and his wife go see a performance by The Great Mysto, who, as his name suggests, is a hypnotist. The pair volunteer to be subjects and find themselves unable to recognize each other, acting like hookers, and admitting homosexual tendencies. The show ends, but their victimization does not, as Mysto has planted a post-hypnotic suggestion for the couple to visit him backstage. Contrary to what you'd think in such a scenario, he hypnotizes the husband to be his sex slave, turning the wife into a pea-brained hooker-slut to get her out of the picture.
Though it wasn't exactly original, the story was very well written, concentrating on what makes mind control story great (the masterful, sinister hypnotist, permanent sex slavery, the inability of the victims to do anything about it) and the cliché of the hypnotist show was handled in such a way that it was amusing, letting us know that it was cliche. The story was also interesting for the revenge of sorts that was taken on the wife; it could have been written by the disgruntled lover of a married man who refused to be "outed."
Hot Man for You to Use, Parts 1 -7 [A/A-]
Where posted: ASS, ASSM
When posted: 10/25/98
Author: Garth Wells
Address: garth09@ibm.net
After being fired from the police force for testing positive on a drug test, ex-Marine Mitch Conrack decides to become a male stripper. Though the writing was rough in places and broke a lot of rules, I couldn't put these chapters down; I just *HAD* to find out what sort of kinky adventure the hero gets into next on his descent into male slut-hood. It was like a role reversal of all those stories about women who start exotic dancing and wind up turned into rabid fucksluts. And like those women, poor Mitch winds up a bisexual (and rapidly approaching full gayhood), buff, shaved, continually horny male fuckslut craving abuse from the powerful older men who frequent the clubs where he is employed. All strippers dress as macho icons like lumberjacks and policemen, and in one club they are even used as objects of revenge (for example, ex-felons abusing a stripper dressed as a cop.) It's as if the Village People suddenly got down and dirty in a way you'd never see in the 1970s. There's pre-cum and ejaculations flying all over the place, and whips and rings and assholes begging to be filled. Though the story is categorized as gay, it's really more male bi, as females sometimes take a hand in the proceedings too.
In a word, yum!
I just heard that Celeste is taking a temporary retirement. Well,
computer crashes happen, and they're pretty ugly. I myself don't
keep databases or extensive records of what I've done; I prefer
my setup lean and mean. If I did that, these reviews would be too
much like work. And who needs work? I prefer to have fun.
I was not very fond of Celeste or her reviewing methods--she was too narrow-minded for my taste--but nonetheless, I know it will leave a big gap in the ASS community, and I'm sorry that writers and readers may feel as if they lost a friend. I do hope that there will be more reviewers appearing to take up the slack. I certainly can't, as I prefer to keep my operation within manageable limits. Everyone should have a venue to receive feedback and reviews. If the writers can do this for each other, that's even better.
Hothouse [A-]
Where posted: ASS, ASSM
When posted: 11/9/98
Author: charybda9
Address: charybda9@hotmail.com
In the early years of the 21st century a scientist specializing in human/plant crossbreeds moves with his family to small southwest town. Their teenage son soon becomes involved with a local tootsie; when his parents spy on the young couple, they become inspired to go at it themselves. But the problem is, hubby's been turned incorporeal because of his experiments, and the only way he can have sex with his wife is through the agency of a giant plant. Like in Dragonfly's "Late Bloomer," the plant-sex scene is the centerpiece of the story.
This story tried very hard to provide a rationale for the sex and some sympathetic human characters. It succeeded, but wasn't quite up there with some of the other SF stories I've seen; some parts seemed forced. Still, a nice read.
Ghostlight [A]
Where posted: ASS, ASSM
When posted: 11/7/98
Author: Lucinda Gavin
Address: lostgirl33@hotmail.com
A costume designer for a theatrical company lusts after a lighting tech, but doesn't know how to make her feelings known. Late one night, as she's making adjustments to some tight bodices intended for a production of "The Taming of the Shrew," he happens to drop by, and she, cunningly, enlists his help in pulling the laces tight. The sex that follows is implied.
I liked this story; it worked well as a small slice-of-life in which sexy solutions don't always lead to a zipless fuck. Usually het fiction bores me because it's so predictable; but this story has a solution in that it takes place in a setting that few of us know much about--the costume shop of a theater--which lends a novel element. More writers of straight fiction should consider more unusual settings and characters than they do. If the reader doesn't care for the sex, they can always learn something about life.
Boarding School Adventures, Chapters 3 and 4 [A]
Where posted: ASS, ASSM
When posted: 11/7/98
Author: Herb Grinder
Address: herb_grinder@yahoo.com
This story is the first one I've read from Herb Grinder, whose name may be either a pun, a reference to a naturopathic lifestyle, or indicate a follower of Rastafarianism.
I couldn't get Chapters 1 and 2 of this multipart adventure, but 3 and 4 concerns the amusing adventures of a Timmy, a young man employed at Lady Cunningham's Academy for Young Ladies, an exclusive girl's boarding school in England. Apparently he's been hired just for his youth and good looks, because his new job is as the sex toy to a bunch of randy schoolgirls in knee socks, short skirts, and white panties. In fact, in these chapters he winds up pleasurably gang-banged.
Compared to stories where the protagonists seduce or rape young girls, this story was a hoot and a lark, existing firmly in Never- Never Land, the writing skillful enough to overcome your sense of disbelief in the proceedings. The girls get the better of him and he enjoys it, and that's all that counts. A nice introduction to the schoolgirl genre.
Seeing Stars [A]
Where posted: ASS, ASSM
When posted: 11/11/98
Author: Poison Ivan
Address: poisoniv1@hotmail.com
Website: http://members.tripod.com/files/Authors/poisoniv1/www/
Poison Ivan contributes this story, in which a young man engaged in a lackluster romance with a young woman gradually comes to realize he's the one who is keeping the relationship tepid; he's not seeing all of her that she has to offer. After a night of gazing at the stars (speculating on if the constellation of Orion has a penis or not) he finally recognizes the passion he's been missing.
This was less of a sex story and more of a mainstream one; the sex served to illustrate a change in the hero's character rather than act as the excuse for a story--it was there for a purpose, and the author was very sneaky about slipping that purpose in. It was also quite romantic, a nice read for guys and gals who cringe at the more hardcore stuff.
The Red That Is Gold, Parts 1 and 2 [A]
Where posted: ASSM, SSS
When posted: 11/6/98
Author: Jewelie
Address: jewelie@my-dejanews.com
After reading this TG/spanking stories, I still don't understand why a man would enjoy dressing up as a woman and acting like his girlfriend's "wife," or why a woman would want her boyfriend to dress up like a woman and discipline him with the back of a hairbrush. Sigh. Maybe it's me.
Anyway, this story was a well-written testimonial to one man's mode of life and the woman in it, and as such it was readable and well-done. (The title refers to the hero/heroine's butt after a spanking.) It seemed authentic, and TG fans should get a kick out of it, as the hero's feelings were well-drawn, as his transformation into a transexual was.
But I still don't get why the woman in the story would agree to all this. Is she a closet dyke and doesn't want to come out? Is she afraid of men, so can only relate to a nonthreatening "feminized" one? Or does she really hate her own gender, and takes out her rage on her husband-wife?
The Slave Farm, Parts I, II, III [D+]
Where posted: ASSB
When posted: 11/13/98
Author: Kailani21
Address: kailani21@aol.com
In many ways the BDSM genre of sex stories inspires the richest and most imaginative fiction of the field. I'm always astounded at how detailed these fantasies are, how each smack of the paddle or clipped nipple has its own weight and significance, its own place in the journey towards erotic surrender.
However, plotwise there's not much you can do with it. Someone enters a dungeon willingly and gets it. Or someone is kidnapped, blackmailed, auctioned off and winds up in a dungeon, and gets it. The stories usually peter off with the protagonist still stuck in the dungeon, as there's no further level they can fall to. Some stories try to extend the plot by having the poor guy or gal be traded around like a baseball card, but there's really not much else you can add.
That was the problem this story had. Two girls, both dykes, go for a drive in the country and their car breaks down. They're immediately made into sex slaves by the owner of a farm they go to for help. The story strikes an original note in that the two are chained together at nose, tit, and clit and forced to act like one being throughout all their ponygirl training, but in all other ways it was awful: "The quests are issued dildoes that as they walk around they can use on us." I wonder if the writer even read it again after dashing it off.
In sum, poorly written and mindless, but fun in a slutty way that lets you know you're leagues above the slut. If you liked the abysmal "Ponygirl Bondage" you'll love this.
Here's another set of reviews, the last for November. I was going
to review PornoTV: The Return to Gilligan's Island also, but
someone else got to it first. As there's currently a gap in the
reviewing field it's more fair of me to pick up the wallflowers.
I have noticed more individual reviews being posted to alt.sex.stories.discussions, and that's good; and it would be even better if some enterprising soul created a website to gather all these, or better yet a mailing list with a mail list digest so people can read them at their leisure.
The Ladies Who Lunch 1 [A]
Where posted: ASS, ASSM
When posted: 11/20/98
Author: Jenny Blythe
Address: VLBT40D@prodigy.com
In the nation's capitol, three mature career women periodically get together for the purpose of kidnapping young studs for their sexual use. That's the premise of this story, and it's a good one, with a great hook. The style was fun and breezy without being too heavy (no BDSM here) only the naughty implications of sex with the handcuffed victim in the back of a luxury car, with more implied when they reach their destination. Don't take it too seriously, and watch for part 2.
Blind Date [A]
Where posted: ASS, ASSM
When posted: 11/24/98
Author: Martina Lee
Address: susanasue@hotmail.com
This story is one of a series called "Oh Susana!" all written by the same author. The main character, in case you haven't guessed it, is named Susana. The title of this story is something of a red herring in that she doesn't go on a blind date, her date blinds her (with a blindfold.) He then takes her to a hotel room where three other men are waiting, and there's a semi-gangbang where she's more than willing to take them all on, all at once--mouth, pussy, and both hands.
As a stroke story this one was very good, the sex taking center stage with the characters acting as believable props for it. Nothing new was said, but the ride was well orchestrated and on the realistic side. This may sound contradictory, but nothing breaks the mood of a good stroke story as when the characters start acting in ways no flesh-and-blood human being ever would (I mean nipples that protrude six inches and grown men who say, "Oh, I wanna cum on your tits! Please let me tank you up!")
The Master, Parts 1 and 2 [A-]
Where posted: ASSGM
When posted: 11/5/98, 11/14/98
Author: The Master
Address: Millamber@email.msn.com
This story was posted as BDSM and deals, by its title, with the Master/slave relationship, but it was really more of anti-slave story in that the two characters seek to grow out of their roles rather than into them. Though the writing was rough it was quite a hanky-puller in places, with a strong father/son feel.
In the fantasy world of the story slavery is an underground operation in 20th century America, and Danny is a teenage slave who's met nothing but abuse. He's traded a number of times, never knowing what he's done wrong, until a kindly older man rescues him from the auction block. The rest of the story deals with their sexual relationship as the new master tries to get Danny to stop cringing and start trusting him. Good, sentimental stuff.
BTW can someone please tell me where the name 'Millamber' comes from? I swear it's from a series of David Eddings novels, but I'm not sure.
Hypno Celeb TNG 16: Claire Danes [B+]
Where posted: ASS, ASSM
When posted: 11/15/98
Author: K B
Address: kmb_76@yahoo.com
In the two years I've been reviewing I've seen about four different series dealing with celebrities and hypnosis and they all follow a common pattern: the young, attractive female lust object is interrupted from her latest activity and hypnotized into having sex with someone (50/50 for the someone being male or female, with an edge towards female) who dissolves the spell at the end of the story with the celebrity going her merry way none the wiser. In this story the celebrity is young actress Claire Danes (Romeo and Juliet) with the hypnotizer being a sort of floor advisor whose job it is to settle Claire into her freshman dorm at Yale; the author more likely than not got this information from People magazine or Entertainment Tonight.
The sex here was OK and the story well written, but like all celebrity stories, if you're not familiar with the celebrity in question it's kind of pointless. You wouldn't know anything more about Claire Danes if you read this story than if you read two inches of text in a gossip column. I suppose there is a sort of naughty thrill in imagining the beautiful people fucking like rabid she-wolves, but the problem is the female celebrity in this story could have been anyone; there's nothing to distinguish the way Claire Danes has sex from Julia Roberts or Drew Barrymore because, obviously, the author has never had sex with Claire Danes; if he or she had, there wouldn't be a reason for the story.
In sum, if you enjoy generic mind-controlled f/f encounters you'll probably like this, but don't expect any real dirt about the actress.
JTT & Erik von D [B+]
Where posted: ASSGM
When posted: 11/8/98
Author: Dream Spinner
Address: authorsix@hotmail.com
Apparently, celebrity stories are so popular they've spawned gay versions, featuring young, hunky actors like Brad Pitt and Leonardo di Caprio. In this story, the celebrities are Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Erik von Detten, neither of whom I've heard of, which affected my critique of the story more than a little. The story follows the celebrity pattern in that the main character goes about his daily life (speeding in his car, reflecting on how much sex he's been getting lately, going to charity functions, appearing on talk shows, yadda yadda yadda....all of which comes across as incredibly boring) and meets another celebrity doing the same thing. They fuck.
My reservations about this story are the same as the previous one: it purports to be about two real-life guys, yet they never come to life despite the gossip-rag spewings. Therefore it's probably more reasonable to consider the story as a generic sexual encounter, as some of the action was hot (spreading foil packets of hot dog condiments on each other's dicks) than trying to stick faces on the anonymously rutting bodies. However, if you're a fan of the young men in question, you might get more out of the story than I would, though I can't imagine how.
Movie Notes: Velvet Goldmine (1998, dir. Todd Hayes); Boogie
Nights (1998)
Speaking of gay male celebrity stories...
"Velvet Goldmine" is a film from abroad about the birth of the early 70s glam rock movement in England, with fictionalized analogs of David Bowie (Brian Slade), Bryan Ferry (Jack Fairy) and Iggy Pop/Lou Reed (Curt Wild). There's lots of good-looking boys kissing boys, some orgies, not a few nude bodies, frontal male nudity (a drunk rock star wagging about on stage, in every sense of the word), simulated masturbation, and male sex (shot from a distance, but it's unmistakable.) The songs were a mixture of period pieces ("Satellite of Love") and competent originals that sounded like Bowie in his Ziggy Stardust period with touches of early Roxy Music.
I liked the movie, but I had several bones to pick with it:
1. The rock stars all looked way too healthy to be rock stars.
2. Too many Oscar Wild allusions.
3. The costumes, though superficially authentic, were too exaggerated for the early 70s and were made of materials that didn't exist at the time.
4. The David Bowie analog was a pretty face and nothing more; he didn't have Bowie's lean angularity and graceful sense of movement, or his sense of mime.
5. The Iggy Pop analog (played by Ewan McGregor) was modeled far too heavily on Kurt Cobain.
6. The movie couldn't make up its mind whether it wanted to be realism or a rock n'roll fantasy puff piece like Brian De Palma's "The Phantom of the Paradise."
7. Not a good date movie if your date is a heterosexual man.
On the other hand, last year's "Boogie Nights" is everything you've heard, and more (though there was less sex than the movie above.) I particularly liked the banality of it: though the actors could have hot sex on cue, they couldn't act, couldn't paint, couldn't sing, couldn't get a loan, and couldn't make intelligent conversation...just a bunch of boringly average everyday people trying to be nice and get along. Though the movie marred by some gratuitous violence, especially a shoot-out in a donut store that leaves all participants drilled slabs of cold meat, I recommend it. The soundtrack alone is worth the rental, dredging up old 70s favorites like the Electric Light Orchestra, and when was the last time you saw an actor wearing a braided terrycloth sweatband?