Rogue Reviews Digest No. 37 - April 27, 1999


  NOTICE

If you are easily offended, not of the required legal age, or 
material of an erotic nature is illegal where you are, then do not 
read what follows.


  CONTENTS

Mailing List Information

Ratings

Note

Reviews

  "Adrenaline Games" by DG
  "Financial Planing by Anne747
  "History 101" by Amberle of the Three Rivers
  "Intra-Familial Lovemaking: Neocest" by Shepherd
  "Practice Makes Perfect" by Poison Ivan
  "Pretend" by Al Steiner
  "The Transgression" by Edbun


*****


  MAILING LIST INFORMATION

I send my reviews individually, when I finish them, to the Sex Stories 
Discussion List.  If you are interested in joining there is a form for 
doing so on my home page.

* Home Page - http://www92.pair.com/leevine/rogue-reviews/
* E-Mail - santiago@switchboardmail.com


*****


  RATINGS

Part 1.  OBJECTIVE ANALYSIS

SCORE = AROUSAL SCORE + [PLOT & CHARACTERS SCORE + EDITING SCORE]/2

AROUSAL SCORE

0  Not
1  Barely
2  A Little
3  Somewhat
4  Very
5  Extremely

PLOT & CHARACTERS SCORE

0  Nonexistent
1  One but not the other is present, and what is there is defintely lacking
2  Has plot and characters, but either the plot is very poorly conceived or 
   all the characters are types and don't seem realistic
3  The plot and characters have been crafted with some care, but either the 
   plot doesn't flow very well or seem to follow a logical progression, or 
   the some of the characters don't seem realistic
4  The plot and characters have been crafted with some care, but there is 
   still a little something missing from the plot or in the characters
5  Beautifully crafted plot and characters; the plot flows smoothly 
   and follows a logical progression and the characters seem realistic

EDITING SCORE

0  If this story was edited then I'm the tooth fairy
1  This story may or may not have been edited, it is hard to tell considering 
   all the spelling and grammtical errors I found
2  This story may have been edited, but obviously needs more editing
3  Several spelling or grammatical errors
4  A few spelling or grammatical errors
5  No spelling or grammatical errors


Part 2.  SUBJECTIVE ANALYSIS

Not Good = This was a waste of my time, don't bother reading it

Good = This is a good attempt, but I don't recommend it

Very Good = If you have the time or like this variety of story then I 
recommend this story, otherwise I would go with something that I rate 
as Excellent or Outstanding

Excellent = I recommend that you read this story, and I really liked it, but 
it did not give me the same feeling that an outstanding story does.

Outstanding = This story was not only enjoyable, but it also gave me a 
special feeling that I cannot describe


~~~


Note that there is not necessarily a direct correlation between 
the objective analysis and the subjective analysis.  On the other hand 
the terms objective and subjective as I have used them are relative and 
not absolute terms.  In other words the objective analysis is more objective
than the subjective one, and vice versa.  This new system may not work in 
the long run, but for the moment I am going with it.

This still does not get to one of MichaelD38's criticisms, which is how 
much better is an Outstanding than an Excellent, and Excellent than a 
Very Good, etc.  To be perfectly honest I'm not sure myself.  All I 
know is that I like Outstanding stories better than Excellent ones, etc.
I have a hard time quantifying "like", or "love" for that matter.  I 
can tell you if I liked something better than something else.  I can 
tell you why I did.  I can't put on a number on it however and say that 
I liked it 20% more or twice as much.  That just does not work for me.


BTW you may have noticed that I have dropped Grudgingly Good from my 
rating system.  That rating really represented a case where I did not 
like a story, but only because I was revolted or disgusted by the subject 
matter.  With the new system I'll just say under the Subjective Analysis 
that a story was Not Good.  The Arousal score is somewhat subjective, so 
that score may suffer, but I think that I can recognize good writing 
even when it revolts me.



*****


  REVIEWS


-----


Rogue Review No. 356 - April 17, 1999

History 101 by Amberle of the Three Rivers

F/M

Length: 2,400 words

Objective Analysis: 9.0 (out of 10)

  Arousal: 4/5
  Plot and Characters: 5/5
  Editing: 5/5
  Stroke: Yes

Subjective Analysis: Very Good


  SUMMARY

A college instructor finds herself attracted to one of her students. 
When he makes his move she has a hard time resisting his charms.


  COMMENTARY

This is a very arousing story.  The narrator is torn by the 
situation.  On the one hand she finds her student to be gorgeous and 
would love nothing more than to feel his body close, holding her 
tightly.  On the other hand she understands that a sexual 
relationship with him is professionally unacceptable.  The dilemma 
that she faces makes the story very arousing.  The fact that the 
author focuses as much, if not more, on the emotional details as well
as the graphic ones also makes this a very arousing story.

This is a very well written story.  It is short, but the author does 
not mince words.  The plot is simple enough, although the story 
revolves around the narrator's personal dilemma more than it does a 
plot line.  In other words this is a character driven story.

I enjoyed this story quite a bit.  It is very well written, very well
edited and very arousing.  I prefer stories that are a bit longer.  
That is why I have given this story a Very Good, under Subjective 
Analysis.


  LINKS

History 101

* http://search.dejanews.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=465254588&fmt=raw [1/2]
* http://search.dejanews.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=465254590&fmt=raw [2/2]


-----


Rogue Review No. 357 - April 18, 1999

Adrenaline Games by DG

M/F, NC?

Length: 5,500 words

Objective Analysis: 9.0 (out of 10)

  Arousal: 4/5
  Plot and Characters: 5/5
  Editing: 5/5
  Stroke: Yes

Subjective Analysis: Excellent


  SUMMARY

Andrew gets arrested for raping Sarah, his girlfriend.  He tells the 
cops that she asked him to.  They don't believe him, so he gives them
some of the details.


  COMMENTARY

This is a very arousing story.  It is a good mix of plot, characters,
and sex.  The sex is semi-consensual.  Seeing how both Andrew and 
Sarah give themselves over to passion was very arousing.

The story is very well written.  The plot is well conceived and flows
very nicely.  The author uses flashbacks very effectively to allow 
Andrew to tell his story to the police.  The characters, including 
the cops, all seem real.  There is a nice balance struck between plot
and character development.

I really enjoyed this story.  It is very arousing, very well written 
and very well edited.  Unless you are very easily squicked I do not 
think that the nature of the sex should bother you too much.  I have 
given this story an Excellent, under Subjective Analysis.  Even 
without the graphic details, I think this story is worth reading.  
Including the graphic details, of course, gives the story a slightly 
different flavor.


  LINKS

Adrenaline Games

* http://search.dejanews.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=297006193&fmt=raw
* http://www.qz.to/erotica/assm/Year97/6292.txt

DG's Story Page

* http://baird.pair.com/dg.htm


-----


Rogue Review No. 358 - April 19, 1999

Financial Planning by Anne747

F-solo, F/M

Length: 3,900 words

Objective Analysis: 9.0 (out of 10)

  Arousal: 5/5
  Plot and Characters: 4/5
  Editing: 5/5
  Stroke: Yes

Subjective Analysis: Excellent


  SUMMARY

After getting treated badly by one of the tellers, Sheila has a talk 
with the bank's manager.  He asks her out.  She is too horny to say 
no.  She decides to wear a butt plug to dinner that night.  One thing
leads to another.


  COMMENTARY

This is an extremely arousing story, even though there isn't much 
plot development, before Sheila starts touching with herself.  I 
think that there is more than one thing at work here.  There is 
Sheila's frankness when it comes to sex.  There is the author's 
descriptions that focus not only on what Sheila is experiencing 
physically, but also emotionally.  There is also Sheila "toy" 
collection.  It all adds up to an extremely arousing story.

This is a well written story.  There isn't much to the plot, but it 
does flow nicely.  This is a definite stroke story.  Everything in 
the story feeds into Sheila bedding Joe, the bank manager.  The 
characters seemed realistic enough.  It might have been nice if the 
plot was a bit more involved or the characters were a bit deeper, but
then again this is a stroke story.

Well, I enjoyed this story.  It is extremely arousing, well written 
and well edited.  Unless the idea of sex with "toys" squicks you, I 
think you should enjoy this one.  It makes my A-list.


  LINKS

Anne's Erotic Story Archive

* http://annejet.pair.com/


-----


Rogue Review No. 359 - April 21, 1999

Intra-Familial Lovemaking: Neocest by Shepherd

F/M, Inc

Length: 8,500 words

Objective Analysis: 7.5 (out of 10)

  Arousal: 4/5
  Plot and Characters: 3/5
  Editing: 4/5
  Stroke: Yes

Subjective Analysis: Very Good


  SUMMARY

This is supposedly a true story.  It begins with a discussion of 
incest: what constitutes incest, why it is considered taboo, and the 
etymological origins of the term.  The narrator then describes how 
she came to enjoy an incestuous relationship with her brother. They 
were in their late teens or early twenties at the time.


  COMMENTARY

This is a very arousing story.  The siblings' reluctance to commit 
incest coupled with their attraction to one another certainly 
contributed to this being a very arousing story.

This is well written, although there are occasional typographic and 
grammatical errors.  The way the story is presented, as true, makes 
me wonder if I am treating it unfairly.  The way it reads, makes me 
want to believe that it could be true.  It isn't the details, but 
rather the manner in which the story is related.  The narrator 
recounts the events in an objective manner.  This left me feeling 
a bit cold.  Don't get me wrong, the story is not completely devoid 
of warmth or emotion but it did feel as though the narrator did not 
want too much emotional content in the story.

Both characters seem realistic.  They take a realistic view of sex, 
discussing the implications of what they end up doing.  Birth control
and sexually transmitted diseases are also conversation topics.  
There is not much to the plot.  This story is about how two siblings 
deal with and feel about their incestuous relationship, more than it 
is about how they ended up sleeping together.  In other words, to 
spell out my sweeping generalization more clearly, the story is 
character driven rather than plot driven.

I enjoyed this story, but more for the sex than for the story.  I 
have given it a Very Good.


  LINKS

Intra-Familial Lovemaking: Neocest 

* http://www.qz.to/erotica/assm/Year99/20856.txt

* http://search.dejanews.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=460665941&fmt=raw


-----


Rogue Review No. 360 - April 23, 1999

The Transgression by Edbun

F/M, Discipline

Length: 6,700 words

Objective Analysis: 8.0 (out of 10)

  Arousal: 4/5
  Plot and Characters: 3/5
  Editing: 5/5
  Stroke: Yes

Subjective Analysis: Very Good


  SUMMARY

Christine has "borrowed" money from the petty cash fund.  Mr. 
Edmonds, the president of the company, wants to fire her and have 
her prosecuted for theft.  Christine doesn't like either prospect.  
Mr. Edmonds offers her a third option, corporal punishment.


  COMMENTARY

This is a very arousing story.  Christine is both scared and excited,
when she discovers that there is a way she can avoid dismissal and 
arrest.  Being torn, as she is, makes her a more interesting 
character and makes the story quite arousing.

This story is well enough written.  The author takes the time to 
situate Christine in her world.  Mr. Edmonds is not as complete a 
character as she is.  The plot is simple.  It flows smoothly for the 
most part, but there are some places where it seems a bit jerky.  

I enjoyed reading this story.  It is very arousing and the story is 
reasonably well written.  I have given it a Very Good, under 
Subjective Analysis.

  LINKS

The Transgression

* http://search.dejanews.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=468773956&fmt=raw


-----


Rogue Review No. 361 - April 26, 1999

Practice Makes Perfect by Poison Ivan

M/F

Length: 7,600 words

Objective Analysis: 9.0 (out of 10)

  Arousal: 4/5
  Plot and Characters: 5/5
  Editing: 5/5

Subjective Analysis: Very Good


  SUMMARY

On New Year's Eve Jon reflects on past relationships at the same time 
that he begins a new one.


  COMMENTARY

This is a very arousing story.  It is not overflowing with sexual 
situations, but there are more than a few of them.  The range of 
experiences that Jon has, helps to keep the story and the sex fresh 
and arousing.

The story itself is wonderful.  The plot flows very nicely.  As in 
some of his other stories, Ivan has chosen to use flashbacks.  He does 
so quite effectively.  He jumps back and forth between past and present 
more than once, with impecable timing.  I enjoyed all of the characters.  
They all seemed real.  It is worth noting that the women are not as 
clearly defined as Jon is.  This is probably because the story is told 
from Jon's point of view, and because he seems to be very introspective.

This is a very well written story.  It also very arousing, but I 
appreciated it more from an objective point of view than I did enjoy it 
from a subjective point of view.  That's why I have given it a Very Good, 
under Subjective Analysis, rather than an Excellent.


  LINKS

Practice Makes Perfect

* http://search.dejanews.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=464895991&fmt=raw

Poison Ivan's Short Stories

* http://members.tripod.com/~poisoniv1/


-----


Rogue Review No. 362 - April 27, 1999

Pretend by Al Steiner (Plot supplied by Rob)

M/F

Length: 8,800 words

Objective Analysis: 8.0 (out of 10)

  Arousal: 4/5
  Plot and Characters: 4/5
  Editing: 4/5

Subjective Analysis: Very Good


  SUMMARY

Paul helps Kathy, his flirtatious employee, out of a bad situation by
pretending to be her boyfriend.


  COMMENTARY

This is a very arousing story.  The fact that both characters are 
married, but not to each other, and are initially placed in a 
situation where they need to act like lovers, made for a very 
arousing story.

This is a well conceived story.  The transition from the first part 
to the second could have been a bit smoother.  There was a definite 
shift in mood or the narrator's attitude toward their situation.  The
characters seem realistic, as does the dialogue.  This is not a very 
deep story, but there is more to it than just sex.  There are a few 
typos.

I enjoyed this story.  It well written, very arousing, and reasonably
well edited.  I think I might have enjoyed this story a bit more if 
the author had managed to preserve the tone he had going in the first
half.  I have given this story a Very Good, under Subjective 
Analysis.


  LINKS

Pretend

* http://search.dejanews.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=470026169&fmt=raw [1/2]
* http://search.dejanews.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=470027263&fmt=raw [2/2]


*****


4/27/99

