Rogue Reviews Digest No. 34 - March 30, 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

  "Archaeology" by Gordie D
  "The Call of Desire" by DG
  "Consanguinity" by MichaelD38
  "Donna's Summer Golfing Vacation" by Heatheranne
  "Flash" by Waldo
  "Flight to Heaven" by Richard B
  "The Mating Game" by Joanna de Brito
  "The Shaver" by Al Steiner


*****


  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 + STORY SCORE

AROUSAL SCORE

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

STORY SCORE

0  This barely resembles a story
1  Definitely lacking, but its possible it has a redeeming quality
2  Effort is evident, but I have some problems with this story
3  Nothing exceptional, but on the other hand there are no major flaws
4  Well crafted, but is missing something, or something does not work entirely
5  Beautifully crafted, it does not seem to be missing anything


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. 333 - March 20, 1999

The Mating Game by Joanna de Brito

M/F

Length: 5,000 words

Objective Analysis: 7 (out of 10)

  Arousal: 2 (out of 5)
  Story: 5 (out of 5)

Subjective Analysis: Excellent


  SUMMARY

Wolf is one of the few remaining humans left alive.  Like the rest of
his kind, he is kept in a zoo.  Judy, a mind, is in charge of looking
after him at the London Zoo.  When Lois is brought in from the 
Chicago Zoo, to mate with Wolf, things do not go exactly as planned 
by the minds.


  COMMENTARY

This story is not all that arousing.  There is a scene or two that 
perked me up, but for the most part I was more entertained by the 
plot than I was by the sex.

It is a beautifully written story.  I liked all three of the 
characters.  I liked how the story begins with out much of an 
explanation.  As it evolves the author does reveal more and more, but
 does so primarily through indirect references.  It reminded me of 
the classic Star Trek two parter, The Cage.

This is one of the more creative stories that I have read on ASS* in 
a long time.  It kept me entertained and thinking throughout.  I am 
partial to sci-fi, but this is much more than just another science-
fiction story, it is also a commentary.  The commentary is not 
explicit, but its definitely there.

On the down side I did not find this story very arousing, despite the
fact that it is well written.  Normally I would not put such a story 
on my A-list, but this one is exceptional and that's why I gave this 
story an Excellent, under Subjective Analysis.


  LINKS

The Mating Game

* http://search.dejanews.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=454492318&fmt=raw

* http://www.qz.to/erotica/assm/Year99/20521.txt


-----


Rogue Review No. 334 - March 21, 1999

Archaeology by Gordie D

M/F

Length: 3,500 words

Objective Analysis: 8 (out of 10)

  Arousal: 4 (out of 5)
  Story: 4 (out of 5)

Subjective Analysis: Excellent


  SUMMARY

Jack and Emily, a married couple, are the advanced party for an 
archaeological dig in Kenya.  They don't do much digging, but they do
seem to enjoy themselves.


  COMMENTARY

I found this story to be very arousing.  There is not all that much 
actual sex in it, but I found the intimacies that Emily and Jack 
shared to be quite arousing.  It has its graphic moments, but for the
most part this story is more romantic than it is graphic.

This is a well written story.  The author uses flashbacks to give 
background information on the main characters.  I think this is done 
rather effectively.  I liked both the characters.  I liked the 
authors descriptions of their interactions, both verbal and 
nonverbal.  On the down side the story is a bit short on plot.

This is a wonderful story.  It is told with a light touch.  I found 
it very arousing.  It is an Excellent story.


  LINKS

Archaeology

* http://search.dejanews.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=454493872&fmt=raw

* http://www.qz.to/erotica/assm/Year99/20529.txt


-----


Rogue Review No. 335 - March 22, 1999

Donna's Summer Golfing Vacation by Heatheranne

F/M, Teen

Length: 9,000 words

Objective Analysis: 7 (out of 10)

  Arousal: 3 (out of 5)
  Story: 4 (out of 5)

Subjective Analysis: Good


  SUMMARY

Donna breaks up with her boyfriend, goes to work with her distant 
cousin, and gets some golf lessons.  In the process of doing all 
this, she also help her cousin get off when his wife isn't very 
obliging, and teaches her golf instructor a thing or two about how to
please her sexually.


  COMMENTARY

This story is somewhat arousing.  The sex happens, but it seems a bit
gratuitous. In other words it does not seem to be tied all that 
strongly to the plot.  The story could stand on its own without the 
sex.

The story is well written.  The characters aren't too deep and the 
plot isn't very complex, but the story does have a nice flow to it.  
At times it almost seems to flow too smoothly.  I think I would have 
preferred to see Donna having a harder time overcoming some of the 
obstacles that are thrown in her path.

I was somewhat aroused by this story, but for the most part this 
story was just a bit too soft for me.  After the scene where she 
helps her cousin out, which is relatively early in the story, Donna 
does not seem to be challenged at all.  That is why I have given this
story a Good, under Subjective Analysis.


  LINKS

Donna's Summer Golfing Vacation

* http://search.dejanews.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=456851036&fmt=raw [1/2]
* http://search.dejanews.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=456851044&fmt=raw [2/2]

* http://www.qz.to/erotica/assm/Year99/20669.txt [1/2]
* http://www.qz.to/erotica/assm/Year99/20670.txt [2/2]


-----


Rogue Review No. 336 - March 23, 1999

The Shaver by Al Steiner

F/F

Length: 7,100 words

Objective Analysis: 8 (out of 10)

  Arousal: 4 (out of 5)
  Story: 4 (out of 5)

Subjective Analysis: Excellent


  SUMMARY

Jen gets her pussy shaved by Charlie, her sister-in-law.


  COMMENTARY

This is a very arousing story.  It was the combination of Jen's 
horniness, which is evident before her sister-in-law enters the 
story, and her trepidation, which becomes a factor once Charlie 
offers to shave her cunt, that made this story very arousing for me. 
I think it also helped that the author took the time to set the story
up.

The story is well written.  Both characters seem realistic enough.  
They aren't extremely deep, but the author does do a good job of 
showing the internal turmoil that Jen experiences when she finds 
herself aroused by Charlie's handiwork.  The plot follows a logical 
course and flows smoothly.  Having said all this, I should also 
mention that this is a stroke story.  Jen's life does not seem to 
revolve around sex, but the story certainly does.

I really enjoyed this story.  It is well put together and rather 
arousing.  It definitely makes my A-list.


  LINKS

The Shaver

* http://search.dejanews.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=455161572&fmt=raw

* http://www.qz.to/erotica/assm/Year99/20583.txt


-----


Rogue Review No. 337 - March 24, 1999

Consanguinity by MichaelD38

M/F, Teen, *

Length: 16,500 words

Objective Analysis: 8 (out of 10)

  Arousal: 3 (out of 5)
  Story: 5 (out of 5)
  Stroke: No

Subjective Analysis: Excellent


  SUMMARY

Carolyn brings Shelby, her roommate, home with her from school.  Will
falls for Shelby and trouble ensues.


  COMMENTARY

I found this story to be somewhat arousing.  The sex scenes are 
arousing, but for the most part I found the scenes where Shelby and 
Will are getting to know each other more arousing.

This is a very well composed story.  The characters seem realistic.
They are all dynamic.  The plot is well paced.  I thought the author 
did a good job showing how Will and Carolyn's relationship suffers 
after Shelby enters Will's life.  I was hoping for a different 
ending, but the one the author provided seems logical, although it is
bittersweet.

This is an Excellent story.  There are some arousing scenes, but for 
the most it is the author's skill in relating the tale that make it 
Excellent.  It is possible that showing the sex isn't necessary to 
the plot.  On the other hand, showing Shelby and Will in the sack 
probably made the ending that much more bittersweet.  This is not 
stroke material, so if that's what you are interested in then I 
advise you look elsewhere.


  LINKS

Consanguinity

* http://search.dejanews.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=457915141&fmt=raw [1/5]
* http://search.dejanews.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=457915131&fmt=raw [2/5]
* http://search.dejanews.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=457915121&fmt=raw [3/5]
* http://search.dejanews.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=457915136&fmt=raw [4/5]
* http://search.dejanews.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=457915127&fmt=raw [5/5]

* http://www.qz.to/erotica/assm/Year99/20735.txt [1/5]
* http://www.qz.to/erotica/assm/Year99/20733.txt [2/5]
* http://www.qz.to/erotica/assm/Year99/20731.txt [3/5]
* http://www.qz.to/erotica/assm/Year99/20734.txt [4/5]
* http://www.qz.to/erotica/assm/Year99/20732.txt [5/5]

MichaelD38's Bibliography

* http://www.bitbard.pair.com/library/michaeld/


-----


Rogue Review No. 338 - March 26, 1999

The Call of Desire by DG

M/F, M/F/F

Length: 5,700 words

Objective Analysis: 10 (out of 10)

  Arousal: 5 (out of 5)
  Story: 5 (out of 5)
  Stroke: Yes

Subjective Analysis: Excellent


  SUMMARY

DG is married to Cindy.  DG wants to have phone sex with Desire, a 
phone sex professional who liked one of his stories.  Cindy lets him,
but then insists on listening in.


  COMMENTARY

This story is extremely arousing.  There is a lot of sex in it, and 
not much build up before the sex, but I still found it extremely 
arousing.  I think it helped that the author only includes those 
graphic details that are necessary and leaves the rest to the 
reader's imagination.

This is a stroke story, but it is a very well written stroke story.  
The characters seem realistic.  I enjoyed the dialogue.  It helps to 
define the characters.  The author also uses it to inject some humor 
in the story.  The plot is well paced.  Its basically divided in two.
In the first part DG proposes that he have phone sex with Desire.  In
the second part he actually does.  This sounds awfully simple, but it
works.  I think the author's handling of his characters is what 
impressed me the most.

OK, lets see, uh, I really, really, really liked this story?  Its 
arousing and its well written?  Yeah, that about sums it up.  Does it 
make my A-list?  Ay, if you can't figure that out then look at what I 
scribbled under Subjective Analysis, above.  OK?


  LINKS

The Call of Desire

* http://search.dejanews.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=316371083&fmt=raw

* http://www.qz.to/erotica/assm/Year98/7340.txt

DG's Story Page

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


-----


Rogue Review No. 339 - March 29, 1999

Flash by Waldo

M/F, TG, Transform, MC, NC

Length: 36,800 words

CHAPTERS 1 - 4

 Objective Analysis: 7 (out of 10)

   Arousal: 2 (out of 5)
   Story: 5 (out of 5)
   Stroke: No

 Subjective Analysis: Very Good

CHAPTERS 5 - 9

 Objective Analysis: - (out of 10)

   Arousal: - (out of 5)
   Story: - (out of 5)
   Stroke: -

 Subjective Analysis: Not Good


  SUMMARY

Captain Browning, a crusty combat veteran is stationed at Rocket Base
Z-Alpha.  He receives a call distress from Corporal Joseph Hurley, 
ship's cook and only survivor of a collision between a spaceship and 
a meteor.  Capt. Browning sends a message to Flash Gordon and Dr. 
Hans Zarkoff informing them of the incident and asking them to rescue
the cook.  They do so.

Once in the cramped quarters of Explorer 1, Cpl. Hurley learns that 
there is also a woman on board, Dale Arden.  The woman is actually 
Flash Gordon.  Dr. Zarkoff explains to Hurley how it came to pass 
that every 29 hours Flash is transformed into Dale Arden and then 
after another 29 hours back into himself.  Hurley has a hard time 
dealing with the reality of the situation, seeing as that he is 
having withdrawal symptoms from taking an anti-arousal drug and that 
he has not seen a woman in months.

At first Dale/Flash refuses to consider the cook's advances.  She 
begins to weaken after Dr. Zarkoff informs her that having sex, 
something that Dale/Flash has not done as a woman, would probably 
improve her mental health.  Meanwhile, the real Dale Arden is the 
prisoner of Ming the Merciless.  Flash/Dale is determined to rescue 
her and cure his condition.  Capt. Browning is more than willing to 
help.


  COMMENTARY

Chapters 1 - 4

So far this story is not wildly arousing.  It has its moments.  The 
fact that both Hurley and Dale/Flash are attempting to resist 
temptation makes the story a bit more compelling, and for me at 
least, more arousing.  There is some sex play in the first half of 
the story, but for the most part there is a lot more story than there
is sex.

This is a very well written story.  At times the characters seem a 
bit too whole wheat, but then again I think that was part of the 
desired effect.  The story is nicely paced and seems to follow a 
logical progression.  There are some spelling errors, but they are 
few, relative to the length of the story.

If you don't care for transgender stories then this may not be your 
kettle of fish.  There are not that many scenes that I found 
arousing, but it is a good read.  For right know it is on my B-list.

Chapters 5 - 9

In the second half of this story the author introduces an element 
that I really don't care for, mind control.  I don't think that I can
objectively judge the second half of this story.  Mind control 
stories are a real turn off for me.  I enjoy seeing how characters 
react to given situations, but once a character has no "free will" 
they cease to be a person and become an object instead.

What I said about the first four chapters stands.  If you like mind 
control stories, then maybe you'll like this one.  Personally I was 
turned off by it.  

I suppose that it is also worth mentioning that I read this story in 
two sittings.  I wrote the review of the first four chapters before I
read the last five chapters.  Otherwise, I probably would not have 
written as much about the first four chapters as I did.


  LINKS

Flash

* http://search.dejanews.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=423894159&fmt=raw [1/10]
* http://search.dejanews.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=423892523&fmt=raw [2/10]
* http://search.dejanews.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=423892516&fmt=raw [3/10]
* http://search.dejanews.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=423894163&fmt=raw [4/10]
* http://search.dejanews.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=423892533&fmt=raw [5/10]
* http://search.dejanews.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=423892540&fmt=raw [6/10]
* http://search.dejanews.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=423892553&fmt=raw [7/10]
* http://search.dejanews.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=423892547&fmt=raw [8/10]
* http://search.dejanews.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=423892561&fmt=raw [9/10]
* http://search.dejanews.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=423892530&fmt=raw [10/10]

* http://www.qz.to/erotica/assm/Year98/18128.txt [1/10]
* http://www.qz.to/erotica/assm/Year98/18120.txt [2/10]
* http://www.qz.to/erotica/assm/Year98/18119.txt [3/10]
* http://www.qz.to/erotica/assm/Year98/18129.txt [4/10]
* http://www.qz.to/erotica/assm/Year98/18123.txt [5/10]
* http://www.qz.to/erotica/assm/Year98/18124.txt [6/10]
* http://www.qz.to/erotica/assm/Year98/18126.txt [7/10]
* http://www.qz.to/erotica/assm/Year98/18125.txt [8/10]
* http://www.qz.to/erotica/assm/Year98/18127.txt [9/10]
* http://www.qz.to/erotica/assm/Year98/18122.txt [10/10]

Waldo's Bibliography

* http://bitbard.pair.com/library/waldo/


-----


Rogue Review No. 340 - March 30, 1999

Flight to Heaven by Richard B.

M/F

Length: 6,000 words

Objective Analysis: 9 (out of 10)

  Arousal: 5 (out of 5)
  Story: 4 (out of 5)
  Stroke: Yes

Subjective Analysis: Excellent


  SUMMARY

Jack and Mary, his mother-in-law, crash land a small airplane in the 
Mojave Desert.  Mary is at least twice Jack's age and  has been 
divorced for quite some time.  In the end, two people who are related
by marriage end up sharing intimacies that two such people normally 
would not share.


  COMMENTARY

I found this story to be extremely arousing.  The author takes his 
time and sees to it that Jack is properly tested before he finally 
gives into his carnal desires.  I prefer a story in which the author 
allows the tension to build between two or more characters.  This is 
such a story.

This is also a well written story.  The plot is not very complex.  
The action revolves around what happens in the 24 hours after the 
plane crash, but it is well paced and seems to follow a relatively 
logical progression.  The characters are not extremely deep, but they
are more than adequate.  This is a stroke story after all.

I found this story to be extremely arousing and well written.  
Personally I find myself turned on by these sorts of stories.  That 
does not mean that I like every incest or in-law sex story that I 
read, but that I am probably a bit more forgiving when it comes to 
judging them.  My objective judgment of the story still stands, it is
very well written.  My subjective judgment is that this is an 
Excellent story.


  LINKS

Flight to Heaven

* http://search.dejanews.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=456507740&fmt=raw


*****


3/30/99