Quick Thoughts - Sex, Sexuality, and Erotic SFF

This isn't the first time my weekend thoughts have veered over toward erotica. I am unashamedly biased in favor of it because I'm drawn to it as a reader and a writer. So in way of disclaimer I will say that I am not impartial when it comes to talking on the subject. But then, any fan of speculative fiction is hardly unbiased when it comes to the genre, to the landscape. Everyone has different inroads to speculative fiction and yes, one of mine was erotic fanfiction (no shame!!!) which was speculative in nature. But anyone who grew up reading SFF is biased about it. And good, yes, our bias is our love and our love hopefully means we won't be assholes to each other. Broader than that, though, I also want to talk about sex in SFF and sexuality in SFF. Because there's been an awful lot flying around the internet recently about tragic queer love stories and depictions of queer love in SFF (mainstream and otherwise). And I want to speak to that.

Perhaps because my first experience with erotic SFF was with speculative fanfiction, much of my first experiences with erotic SFF were also with queer SFF. Because, let's be honest, that's where a lot of queer content gets pushed. I've written about that as well, and I don't think it's a surprise that fanfiction is such a large thing that's been around basically as long as there's been an internet. Because the barrier for entry is so low. But with a low barrier for entry (just having a computer with internet access), a number of things happen. Respectability comes in, and image, and power and rank and privilege. Low barrier is equated with low class, with low quality. And yes, with something that is largely uncurated the value and quality of work can vary greatly. It's the same argument that's used to justify when the same publications in SFF seem to rack up nominations year after year. This has seen some radical changes in the recent-ish future, but still, historically the stories winning awards each year appeared in publications that you had to buy. Only recently has there been a populist push toward stories that are provided to the internet free of charge, and there has been such massive pushback against that (and to the "loss of prestige of awards and shit") that we have something of a fractured fandom.

And of course the blade of contempt that is used to cut down publications not operating enough as profit-making machines is also used to cut down things like speculative erotica, which are pretty focused on turning a profit. Most SFF erotica, for example, is not given away for free. But instead of being viewed in a similar light as SFF anthologies, they're often not looked at at all. And I understand that part of the reason is that "regular SFF" readership and "erotic SFF" readership are rather separate. But fuck you'd think that "regular SFF" would see that hey, maybe there's a chance to expand the readership. Because erotic stories are rather popular. There's a market for them and a want for them and that does go for speculative erotic stories as well. Maybe actually putting erotic SFF and non-erotic SFF together would actually help rise all boats, instead of insisting that non-erotic SFF is just fine the way it is thank you and then secretly hoping that erotic SFF disappears so you won't have to think about it.

But non-erotic SFF has some serious issues when it comes to sex. And especially queer sex. It seems like where erotic content is not expressly discouraged in submission guidelines (normally along with comments about not wanting stories about rape or brutality against children), erotic content is treated like it's treated on television. Which is to say that it had better be pretty messed up in order to be considered "artistic." Like having positive depictions of sex (and queer sex in particular) will lead the kids these days to all ditch school to do unspeakable things with each other. Ignore the fact that violence is still incredibly common. Ignore the fact that pushing messed up depictions of sex at kids but not just, you know, some happy feeling good, as artistic just gives them a really messed up perspective on sex and sexuality. Ignore that ignoring sex (and queer sex in particular) will just lead people trying to explore their sexuality to take chances they shouldn't have to.

I understand that some people aren't comfortable with sex. I understand that many people don't want to have sex. It's not a universal. But that doesn't mean it's not rather important to a great many people. And sex is already in SFF. It's just…well, it's not often depicted in a way that…makes it seem like it can be part of a healthy lifestyle. And that should change. That should be better. I want, desperately want, more erotic content in SFF stories, and not just really messed up erotic content. You can have erotic content that is positive and still complex. There are tons of examples of amazing erotic SFF stories at Circlet Press and many other publishers, and I really, really want to see more positive depictions of erotic content make the leap over into mainstream SFF. Young readers should see that. Older readers should see that. Everyone should see that. It goes double for queer erotic content. Not that I don't also love messed up queer erotic SFF stories as well, but those shouldn't be the only ones present in more mainstream SFF. It's being written. And I want to read it. Thanks for reading!

All the best,

Charles Payseur