From what I have gleaned from the various youtube clips of celebrities reading “50 Shades of Grey”, it looks to be the “Twilight” of BDSM literature. Go ahead and read it if you want to but I will suggest that you spoil yourself by reading these books first.
I had some fun reading the Beauty series, in hardcopy, on a cross country flight. Your mileage may vary. If you prefer to be more discreet you can also get many of these titles in eformat.
“Exit to Eden” by Anne Rice, written under the pen name Anne Rampling. The story involves consensual BDSM set in the contemporary real world. The book is only remotely like the movie. The settings are mostly the same and they used the character names from the books. Outside of that the book is its own separate entity. It is a love story as well as telling the journey of the two main characters before they met. Very hot and worth ordering from Amazon.
The Beauty Series (3 books) by Anne Rice, written under the pen name A.N. Roquelaure. This series loosely barrows from the Sleeping Beauty mythos. The story involves non consensual BDSM and may be a trigger to some. As is typical of Anne Rice’s writing it is set in an opulent world.
“Cry to Heaven” by Anne Rice. A fictional account of an 18th century castrati. I placed this book here because there are many relationships between the characters that rely on a power dynamic similar to BDSM. If you loved Armand from Rice’s vampire novels you will most likely enjoy this book. Even if you have never read her novels this one is worth having on your “to read” list. She paints a lush world full of colorful characters and high drama.
The Marketplace Series (4 books) by Laura Antoniou. This series deals with the concept of the ownership of consenting slaves in the contemporary world. Antoniou studies the challenges that would come into such an arrangement while providing plenty of super hot erotic images. This series is not for the faint of heart looking for a BDSM tinted Harlequin romance novel. If you read these on your kindle in the work break room I would strongly recommend keeping a bottle of chilled water on hand to calm your flushed complexion.
“The Darker Passions: Dracula” by Amarantha Knight. A retelling of Bram Stoker’s classic with a decidedly non consensual BDSM twist. Throw any victorian sensibilities out the window and grab that ice water. This is one hot, unapologetically erotic read.
“Story of O” by Pauline Reage. This is one I have not read but is considered a classic by many.
So. You have read the above works and think that dabbling into power play sex might be your cup of tea? I would recommend reading two books before you head out to your local munch or fetish night to find a hook up.
“SM 101” by Jay Wiseman. Regarded as a classic by many. Jay is a big proponent of safe, sane and consensual BDSM practice. You won’t find a guide on how to do anything too risky here. His guidance is wonderful for someone who has no experience beyond slap and tickle scarf games with their partners in the bedroom.
“Screw the Roses, Send Me The Thorns: The Romance and Sexual Sorcery of Sadomasochism” by Philip Miller and Molly Devon. Don’t be put off by the long title. This is a delightful and light hearted read. At the same time it is jam packed with good advice and helpful tips for your adventures along the path of real life BDSM play.
~~KK
