Got a Minute?
Sixty Second Erotica
Edited by Alison Tyler

Book Review by Ashley Lister

Sex in Sixty Seconds. I was thinking of using that as the title for my autobiography. However, if the truth be told, it would just be bragging. The only way I could ever manage sex in sixty seconds is if I timed it with twenty seconds for each thrust. And there’s no danger of that happening. If I’m with someone I love we’re usually both aware that the commercial breaks don’t last forever. And, if I’m on my own, well traffic lights can change when you’re least expecting them, so it’s best to get these things over and done with as swiftly as possible.

None of which has anything to do with Alison Tyler’s latest collection of ultra-short shorts: Got a Minute? The remit for this anthology was to create an accessible erotic narrative between 75 and 1500 words. And Alison has assembled a competent cast who can dish out the dirtiest details without wearily waffling their wordage.

The table of contents is enough to make any well-read connoisseur of erotica bristle with potential excitement. Names like Saskia Walker, Alison Tyler and Rachel Kramer Bussel are deservedly well-known in the world of prurient penmanship. N.T. Morley, Shanna Germain, Brooke Stern and Debra Hyde are equally esteemed authors of deviant delights. When you discover there are also contributions from Theresa Noelle Roberts, Michael Hemingson, Cate Robertson, Justus Roux and Jolie Du Pré, you begin to understand that this is more than an anthology—it’s a broad collection of the twenty-first century’s hottest writing talent.

I’ve missed some names out from the list above. This hasn’t been done to offend or overlook anyone. It’s only been done through personal ignorance and the belief that listing every contributor would make for a damned boring review.

And boring is not a word that could be associated with Got a Minute? The stories in this collection are smooth, swift and sexy. The writers, all competent storytellers, have risen to the challenge of taking the reader from nought to sexy in sixty seconds or less. A broad variety of exciting couplings (and triplings) are presented for the pleasure of a discerning readership and, although the stories in this anthology are ultra-short shorts, each presents a complete, compact narrative.

Admittedly, it can be frustrating to come across an engaging story and find, by the time you’re getting into the characters, they’re just getting out of each other. But, considering the talent that has gone into producing this book, that’s only a small quibble and I only mention it as fair warning for those readers who prefer to languish in the lengthy prose of a long erotic novel.

These stories are ultra-short, ultra-hard, ultra-fast and ultra-furious. It’s to their advantage that, when they leave you wanting more, you only have to turn the page and find exactly what you desire.

For anyone looking for a quick taste of the enormous writing talent that’s available, Got a Minute? is a fun read and the ideal introduction to a wealth of erotica’s current top talents.

Ashley Lister
July 2007

Got a Minute? Sixty Second Erotica
(Cleis Press; April 10, 2007; ISBN-10: 1573442712)
Available at Amazon.com / Amazon UK

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© 2007 Ashley Lister. All rights reserved.

About the Author:  Ashley Lister is a UK author responsible for more than two-dozen erotic novels written under a variety of pseudonyms. His most recent work, Swingers: True Confessions from Today's Modern Swinging Scene (Virgin Books; ISBN: 0753511355), a non-fiction book recounting the exploits of UK swingers, is his first title published under his own name.
Ashley’s non-fiction has appeared in a variety of magazines, including Forum, Chapter & Verse and The International Journal of Erotica.  Nexus, Chimera and Silver Moon have published his full-length fiction, with shorter stories appearing in anthologies edited by Maxim Jakubowski, Rachel Kramer Bussel and Mitzi Szereto.  He is very proud to be a regular contributor to ERWA.
Website: www.ashleylister.co.uk

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