Orgasmic: Erotica for Women

Edited by Rachel Kramer Bussel

Book Review by Kristina Wright

Author and editor Rachel Kramer Bussel has compiled a one-of-a-kind anthology in Orgasmic: Erotica for Women.  This collection focuses on an aspect of the sexual experience that often gets short shrift in erotic fiction—the female orgasm in all its wonderful configurations.  From multiple Os to the elusive G-spot orgasm, Bussel has gathered twenty-five stories that not only focus on female sexual pleasure, but put it on a pedestal and celebrate it.

The stories in Orgasmic are as varied as the orgasms they feature.  Several of the stories include domination and control within the context of loving, committed relationships—a refreshing element that does nothing to dull the sharp edge of desire.  When a couple decide to play a friendly game of Cheat, delayed gratification is the name of the game in Elizabeth Coldwell’s deliciously anticipatory “The Waiting Game.”  Jacqueline Applebee explores the variety of ways a woman can get off with a lover, and plays with the concepts of mental and physical stimulation, in her thought-provoking “What’s in a Name?”   

Voyeurism and exhibitionism are also prominently featured in the collection.  In “Animal Inside,” a woman escapes her day-to-day routine by slipping off to a hotel and sharing her orgasm with a stranger she spies through a hole in the bathroom wall.  Louisa Harte puts a new spin on camping in the great outdoors in her story “Seeing Stars.”  And Lana Fox’s delicious “Frost First” is a naughty tale of instant gratification no matter who might be watching or listening.

While all of the stories in Orgasmic creatively handle the topic of female orgasm, two stories in particular strike a unique note.  Dusty Horn’s “Share” is a deftly written piece of erotic fiction that combines G-spot play and penis envy and addresses the many facets of queer female sexuality.  And Andrea Dale tackles a subject not often seen in erotic fiction—the adjustments a kinky couple need to make due to pregnancy.  It is an emotionally charged piece reinforces the idea that good sex is about communication and desire no matter the circumstances.

Kristina Wright
November 2010

Orgasmic: Erotica for Women
(Cleis Press, August 2010; ISBN-10: 1573444022)
Available at:  Amazon | Amazon UK

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© 2009 Kristina Wright. All rights reserved.

About the reviewer: Kristina Wright is an award-winning author who loves writing stories that are emotionally compelling and sexually charged. Her erotica and erotic romance fiction has appeared in over sixty print anthologies. She holds a B.A. in English, a M.A. in Humanities and is entertaining the idea of pursuing a Ph.D. For more information about Kristina's writing and other interests, you can visit her website www.kristinawright.com.

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