Thrill City bills itself as a "science fiction novel of dark eroticism," and the prologue says that it was "misunderstood" when it was published in the late 1960's. As it is a strangely compelling mix of "literature", erotica and science fiction, it's quite understandable that those who bought it looking for straight erotica found themselves surprised. It is, in fact, a series of disparate threads woven together to create a brilliantly dark slice-of-life novel. We meet many people -- the loners, the bored and chatty housewives, and even the doped-up acid-head. We are let into their heads, and get a glimpse of their dark - and sometimes forbidden - passions and desires.This story is not for someone looking for a casual read. It is a definite challenge at times: strict dialog is interspersed with the odd passage of stream-of-consciousness; traditional narrative is punctuated by italicized spurts of near-mad raving. The poetic writing and precise word choice make it a beautiful read, though it is dark. The science fiction aspect makes it seem like an episode of "The Twilight Zone," though it is deeply touching as erotica as well. For those who benifit from content warnings: there is homosexual sex and graphic rape in this story.
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