Wet: More Aqua Erotica

I have both of these books on my shelf and carry them with me wherever I go, on International postings, as great examples of the kind of erotica I like. I reread Wet often and have given it to several of my friends as gifts. I don't read a lot of erotica, but this collection I really like. Some of the stories have a bit of edge, others conjure up blurred images and leave something to the imagination. Tastey.

Though I thoroughly enjoyed "Aqua Erotica", I felt that some of the stories were a let down. Either poorly written or imagined, not all of them worked for me. The ones that did work I felt made the book easily worth getting because when the stories were good, they were very good, but it wasn't one of the rare anthologies where I liked every single story."Wet" *is* one of those rare anthologies.When I started compiling a list of only what I considered the best stories, I quickly realized that well over half were "favorites" and what remained was still good enough to stand out in another book. The only other anthology I've read with similarly consistent quality is "Blood is Not Enough"; a collection of vampire stories edited by Ellen Datlow.Like the book of vampire stories, "Wet" covers its chosen territory well. Some stories are obviously thematic, others only obliquely, but they all tie together to make a book which is better than the sum of its parts. Obviously any book of erotica is going to be hit or miss at eliciting desire from the reader (I personally would have liked to have seen more diversity of sexual orientations -- the stories are nearly exclusively heterosexual), but if you like literary merit to go along with your titillation, you're very likely to enjoy this book.Lastly, if you haven't held a Durabook (the process that makes them waterproof), you're in for a pleasant surprise. These books have a sensuous weight and feel which is extremely well suited to collections of erotica.

Possibly even more fun than the original Aqua Erotica!I love the watery photos on the cover and interspersed with the stories.Pieces by Mary Gaitskill and Cecilia Tan don't disappoint, and the editor's contribution, a lesbian tale, is subtle, complex and hot. Several interesting newcomers (or new to me writers) as well.