Should You Embrace Erotic Literature and Its Guilty Pleasures?

Erotic literature explicitly describes sexual encounters that prompt the imagination to produce, direct, and act out its very own virtual motion picture

His hands snaked down her thigh in lustful intent, reaching for the wetness between her legs. She gasped at his touch, gripping the sheets hard…

The quote above is mine, but don’t ask me what happens next. The scene that follows is probably playing out in your head as we speak, with your imagination weaving vivid images of the act.

It’s not anything new, either. It’s sex. Or, more precisely, the act leading up to it. But there’s a difference. This time, it’s not a link you came across on the internet prompting you to “meet beautiful women near you”. It’s also not a nude image of an OnlyFans model you, ahem, “stumble” across on Twitter.

This is erotic literature. Sex and lustful desire given life and form through text.

For many, erotic literature is art. For others, it’s a taboo, a guilty pleasure best kept hidden. As society continues to evolve in its understanding of sexuality, the question arises: Should you embrace erotic literature and its guilty pleasures?

Here’s my perspective on what erotic literature truly entails and whether it deserves a place on your reading list.

What Is Erotic Literature?

Erotic literature, otherwise known as erotica, is a genre written to celebrate sexuality and depict sensual and sexual experiences.

Erotic literature stands out for its explicit descriptions of sexual encounters that prompt the imagination to produce, direct, and act out its very own virtual motion picture. Guilty pleasures indeed.

Now, don’t mix things up. By erotic literature, I’m not referring to the smut you find in dark fantasy books where a billionaire alpha werewolf controls and dominates his cute little sub. That’s something else.

I’m referring to books that place the elements of sexual intimacy, pleasure, and human desire at the forefront of the narrative.

Sex first. Story later.

Is Erotic Literature Porn?

While this is one of the biggest questions surrounding erotic literature, there’s no universally accepted answer. The best way to explain it, though, is to examine how they overlap.

Narrative and Context

Erotica usually reads like any regular story, only this time, it’s heavy on steam, sexual tension, and sexual acts. Sex is usually the central theme, regardless of the contextual narrative.

Porn, while seemingly slightly different, does share a lot of traits with erotica. You might argue that porn is heavier on the sex than erotica, but tons of pornographic exhibits also have the narrative context and catchy storylines that you find in erotic literature.

This is particularly true of many full-length pornographic videos, such as the typical schoolteacher-schoolboy, housewife-handyman scenes. The porn industry has gotten creative in recent years, and there’s a huge demand to present sex in various flavors and packages to suit varying tastes.

Porn and erotic literature are two sides of the same coin.

Mutual Visual Imagery

One is text. The other is visual media. One often weaves sexual experiences into a broader narrative, offering insights into the characters’ emotions, thoughts, and relationships. The other rarely does.

Regardless, they both provoke the same visual images. With porn, the amount of control you have over the content is your preferred category and model.

Erotic literature hands you the full keys to the production studio.

You’re the cinematographer, director, screenwriter, and animator of your Oscar-award-winning movie.

Erotic Literature and Sex Positivity

Erotic literature plays a big role in promoting sex positivity, a movement that advocates for open, informed, and respectful discussions about sexuality.

It’s about challenging the conventional narratives that often treat sex as taboo, immoral, or something to be hidden. Erotic literature embraces sexuality as a natural aspect of the human experience, ultimately promoting the culture of sex positivity.

A Cultural Ideology

An excerpt from a 2017 edition of The Counseling Psychologist, a peer-reviewed academic journal, refers to sex positivity as “a term used to describe individuals and communities who emphasize openness, nonjudgmental attitudes, freedom, and liberation about sexuality and sexual expression.”

Part of this movement is the promotion of pornography, masturbation, and sex workers (an inclusive term for escorting, stripping, prostitution, and other forms of getting rewards or payments for carrying out sexual acts). It also includes polyamory and non-monogamy (open marriages and relationships), among other things.

Many works of erotic literature promote the ideology of sexual positivity. These books often seek to “educate” readers on concepts like “slut shaming” and “consent” while promoting sexual discovery and identity.

Guilty Pleasures and Social Stigma in Erotic Literature

In the book club I run, and in the several others that I belong to, many readers see erotic literature as taboo. Some foreswear the genre altogether, seeing it as a complete waste of time.

In many African countries, where sexual conservatism is the norm, people who enjoy this genre do so in secret, fearing judgment or criticism from others.

The stigma here is also closely linked to bigger societal issues like gender and sexuality. Women, in particular, may feel greater pressure to hide their interest in erotic literature, as societal expectations often dictate that women should be modest and restrained in their sexual expression.

Men, too, may face stigma, especially if their interests diverge from stereotypical masculine norms.

Should You Read Erotic Literature?

Lots of people argue that similar to pornography, readers of erotic literature get to learn new things that help them better enjoy their sex lives with their partner.

The effect is particularly profound on women, with studies showing that pornography increases sex drive in women. You’ve probably even come across some social media influencers online joking (or not) that their partners buy them erotic literature for the same reasons.

This argument is quite compelling- pornographic material, such as erotic literature may indeed have “educational” benefits.

However, things aren’t always what they seem.

Two Sides to the Story

In an interesting take, we see another study among women reading erotica, where it’s revealed that “distractions” and “feelings of ease” are the reasons for reading such books.

Here’s where it gets tricky. The results of this study don’t necessarily apply to everyone. However, what can’t be ignored is that erotic literature also acts like porn- a numbing agent that often detracts from reality. Therein lies its danger, as it may adversely affect how its readers see human sexuality as a whole.

Erotic literature is sexual education. But it’s not always good sexual education, as it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that healthy relationships aren’t solely about sex.

Justifying reading erotic literature for educational purposes suggests that there’s no better approach to boosting sexual intimacy. It also downplays the negative effects such material has on its readers.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, the choice to read erotic literature is up to you. Whether you prefer to enjoy them in light dozes in billionaire smut novels, or you prefer to go full-steam a la Fifty Shades of Grey, you get to decide how it affects you, and how you react to it.

So, enjoy your guilty pleasures! Who knows, you might get lucky and have it come to life! Or not!

Let me know what you think in the comments section.

P.S: I don’t read erotic literature, but I like to think I can write very steamy ones. *wink-wink*