"The World is Having A Kinky Moment"

The world has got its knickers in a twist (in every sense) over E.L James’ super-smash hit 50 Shades of Grey. Love it or hate it, the story of one woman’s kinky adventure has set chins wagging about the nature of our sexuality and our freedom to express it. The previously obscure world of BDSM has been glamorously stuffed in a suave, grey-suited, devilishly good-looking package and has rocketed into mainstream fiction.  Now the star of the series, Christian Grey, has a firm place in women’s line up of dashing literary heartthrobs, sharing the accolade with the likes of Mr Darcy, Heathcliff and Mr Rochester. 50 Shades may not scoop up literary prizes (and I’m sure E.L James’ inner-goddess is too happy rolling in piles of dosh to notice), but more vitally, it has reclaimed a lost territory for women: female-friendly porn.

It is very seldom that an erotic novel finds itself in the number one hot spot: 50 Shades of Grey has been named the fastest selling adult novel of all time, even beating J K Rowling and Dan Brown. Readers worldwide are breathlessly clutching the saucy trilogy to their bosoms as sales continue to soar. So what is the explanation for this rather hot and steamy season? “The world is having a kinky moment,” declares Brenda Knight, associate publisher of Cleis Press, in Time magazine. The erotic genre is set to explode this year. Publishers take note, for at long last: sex sells!

Now it’s time to crank open Turnaround’s kinky treasure trove. Here is a sample of fiction and non-fiction on a theme of 50 Shades:

Carrie’s Story 

By Molly Weatherfield 

(Cleis, 2002) 9781573441568, £9.99

A young woman finds herself careering through a very kinky sexual adventure with a man who has a penchant for irony, self-analysis and anal sex.  Set in San Francisco and the Napa Valley, Carrie’s Story enters a world of slave auctions, training regimes and human ponies preening for dressage competitions. Molly Weatherfield’s erotic classic is 50 Shades older sister – bolder, sexier and deliciously debauched.

21^st Century Kinkycrafts 

Edited by Janet Hardy

(Greenery, 2006), 9781890159580, £13.99

In the era of economic depression, people are finding ingenious ways to have fun and frolics on a tight budget. 21st Century Kinkycrafts is full of easy and inexpensive how-to projects for accessorising a DIY dungeon. With an eager resourcefulness, Kinkycrafts can transform a soup can and a sock into a no-frills, but plenty of thrills, sex toy that does what it says on the tin (!). This compendium of beloved basic build-them-yourself SM toys includes the thousand tail flogger, bondage belts, paddles, nipple jewellery and much, much more. For the more experienced craftsman, Kinkycrafts fully outlines how to construct your own suspension harness and spanking horse.

Pride and Prejudice: Hidden Lusts 

By Mitzi Szereto 

(Cleis, 2011), 9781573446631, £11.99

Would Mr Darcy wield a flogger and lure you into his regency ‘red room of pain’? Well perhaps, anything is possible in Mitzi Szereto’s sizzling sexy rewrite of Jane Austen’s classic novel. In Pride and Prejudice: Hidden Lusts, the entire cast of characters from Austen’s classic is here, caught with their breeches unbuttoned and their skirts raised high in a rewrite that goes all the way – and then some!

Surrender 

By Rachel Kramer Bussel 

(Cleis, 2011) 9781573446525, £10.99

A must-have addition to any 50 Shades fan’s bookshelf is this naughty anthology of short stories edited by Rachel Kramer Bussel. For those (and there are many) who like to be tied up, spanked, blindfolded or ‘used’ for another’s pleasure, Bussel’s collection of stories exploring the world of submission and domination are a source of constant inspiration. Each of the 22 blazingly hot stories illuminates a different aspect of submission, from personal space to culinary choices…

How to be Kinkier 

By Morpheous

(Green Candy, 2012) 9781931160940, £17.99

Now for a serious lesson in all things kink. 50 Shades may have sparked a number of exciting ideas to bring into the bedroom, but really, what are the practicalities of handcuffing your lover to the ceiling? How to be Kinkier is here to rescue ambitious readers from a series of sexual mishaps. Seasoned sexpert Morpheous takes readers through the basics of BDSM through clear instructions and full-colour photography. Suitable for nervous newbies and pros alike, it offers the reader inspiration and ideas for spicing up their sex life.

The Loving Dominant

By Libby Warren and John Warren

(Greenery, 2008) 9781890159726, £11.99

The Loving Dominant has taught more than 40,000 people the fundamentals of safe, healthy, affectionate dominance and submission. Originally published in 1994, this fully updated edition is updated for a whole new generation of players, providing an accessible introduction to S&M. In addition to the wisdom, balance and hot ideas contained in the original, is new information on finding a partner, playing with electricity, watersports, polyamorous play and photography in the digital age.

The Smart Girls Guide to Porn

By Violet Blue

(Cleis, 2006) 9781573442473, £10.99

Acclaimed sex educator Violet Blue tells women how to find porn they’ll like, from favourite turn-ons and women-friendly DVDs, to podcasts and porn groups on the web. She shows readers how to reconcile fantasy with real-life desires and how smart girls can maintain their own beauty standards when the people on screen seem impossibly buff, smooth and surgically enhanced. Looking for authentic sex scenes? Thinking of sharing porn with a lover? Wonder which browser is safest for Internet porn surfing. The Smart Girl’s Guide to Porn has all of the answers.