Secret Sex: An Anthology edited by Russell Smith (Editor)

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

A voyeurs wet dream of a book.

Award-winning and emerging Canadian authors were given the opportunity to write about sex, love and intimacy without attaching their name to their specific story. The idea put forward by editor, Russell Smith, was that with anonymity came a freedom to write without feeling the need to self-censor, while giving authors permission to push-boundaries on everything from gender to genre.

Anthologies are difficult to review because some voices resonate louder than other. But on the whole, I love the concept, and I enjoyed starting each story without knowing the setting, tone or even the 'type' of erotica I'd be getting myself into. Sometimes it took a while for our main character to reveal their gender, so I'd be enjoying the love story both as queer and straight at the same time, which was a new experience for me - and I highly recommend.

My favourite short story of the collection, 'Sext' is written entirely by text messages between two people. The format was novel, but also of my generation. The tone was a perfect balance of playful and erotic, and the way the author ends the conversation was so on point and unexpected at the same time (how?!)

I also loved 'Mirror Mirror', about an artist watching and drawing the person living across the courtyard, in their most inmate moments. "Every model is aware of my pencil, my easel, and my unflinching gaze. But my man across the courtyard is different. He is real. There is no artifice in his posing. No premeditation in his movement. This is not a body offered but a body stolen."

A bit about my reading preference that differentiates me from the typical fic-lit audience, is that I read a lot of spicy romance/smut/erotica. I'm used to authors pushing the boundaries of sex, and with that in mind it felt like some authors were still pulling their punches and approaching this topic on slant. I wish a few of the stories/authors were as willing to engage in the topic as openly and vulnerably others.

This book is best read at an art gallery, while the author who wrote, "Niche Parade: Hotel Maid Compilations", a short story written entirely from video titles on PornHub, displays AI artwork based on the titles.

Out January 2024