Observations: Erotica's time has finally come again
Related articles
Thanks to the swelling popularity of EL James' Fifty Shades of Grey, the sight of commuters reading erotica on public transport is commonplace. In the early Seventies, however, it was a rare thrill. So recalls author Brian Aldiss, now 86, whose first sex-themed novel, The Hand-Reared Boy, was published in 1970.
“I was once sitting on the train from Oxford to London,” he says, “opposite a young woman who was reading The Hand-Reared Boy. I thought, 'Fantastic!' When we stopped, I got off [the train] and said, 'You're reading a book I wrote. Do you like it?' She was terribly embarrassed. I said, 'Let's go and have a coffee, or go to your place?' A generous offer, I thought! But she was pretty snooty about it, or shy.”
Aldiss is best known for his science fiction writing, but The Hand-Reared Boy was the first in a trilogy featuring his semi-autobiographical protagonist, Horatio Stubbs. It is perhaps best described as a “cumming-of-age” story: “I lay back in a swoon,” says Horatio of a teenage encounter with the housemaid. “The feeling rose and flowered and burst magnificently, and my body seemed to churn into dozens of delighted particles. It was my first orgasm.”
The saga including A Soldier Erect (1971) and A Rude Awakening (1978), is being republished as an e-book by HarperCollins' experimental imprint The Friday Project, as are all the works from Aldiss's 60 years as a writer: a back catalogue of nearly 100 books. Was he tempted to use a pseudonym for his erotica? “No. And anyway, there's a lot of sex in a lot of my other books.” Were he writing Stubbs again in this liberated age, he says, “I'm sure there are other things that I'd include. All sorts of disgusting things.”
'The Horatio Stubbs Trilogy' is available as an ebook, £7.99
Arts & Ents blogs
Owen Howells: From the UK to Australia and back again (and again!)
Owen Howells is a DJ/producer who grew up in Australia but was born in the UK. He came back to the U...
Brighton Fringe 2013 – Is everyone sitting uncomfortably?
Fancy seeing a play about serial killers? How about inviting a funeral director into your home for a...
The Fall ‘Darkness Visible’ – Series 1, episode 2
There are a good many moments in the second episode of this psychological thriller that deserve refl...
-
Coronation Street triumphs over EastEnders at British Soap Awards 2013
-
The Freemasons' Code: Dan Brown reveals the message that told him the door to the lodge is open
-
Archaeologists uncover nearly 5,000 cave paintings in Burgos, Mexico
-
Lord of the Sings: Sir Christopher Lee, 91, to release heavy metal album
-
Film review: The Hangover Part III (15)
- 1 Pope Francis: Being an atheist is alright as long as you do good
- 2 Man and woman arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder victim of Woolwich machete attack, named as Drummer Lee Rigby
- 3 'Sickening, deluded and unforgivable': Horrific attack brings terror to London’s streets
- 4 Archaeologists uncover nearly 5,000 cave paintings in Burgos, Mexico
- 5 Lord of the Sings: Sir Christopher Lee, 91, to release heavy metal album
Get your summer started with British Military Fitness
BMF is the UK’s biggest and best loved outdoor fitness classes
Visit York
Find out what The Independent's resident travel expert has to say about one of the most beautiful small cities in the world
Making reading fun for kids
Nook is donating eReaders to volunteers at high-need schools and participating in exclusive events throughout the campaign.
Introducing the 'Get Reading' campaign
Get the latest on The Evening Standard's campaign to get London's children reading.
Enter the latest Independent competitions
Win anything from gadgets to five-star holidays on our competitions and offers page.
Business videos from commercial thought leaders
Watch the best in the business world give their insights into the world of business.
The man who's eaten everywhere
A Berliner in 1963 – but did John F Kennedy once admire Adolf Hitler?
Banned Iranian director to attend Cannes Film Festival
The 10 Best salt and pepper sets
Ferran Soriano: Predicting success if Manchester City 'vision' is followed
Edward VIII’s phone calls - and how MI5 bugged them


Comments