Tasting Him: Oral Sex Stories

Edited by Rachel Kramer Bussel

Book Review by Ashley Lister

It’s said that the difference between liking, loving and showing off is spitting, swallowing and gargling.  I don’t approve of vulgar humour like this.  I find these sort of jokes leave a nasty taste in my mouth.  That said, I was once of the opinion that oral sex was when a couple shouted, “Fuck you!” at each other. 

Tasting Him is an anthology of stories centred around the theme of oral sex.  I can hear you now saying, “That sucks!”  If you are saying that, clearly you’ve been reading the same crap joke book that I’ve been using.  And, if you are saying that, it’s obvious you haven’t read the brilliant stories contained within this wonderful anthology. 

Tasting Him begins with Rachel Kramer Bussel’s “Gloss” – a story that hits hard and fast and delivers the sort of powerful punch to be expected from this doyenne of erotic fiction.  “Gloss” is the story of a woman with a craving and it tells how she goes about satisfying that need with typical RKB panache.  

And then there’s Robert Peregrine’s “A Treatise on Human Nature.”  Robert is a fluid and competent writer, not leaving a single word in the final story that isn’t working hard.  Over five short pages Robert builds a delightful tension that culminates in a truly satisfying climax.

Throughout this anthology the sexual content remains orally fixated but I have yet to hear anyone complain about such a fixation.  For those who want to find new ways to add spice to their love life, some of the many different approaches to oral sex are laid out in this anthology like a cunning guide book. 

In “Frosted,” the inimitable Kristina Wright suggests a sweetened coating to an otherwise savoury snack.  In “Prego,” Alison Tyler shows how spaghetti sauce can add to the experience of a blowjob.  (This story touches on the aphrodisiac quality of certain Italian words—a language I’ve always adored and never been able to master—and I have to agree that a lot of the Italian vocabulary is inherently sexy.  It just feels right in your mouth).  Donna George Storey concludes the anthology with an appropriate postprandial treat: “After Dinner Mint.”  Donna writes wonderful sex scenes and mouth-watering food descriptions.  When these two genres are so skilfully combined with her penmanship, the story is wonderfully vivid.

Tasting Him also contains stories of powerplay—as would be expected.  The act of fellatio is often seen as one of submission or surrender.  However, this anthology works hard to subvert that norm.  There are some wonderful tales of traditional powerplay—such as Terri Pray’s deliciously intense “Without Eyes” and Amanda Earl’s cruelly impartial “How I learned to Give Good Head.”  But these power roles are subverted in some of this anthologies wickedly innovative stories.  Lori Selke’s heroine wears a strap-on to receive the ultimate BJ in “Cocksucker” and Michelle Robinson’s vivid heroine Cindy takes a commanding role in “A Tongue is Just a Tongue.” 

Ashley Lister
November 2008

Tasting Him: : Oral Sex Stories
(Cleis Press; September 1, 2008; ISBN-10: 1573443239)
Available at Amazon.com  / Amazon UK

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© 2008 Ashley Lister. All rights reserved.


About the Author: Ashley Lister is a UK author responsible for more than two-dozen erotic novels written under a variety of pseudonyms.His most recent work, Swingers: True Confessions from Today's Modern Swinging Scene (Virgin Books; ISBN: 0753511355), a non-fiction book recounting the exploits of UK swingers, is his first title published under his own name.
Ashley’s non-fiction has appeared in a variety of magazines, including Forum, Chapter & Verse and The International Journal of Erotica. Nexus, Chimera and Silver Moon have published his full-length fiction, with shorter stories appearing in anthologies edited by Maxim Jakubowski, Rachel Kramer Bussel and Mitzi Szereto. He is very proud to be a regular contributor to ERWA.
Websites: www.ashleylister.co.uk / ashleylister.blogspot.com

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