Best Bondage Erotica is an Cleis Press erotic book edited by Alison Tyler. It’s 200 pages long and includes 21 different stories. All of the stories included in this compilation are supposed to be the best of bondage erotica, so all of the stories are well-written, sexy, and include erotic restraint. This book is actually a little taller than the average Cleis Press erotic novel and stands about an inch higher. The inside format and layout is the same as the average Cleis Press novel though. The front of the book shows a girl, nice make-up and everything, with bondage tape around her eyes, her breasts, and her waist in front of a red background with the title printed above her breasts. The back of the book is much less discreet, and you can’t tell that this is an erotic book unless you read the text on the back. Overall, probably not a book you want to read in public. Since this was longer than most Cleis Press books, it took me over two hours to read from cover to cover.
All of the stories in this collection that can be bought from this sex toy store include erotic restraint. As could be guessed, most of the stories also have some impact play and some aspects of Dominance and submission thrown in as well. The skill level of those in the stories varies – for the most part, it’s your average couple who does kinky things on a regular basis, but there’s some newbies and some experienced people too.
Most of the stories in this book are heterosexual. There are a couple of lesbian stories, and I honestly don’t remember any gay ones. The vast majority of these are heterosexual. However, this book did have a large number of threesomes compared to other erotic books I’ve read. All of the threesomes were M/F/F, but there was more than the average number.
For the most part, all of the stories are written from the submissive partner’s point of view or written in a third-person point of view. Very rarely is the Dominant person’s point of view included.
One thing to note is that you may have read some of these stories on the internet or in other compilations. Because it’s a “Best Of” book, the stories sometimes have been published before. I’ve read an abnormally large amount of erotic books, but I didn’t find any story that sounded even vaguely familiar, so I’d guess you won’t find one you’ve already read. If you do, it’ll probably just be one of the 21 stories.
Something else worth mentioning is that an abnormally large amount of these stories include knives. Not sure why, but they do. For the most part, the knives are just used to cut off clothing in a sexy way, but in one story, it’s used as “leverage” during a negotiated scene. Never used in an abusive manner, but if it’s triggering, I assume it’s worth mentioning.
One of my favorite stories starts off right at the front of the book. It’s “Bad Girls in Bondage” by Thomas S. Roche. Merrill lives with a sexually-open couple who regularly engage in bondage. Her roommates are open about it so she doesn’t call the police if there’s screaming. One night when the roommates leave, Merrill gets out some of their bondage porn and bondage accessories and sets herself up in front of the television to masturbate while wearing some of the bondage gear. Turns out her roommates come home early, but she accidentally grabbed the wrong key and can’t get out. Instead of being angry, the roommates take it as a sign that she’s always wanted to play with them, and a threesome ensues. It was hot.
In “Never Say Never” by Rachel Kramer Bussel, a woman is approached by another woman at a BDSM club and asked what she’s into. The submissive replies that she can only orgasm with her legs open. The Dominant takes it open herself to teach the submissive otherwise while a crowd gathers to watch.
In “Shock Therapy” by N. T. Morley, we get to read an entire story about a scientist who has created a new breakthrough way of couples’ therapy. She attaches the couple to two separate electric sex machines, and if the couple gives a good or encouraging answer to one another, they get pleasure and orgasms. If they answer badly, they get pain. Of course, there’s an assistant her finds herself turned on by all of this as well. This is probably also one of the longest bondage (short) stories I’ve ever read at 26 pages long.
Overall, the book, while not my favorite, will have a special place in my collection. I actually ended up enjoying Best Bondage Erotica 2 a lot more, but this one still has quite a few erotic stories that are worth checking out. Someone also may have different tastes than I do.
