There seems to have been an era in science fiction in which particularly graphic sex scenes were prevailent. These scenes did not, and do not, appeal to me greatly. I read sci-fi for exploding space-ships(it doesn't have to be in the first thirteen lines but the ship must explode at some time. ). Before anybody takes an entire emotional spectrum from their writing--not that they would on my say so--I do believe somewhat graphic sex can be used effectively in sci-fi, I think Gene Wolfe does so.

My desire to become a better writer has pushed me to read some things that I didn't even want to, just to see what is out there.

Romance novels. Yes. Red blooded American boy that I am, I have read romance novels--just a few. Graphic sex scenes are a must, it would seem, for that genre. Personaly, I found them boring and felt a strong desire to skip ahead, to see if a space-ship would explode in the next few chapters or so. Alas none did, which shouldn't surprise, as it was a period book(1200AD) as most of the genre are. It seems romance was most romantic at this time, or other times in the past. Very few are based in the present or near future. In fact an avid reader of romance novels, and dear close friend of mine (my mommy dearest), told me that science fiction in her romance novels was a distinct turn off. And I found that graphic sex in my science fiction did likewise.

I suppose it is obvious that different audiences want--and expect--different things from their reading material. Delivering the right product to the right audience would seem to be essential for success. Wouldn't it be nice to know what story to give to which publisher. All claim that they will, and have published all sorts of sci-fi, from horror to fantasy. But each is in fact more anxious for a certain type of sci-fi, and each genre is different.

Cyberpunk, as an example: They tend to be set in a near-future Earth, in great massive metropolis'--often with real names like New York, Or Bei Jing. The plots often center on a conflict involving artificial intelligences, hackers, and megacorporations. The prime directive of the milieu seems to be to show how tehnology will effect our lives. Sex is an important part of human life and must be addressed, if only minimalistically. Usually Cyberpunk investigates how sex would be with an android/sexdoll.

The miliue also likes to show us how we(humanity) are headed on the wrong path, somtimes with stunning success, somtimes with laughable inaccuracy. At any rate this is what we would expect from a novel with a city for cover art.
(By the way if you are guilty of writing such a story raise your hand.)

*Hand unashamedly held high*

Before I lose where I was going(too late).

Editors of magazines would like to publish stuff readable by the largest audience possible. But they can't please everybody, as I showed. What one reader wanted from a book was exactly what another reader didn't want from the book, and visa versa. So, they have to target a group. Often publishers will ask for speculative fiction, in their guidelines, or character driven stories. Vague enough?

According to Anne Sowards, senior editor at Penguin Group, Roc currently specializes in urban fantasy and is looking for more romantic sci-fi and military sci-fi. Sowards gave me a bound galley (or, advanced copy) of military sci-fi set for a December publication date; from the book cover the galley's author gave me at dinner and from covers of other upcoming books from Roc, I noticed the hot-chick-with-a-gun image is popular. "Sex sells." Right. My point is, if you combine sex and violence, you may have a better chance gaining Anne Sowards' approval.

Small publishers, like Flying Pen Press, provide long lists of their interests when asked, yet they seem most interested in pulp sci-fi. (By the way, I'm told small publishers provide a personal touch lacking from larger publishers; they don't forget their authors. Conversely, their authors must take on more marketing responsibilities to succeed. If you don't want to travel to conventions, phone libraries and critics, and maintain a blog, then stick to the larger publishers.)

I read romantic fantasy, like Diana Gabaldon, Kim Harrison and Charlaine Harris to name a few, and find that the details in a sex scene are as varied as the author and even then, they vary within the author's works. Like people, I guess. Of the three authors above Gabaldon has the lightest touch, Harrison is more direct and gritty and Harris wobbles around between graphic and veiled allusions. I like Gabaldon because her level of graphic description fits with the tone in that part of the story. If it is first-time sex between two people who have been madly lusting after each other then it is described in great, gritty detail, if it is sex between life long lovers it is painted with a softer brush.

I used to become very uncomfortable when I read Heinlein's sex scenes. That may have been because I was about 8 when I started reading his work, but I think it is because they are written like porn: all heavy sweating, groping and no emotion, just bodies smacking together. What I like about even the graphic sex scenes in Romance is that there is emotion and plot driving them, not just the physical act and release.

All sex is really in our heads, so it's the emotions and needs that drive us and our characters to have sex. IMHO, well written sex focuses on the relationship and lets the physcial description be a manifestation of the emotional forces at play between the participants.

I have been thinking about this a lot. 8)

Leslie

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I generally avoide putting sex scenes in my work...write what you know, you know?

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