The Best American Erotica, Volume 12: Surviving Darwin Audiobook By Susie Bright, Jane Smiley, Mary Gaitskill, Steve Almond cover art

The Best American Erotica, Volume 12: Surviving Darwin

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The Best American Erotica, Volume 12: Surviving Darwin

By: Susie Bright, Jane Smiley, Mary Gaitskill, Steve Almond
Narrated by: Susie Bright, Nelson George, Lenore Zann, Daleena Valdatti, Ax Norman
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About this listen

Featuring erotic stories by Pulitzer Prize winner Jane Smiley, Mary Gaitskill, Steve Almond, Nelson George, and Karl Iagnemma.

Pulitzer Prize-winner Jane Smiley details a beautiful erotic interlude in an otherwise sordid real estate deal; Mary Gaitskill celebrates the unexpected ardor of one middle-aged couple; Steve Almond reminisces about the best one-man/three-girl Ecstasy party ever; Nelson George recounts the erotic escapades that befall a young man who accompanies a celebrity athlete when he picks up a gaggle of girls; and Carol Queen explores the joys of making love with summer fruit.

Included in this collection:

  • "Slippy for President" by Steve Almond
  • "View from the Fourteenth Floor" by Greta Christina
  • "The Ugly Cock Dance" by Mary Gaitskill
  • "My Puritan Reader" by Bert Hart
  • "Bottle" by Martha Garvey
  • "Experimental Writer Gets Sucked Off in a Field" by Robert Gluck
  • "Sour Berry Juice" by Shu-Huei Henrickson
  • "It's Never Too Late in New York" by Nelson George
  • "Brontitis" by Maria Dahvana Headley
  • "Robots of the World, Unite!" by Karl Iagnemma
  • "The Bounty of Summer" by Carol Queen
  • "Charles Sykes' Spirit of Ecstasy" by P.S. Haven
  • "Surviving Darwin" by Alicia Gifford

Previously published as Best American Erotica 2005.

Turn on! Listen to more in the Best American Erotica series.©2005 Susie Bright (P)2006 Audible, Inc.
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Critic reviews

"[Susie Bright is] the avatar of American erotica." (The New York Times)
"Bright has outdone herself....This very literary, Epicurean collection is guaranteed to stimulate both hormones and funnybones." (Publishers Weekly)
All stars
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This collection of stories varies in both length and subject matter. The length of the stories range from a couple of minutes to forty minutes, but they never feel rushed or drawn out. The stories contain interesting characters both dealing with their own issues as well as engaging in several different types of sexual pleasure.

After listening two or three times, I like most of the stories. During my first listen I did not appreciate the fine writing. After a second and third listening, I now appreciate the writing and some plot points that I missed the first time.

The audio file is formatted so that each chapter is a different story, making navigation easy. Each story is read by one person and they all deliver good performances.

In the story "Seduction," by Cecila Tan, I found a memorable phrase, "Seduction is the removal of fear." If you are open minded about sex, I hope this review has seduced you.

Excellent Literature, Listen Carefully

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Too much variety in the stories... but maybe that is good? It depend of what kind of story that you like. So be brave and try this book.

Too much variety in the stories

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I have listened to Susie Bright's "In Bed" series for over two years and have also purchased the Best of American Erotica available through Audible.com. The past selections were good, and I have listened to them many times. This year, I would have to say "mediocre" at best. I have to wonder, what Susie was listening to when she made the selections for this compilation. I am just a little disappointed and would not recommend this to someone listening to "erotica" for the first time.

Why Susie?

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To be brief, about 40% of this book is gay erotica. It's not disgusting or anything. It was very well written but I didn't listen to all of it, because it was boring. If you have "erotica" without the "erotic" all you have left is "a."

I suggest you have 3 versions. Straight, gay and mixed. This way people will know what they are getting.

Not Exactly My Style

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Boring, mildly erotic. Well written but didn't do it for me.

WEAK

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I wanted these stoies to be great, I really did, but that is far from what I got. If this is the best america can offer in erotica then we need to start getting it from other places.

I was hopeful

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Maybe Susie Bright has lost her touch at selecting good erotica or she's been at it so long she just got lazy with this one. A real snoozer. Cannot imagine anyone being aroused by any of the stories included.

When erotica is not erotic

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