Feb 1

Feb 1 Kink: Stories

Author: R.O. Kwon and Garth Greenwell (editors)
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Goodreads | The StoryGraph

Click above to buy this book from my Bookshop.org shop, which supports independent bookstores (not Amazon). You can also find it via your favorite indie bookstore here.

Note: Trigger warnings are provided for those who need them at the bottom of this page. If you don’t need them and don’t want to risk spoilers, don’t scroll past the full review.

Cover Description

Kink is a groundbreaking anthology of literary short fiction exploring love and desire, BDSM, and interests across the sexual spectrum, edited by lauded writers R.O. Kwon and Garth Greenwell, and featuring a roster of all-star contributors including Alexander Chee, Roxane Gay, Carmen Maria Machado, and more.

Kink is a dynamic anthology of literary fiction that opens an imaginative door into the world of desire. The stories within this collection portray love, desire, BDSM, and sexual kinks in all their glory with a bold new vision. The collection includes works by renowned fiction writers such as Callum Angus, Alexander Chee, Vanessa Clark, Melissa Febos, Kim Fu, Roxane Gay, Cara Hoffman, Zeyn Joukhadar, Chris Kraus, Carmen Maria Machado, Peter Mountford, Larissa Pham, and Brandon Taylor, with Garth Greenwell and R.O. Kwon as editors.

The stories within explore bondage, power-play, and submissive-dominant relationships; we are taken to private estates, therapists’ offices, underground sex clubs, and even a sex theater in early-20th century Paris. While there are whips and chains, sure, the true power of these stories lies in their beautiful, moving dispatches from across the sexual spectrum of interest and desires, as portrayed by some of today’s most exciting writers.

TL;DR Review

Given the editors and lineup of contributors, it comes as no surprise when Kink is exactly as good you expect it’s going to be.

For you if: You’re interested in short stories that explore humanity. And you are OK with sexual content, even when it is heavy and dark.

Full Review

Listen, you don’t really need me to write a review here. All you have to do to know how good this collection is is read the list of contributing writers. This is a group of some of the most INCREDIBLE literary voices of our generation. Carmen Maria Machado? Brandon Taylor? Alexander Chee? ROXANE GAY? You don’t need me, lol.

BUT here I am: Yes, this book is as incredible as you’re expecting. Yes, these stories are moving and squirmy and steamy and emotional and raw and human all the other adjectives you’re expecting. Full stop.

I could call out every single story for different worthy reasons, but I do think that my favorite (as painful as it is to even have to choose a favorite) was “Scissors” by Kim Fu. It was about a woman who was the object in a live show of suspense, where her stage partner acted like she might cut her with scissors and then made the audience think that she was fooling her into believing violence. The reading experience was somehow JUST like being in that audience, like when you watch a stunt show with swords. You KNOW it’s staged and that she’s safe but like…what if she’s not??? You hardly dare to breathe the whole time. But like…in a short story. INCREDIBLE.

Anyway, please read this daring, artful collection of stories about how the deepest parts of our humanity can be revealed in our most intimate moments. Maybe just don't read it in public. 😉