Celestial Reviews 7 - July 29. 1995 - by Celeste "Athens" by Dorvis Slaughter (Sensitive story of a "boy lover") 10. "Hard Day at the Office" by Christine (ff sex with the boss) 7.5. "Where on Earth Is Carmen Sandiego?" by Garrett Faulkner (low mpact sex with the educational super sleuth) 8. "Star Wars - Tarkin" by Walter Slaven (Sci Fi Adventure Sex) 7.5 "Anna" by Michelle D. Lurker (Boy becomes girl) 10 "Fun with Roget's" by Gang o' Three (Humor) 3 "Athens" by Dorvis Slaughter. When I think of "boy lovers," I usually don't have pleasant thoughts. The idea of a dirty old man seducing a sweet young boy is a real turn-off to me. Then I come across a story like this, and it makes me stop and think. First, let me say that in spite of minor errors that could be cleaned up with a more careful proofreading, this is an extremely well written story. The language flows naturally, the mood is set beautifully, and I had the feeling that I was really understanding the emotions that were being expressed. In addition, if I approach the story purely as a case study of a man who likes to have sex with attractive little boys, it's an excellent case study. A person who wants to understand (but not condone) child molesters would be well advised to read this story in order to more completely understand the mind of "boy lovers." Aha! I've called them child molesters! I've entered a moral judgment, which the author said in his disclaimer is unfair. Not really. I get the feeling that although he sees some ambiguity, the author pretty clearly approves of the activity of the protagonist of this story; and so he is inviting the possibility of disagreement. Most people in our society disagree with the author. I personally don't like to have to live with the idea that my sister has to watch out so that the nice young man who coaches her son's baseball team isn't left alone with her son too often, for fear that he might decide to "love" the boy. The notion that the sex in this story is a "consensual" activity is ambiguous; our society assumes that adults are capable of mature judgment and sexual consent, whereas children are not. (This is obviously a wrong assumption in many cases; but that's the way the laws are written.) I know several children who have gotten into emotional trouble as the result of almost exactly the kind of "romance" described in this story. On the other hand, I hasten to point out, that although they experienced serious emotional difficulty, most of them eventually grew into mature, sexually happy adults. Enough! This story is either a good case study, an interesting story about a romance between a child and an adult, a dangerous story that could encourage people to consent to highly inappropriate activities, or a combination of all of these. But it's a good story. (Rating: 10) "Hard Day at the Office" by Christine. A woman who is working late finds a sexy magazine and begins to masturbate. The boss catches her and requires the woman to have sex with her. At first the woman resists, but then she enjoys it. The sex scenes are well written, and the sex is hot. I like stories a little better when I see more character development, but others like this more direct approach. I also get my back up when a story gives favorable treatment to what would obviously be called sexual harassment in real life; but I can see the excitement in a *fantasy* that involves getting backed into a corner sexually. I think the main imperfection in this story is that it just ends when the sex ends, rather than coming to an actual climax - if you'll pardon the expression in this context. (Rating: 7.5) "Where on Earth Is Carmen Sandiego?" by Garrett Faulkner. If you're in need of a story that will get you sexually and emotionally aroused, this one won't do it. But if you want a really cute (sorry about that, Garrett) satire on the children's television show and detective game, you'll enjoy this story. The author does a really good job of putting together an geography-based detective mystery. The "real" Carmen Sandiego steals things like the Sphinx or the Brooklyn Bridge, and children use geographical clues to track her down. In this story the relentless thief steals rhinoceros horns (an aphrodisiac), an ancient copy of the Kama-Sutra, and an original manuscript by the Marquis de Sade, before the detectives track her down in an ancient temple of Aphrodite in Corinth. I may have ruined the geography part for you; but astute readers of a.s.s. would have figured those clues out anyway. I'll let you read the story to find out who gets into Ivy's pants and who makes it sexually with Carmen herself. Again, this is not hot or romantic sex, but it's really good, clean fun. (Rating: 8). "Star Wars - Tarkin" by Walter Slaven. This story is a spin-off from the "Tie Fighter" story currently being posted in installments on a.s.s. It's not as polished as the main story line, but it's still a good story. This one contains mild bdsm, and I often react negatively to what I view as bdsm's degradation of one of the partners. But this one worked for me; I found it sexy - probably because both of the participants were villains anyway. You'll enjoy this most if you've been following the excellent "Tie Fighter" series; but it also stands alone effectively. (Rating: 7.5) "Anna" by Michelle D. Lurker. This was a truly delightful story. I don't want to tell you too much about it, because the enjoyment lies in finding out what's going to happen next. Basically, a young man is living with a young woman who is his friend but not his lover. The relationship is strained, and both are confused. One day she is granted a magic wish, and she wishes that something would happen to make their relationship better. Poof! He becomes an extremely attractive woman, and the plot begins to thicken. Don't miss it! (Rating: 10) "Fun with Roget's" by Gang o' Three. I read this because I wanted something mildly enjoyable to do quickly without thinking at all. I was not disappointed. In this unfinished story the Gang o' Three is either in a (really smelly) restroom at a coffee shop having a small-scale orgy or at their computer keyboards describing this orgy. Their descriptions include as many as possible of the cliches that often occur in sex stories, and the effect is often hilarious. My impression is that three people got together on an IRC or through e-mail and took turns writing the "story." The posted product looks like it's hot off their collaborative keyboards; and it would be interesting if someone would polish it up a little. I thought it was fun just for the thought of what someone could do with this idea of combining sexual cliches creatively. (Rating: 3)