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From: LadyCyrrh@aol.com
Subject: The Annex Reviews, 1/31/98
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Random notes: 

Not much this week, except I put up a listing of story code 
explanations on my website (http://members.aol.com/ladycyrrh) 
as a tool for both readers and writers so they know what they're 
dealing with. This list is based on the same FAQ which has been 
hanging for ages, but I've added more material pertaining to the 
odder story genres and elements. I am also still looking for author 
and archiver websites, so if you have any, send them in.

The stories:

Double Blind, by Sandman (M/FFMM, scifi, hermaphroditism)
Whisper Island, by Smoke Ring (M/F, voyr)
The Priest and the Hustler, Alexis Rogers (M/M, romance)
The Red Room, Parts 1 - 5, SFarn37600 (M/M, Star Trek slash)
Please Watch the Closing Doors, Taria (F/m teen)
School House Rock, John Morvillo (m/f teen)


Double Blind [A]
When posted: 1/21/98
Where posted: ASSM
Author:  The Sandman 
Address: sandman@bitsmart.com

The Sandman is excellent new author of stories with a SF theme, 
more science fiction than porn, going by this example. Save for 
the sex, this story would have been perfectly at home in the 
pages of Analog magazine. Steve Whiley, PI, a near-future 
detective, helps a rich woman get the dirty on her husband so she 
can divorce him with a fatter settlement than she'd get with no-
fault. It turns out hubby has a thing for *twin* hermaphrodites, 
described in a breathtaking scene of about 1400 words. If such 
creatures existed, and disguised themselves as Asian call girls, 
they'd look and behave just like this. There's more to the story, 
which eventually includes a clever murder mystery that should 
make any mystery or SF fan happy; but even if you don't like this 
type of fiction, read it for those hermaphrodites. You'll be glad 
you did.


Whisper Island, Part One [D]
When posted: 1/21/98
Where posted: ASS, ASSM
Author:  Smoke Ring 
Address: smokezone@juno.com

A young woman on vacation takes a walk on the shores of 
Whisper Island. Lo and behold, she espies a well-hung 
"herculian" pissing in a bush. What, on earth, is a herculian? If 
the author meant the man in question looked like Hercules, he 
would have a Herculean physique, or actually be called 
"Hercules" in a metaphorical reference to the Greek hero. Or, on 
a longshot, the author may have meant the man was a Herculoid, 
one of the beasties from the late 1960s Hanna-Barbera cartoon of 
the same name; but as the guy in question didn't fly, change his 
shape, or shoot laser beams from his eyes, I kinda doubt the 
latter.

This was not a good story, or a hot story, or an interesting story. 
We get lots of inept descriptions of scenery and atmospheric 
conditions; the author also has a fetish for telling us the exact 
heights of every geographical feature the heroine passes ("the 
waterfall came plumeting down looked about 175 ft."  "surrounded 
by 120ft. tall pine trees"  "She could see the bottom, only 15ft. 
away.") The sex was sketchy and underwhelming.

In short, if you want an island vacation, go to Club Med.


The Priest and the Hustler [A-/B+]
When posted: 1/19/98
Where posted: ASSGM
Author: Alexis Rogers 
Address: arogers@calweb.com

Teachers of writing always insist it's better to start a tale in the 
middle of action. In this story, we find ourselves smack dab 
middle in an argument between three men, two of whom have 
been having an affair, and it's gradually revealed that one is a 
counselor, one a Catholic priest, and one the troubled young man 
the priest is having the affair with.

I liked the story and it had promise, but it was confusing to make 
sense of at first. Especially since the priest wasn't called "Father 
O'Malley" or a like title that lets us know he's a priest. Some of the 
dialogue sounded awkward too, like "But even with Charlie and 
Lloyd as role models, with a relationship of love of trust, I still 
lean towards the hustler mentality, with the payoff being the 
rush, the challenge, the thrill, and some times, the money." This 
is more of the way someone would write (as if in an 
autobiography) than speak. But the story was interesting, with 
lots of drama and angst, and ends on a kinky note of restraint 
with the priest and kid forbidden by the counselor to touch each 
other until they iron out their feelings...the lure of the illicit 
affair simultaneously receiving approval and denial at the same 
time.


The Red Room, Parts I, II, III, IV, V [A]
When posted: 1/19/98
Where posted: ASCEM (alt.startrek.creative.erotica.moderated)
Author: SFarn37600 
Address: SFarn37600@aol.com

Mr. Spock goes to an intergalactic brothel! Once you're over the 
shock of it, he goes upstairs to "The Red Room" where a young 
prostitute named Tiberius awaits him, and as is typical for this 
type of fiction, they play D/S games of master and slave. Of 
course, I guessed who Tiberius was long before, and if you're 
familiar with Star Trek, you will too. Well done, and a nice 
addition to the slash genre. 


Please Watch the Closing Doors [A]
When posted: 1/22/98
Where posted: ASS, ASSM
Author: Taria
Address: tariat@aol.com

In this story Taria-as-narrator takes a subway ride and is 
attracting to a good-looking young Asian man dressed Wu-Tang 
style. She commands him to get off the subway with her and they 
have sex, proving that women are just as likely to treat young 
boys as eye and finger candy as older men are with young girls. 
(I might question, though, that the heroine fantasizes about the 
kid running his hands over her body. I'd be more likely to 
fantasize my hands running over his.) This story didn't have the 
sly commentary or ultra-realism of "Walls Have Ears," which 
remains my seminal favorite; instead, it ventured more into the 
Joe Parsons territory of Boston Market porn (because it's filling, 
home-style, and basic.) I recommend it as a good candidate for the 
Asian Sex Stories Archive, as it was a well-done depiction of a 
pairing you don't see too much of. 


School House Rock [D]
When posted: 1/24/98
Where posted:
Author: John Morvillo
Address: Cupids_arrow@webtv.net 

I had high hopes, I mean *really* high hopes, that this story 
would turn out to be a spoof of those mid-70s educational jingles 
shown on Saturday morning TV between cartoons, the ones that 
taught Generation X their times tables or American history. 
(They're available on CD now, can you believe it?) But no luck. 
Instead it's teen angst time again: "Ever since the beggining of 
school I had admired Jessicas long legs and firm body. I saw her 
everyday and she never seemed to notice me. I would masturbate 
thinking of her." I can usually tell what grade a story is within 
the first few paragraphs, and in this case it's within the first 
three sentences. This author should go watch some of those 
Schoolhouse Rock snippets on English and grammar. If a 
teenager wrote this, I fear for the future of our country. If an 
adult wrote this, I'm moving someplace with a higher educational 
standard, like, say, Canada.

Comments to: ladycyrrh@aol.com
Website--->  http://members.aol.com/ladycyrrh


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