Is realism asking too much?

I'd like to know why the slave maiden is turned on and satisfied by the loaning to the buddies. If, as the reader, I ask 'why would she react that way' and the author writes the character with the depth to explain that to me, now that's a good story. In the OP's example, I would want to know why the woman tolerates being dressed like a slut 24/7. If it's not plausible, I'll put the book down. One book (non-erotic) was so bad I ripped the cover off and threw it away in an airport garbage can. That was brutal, 5 hours on a plane and only the worst book I've ever read for company. In another book I read, a good book, a teenage girl was captured and sold into slavery. No one laid a hand on her and she was taught technical skills because a technician was brought a much higher price than a sex slave. I'm sorry, but she would have been assaulted to pieces then taught technical skills. That evasion was an eye-roller. It would have been far more plausible if the author had mentioned that the girl's time in the slave facility was hell and that she was dealing with issues, and used that as a motivator instead of the you-destroyed-my-space-colony-now-prepare-to-die trope.

Hi Proc (your handle is kinda mysterious, so...)

I agree with some of your points below, and they do point up the question, "What is realism", esp. in porn stories. For instance your last example of a story of a captured teen in a "slave facility", seems to question the LACK of 'use' of her, i.e. rape. In effect, you're saying the premise of the story is not plausibly carried out. That's one of several 'legs' to this 'realist' stool.

To focus discussion, here's another fine little story--Self Discipline--by a Lit person, penandpaper, I haven't seen for a while, but who was an excellent contributor.

http://www.literotica.com/s/self-discipline


I don't know if his/her story is, exactly, 'porn,' though several passages are pretty hot, mostly on the fine points of female jerking off. It's damn readable, however. I give it high marks--E, excellent-- for realism of character and plot.

Perhaps we're caught in a definitional trap here in that 'porn' stories MIGHT be defined as

1) prosaically (at best) written,

2) characterless (w. lust-figures whose cocks or cunts define them),

3) implausible (only lust moves anyone, no complications in the story), and

4) a)predictable (because totally straightforward in action sequence; i.e no real plot except, 'see it, get it, fuck it')

b)with graphic sex scenes whose apparent purpose (in over the top, formulaic detailing) is to get the reader jerking off.

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IF that's the definition, the the 'realism' issue cannot arise; nor indeed can the issue of merit, unless that means exceptionally quick in promoting the reader's masturbation.

If porn is what I've just said, I guess this one is 'erotica' or maybe just a good short story with some pornish (graphically detailed) passages.

And this will suit some, and not others. Or, to put it differently, it's a story I happily re-read, but NOT because I wanted quick fodder for a wank.

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procndest said:

I'd like to know why the slave maiden is turned on and satisfied by the loaning to the buddies. If, as the reader, I ask 'why would she react that way' and the author writes the character with the depth to explain that to me, now that's a good story. In the OP's example, I would want to know why the woman tolerates being dressed like a slut 24/7. If it's not plausible, I'll put the book down. One book (non-erotic) was so bad I ripped the cover off and threw it away in an airport garbage can. That was brutal, 5 hours on a plane and only the worst book I've ever read for company.

In another book I read, a good book, a teenage girl was captured and sold into slavery. No one laid a hand on her and she was taught technical skills because a technician was brought a much higher price than a sex slave. I'm sorry, but she would have been assaulted to pieces then taught technical skills. That evasion was an eye-roller. It would have been far more plausible if the author had mentioned that the girl's time in the slave facility was hell and that she was dealing with issues, and used that as a motivator instead of the you-destroyed-my-space-colony-now-prepare-to-die trope.

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Pure,

Good points. I don't know how much "realism" we can expect in porn or erotica. After all, most sexual encounters are in the context of an actual relationship which is usually both complex and mundane. Plus, there are certain conventions people expect in these stories such as a climactic sex scene that the author saves his best descriptions for.

Anyhow, here are the things that immediately make me stop reading a story.

-- Hackneyed descriptions of the characters, especially when a female character is described by the cup and band size of her bra.

-- Lack of characterization

-- Cliched and obviously contrived situations. Each genre and category has its own chesnuts that inexperienced writers put out.

-- Not enough depth in the character to make me understand why he or she is turned on by a situation.

-- Where there is nothing remarkable about the story to warrent its inclusion in the category. For example, a typical story about a sexual encounter with the only caveat being the characters are of different races; however there is nothing in the story that warrants it being in that category and the interracial aspects are just a a gimmicky attempt to turn a mediocre story into something better.

Defamiliarization is a term often used by fiction writers. I think it might be a better word for what we are trying to get at than realism.

I can go for realism in a story. I read a story awhile back where this housewife tells how she was seduced by her daughter's boyfriend and his friend into becoming their sex slave. It was hot.

I read one were this woman had sex with her son's friends.

JustaSCOUNDREL said:

I wonder if it is not a desire to get as many of their fantasies as possible into a single story. It could also be an attempt to get more folks to give them good marks by adding as many kinks into a story as they can.

Mike

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This is what I was thinking also.
It's all about "read me, read me".
I think a story that is written with more realism would be hotter because you can see it happening in real life.

I guess realism is okay at times. But I live in reality, so I want to write and read and day dream about fantastical situations I could never possibly get into.

That's just my not-very-enlightening two cents!

Spam is reported.

To actually contribute, I have to point to callmecritter's response as being critical to understanding the situation. You don't come to read pr0n in order to experience everyday, "realistic" sex; you can get that in your bedroom any old day of the week. You come to pr0n for your fantasies, for the things you can't get.

Additionally, well, pr0n gets boring. Each individual author--and the body of contributors as a whole--feels the need to push boundaries, innovate, be creative, instead of just repeating or regurgitating that which has been done before. Every year something comes out that tops everything that has come before it, puts all the others to shame. Next year someone will have to top that. In that way, pr0n gets more and more extreme as time goes on. It's a marketing decision, but it puts nails in the coffin of realism.

My two cents, worth what you paid for 'em.