This just bothered me

[malinborn]

I am reading this series of books by Laurell K Hamilton called Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter. Okay, they are not called that but they are referred to that. The books started as great Horror/Drama/Mystery and slowly got more and more sexual as the series went on. Book eight ended the slight sexual contact and book nine began the slow downward spiral towards orgyfest. I do not mind sex but sex for sex sake in a series like this is not so great and it's not written so well... well now she is introducing BDSM and is not doing so very well... in fact her ideals behind it bother me.

The character is very straight laced and is learning to be more.. willing for her countless lovers.. and one is very into BDSM. Anyway the term gets tossed around often in the first pages of this book and the below paragraph came up and it just.. hit me.

"There was something about being tied down while he slipped inside me with no protection that added to the illusion. BDSM was like stripping. Stripping was about the illusion that the customer could have the dancers for real sex. BDSM was about the illusion that you would truly hurt the person, that you would truly do exactly what the game pretended."

Okay... maybe it is a game to many... to many it is nothing more then just a game to several.. but this statement just seems too.. clean cut for me. Too cut and dry and flat like this is all it is to anyone... instead of saying something more like "BDSM, for me, was like stripping.... ....that you would truly do what was promised."


I dunno... am I over-thinking this?

 

[graceanne]

You're over thinking it. lol

I've read all of them, and I don't really think of them as bdsm books. They're books that occasionally have bdsm in them.

 

[Mrs. Sanj]

That does sound very cut and dry. It makes it difficult though. When writing you need to write from the perspective of the character and convey their thoughts, feelings and actions as they would describe if they were speaking. In that way I could understand a comment made like that.

I don't agree with it, you are right though there are individuals that are into it as a lifestyle, some that like it for a past time and others that use it as a hobby.

 

[malinborn]

This is from Blood Noir the most recent one. I don't think of them of them as BDSM books either... not even remotely. That is why I said "now she is introducing BDSM and is not doing so very well"

I just hate her generalization of it

 

[malinborn]

*nods*

I have tried to think of this in that regard... that this is being written in the pov of Anita... so if that is how she sees it.. that is how she will describe it. It makes sense.. but... *sighs*

That does sound very cut and dry. It makes it difficult though. When writing you need to write from the perspective of the character and convey their thoughts, feelings and actions as they would describe if they were speaking. In that way I could understand a comment made like that.

I don't agree with it, you are right though there are individuals that are into it as a lifestyle, some that like it for a past time and others that use it as a hobby.

 

[graceanne]

This is from Blood Noir the most recent one. I don't think of them of them as BDSM books either... not even remotely. That is why I said "now she is introducing BDSM and is not doing so very well"

I just hate her generalization of it

Well, also, the character, Anita, is a BDSM newbie. I'm sure the rest of us made generalizations and had mistaken impressions about BDSM.

 

[EmpressFi]

Honestly, I think she's just getting confused about who's speaking .. Anita or Meredith... either that or she's wrapped up in the sex sells. The stories in the beginning didnt need quite THIS much sex to hold up the storyline... but now, it's all they are.. one big penthouse forum with a little bit of real book in the beginning and a quick wrap up on the last page. The last few have just made me more and more disappointed

 

[malinborn]

I didn't. I mean, maybe i'm just open minded enough that when i first read about it i wanted to know more from people who could teach me. I have, of course, made generalizations about many other things in my life so it's not like i am flawless there LOL

and yes, i know. i Do get that this is just her character's mindset.. i just said i think the writing of it bothers me.

I sort of wish Laurell would do a little more thought into some of the sex and kink she writes about even if it is all written from Anita's standpoint.

Well, also, the character, Anita, is a BDSM newbie. I'm sure the rest of us made generalizations and had mistaken impressions about BDSM.

 

[Mrs. Sanj]

*nods*

I have tried to think of this in that regard... that this is being written in the pov of Anita... so if that is how she sees it.. that is how she will describe it. It makes sense.. but... *sighs*

I hear ya, it's the same problem when ever your thoughts or opinions differ from another. You can't change it though. Just shake your head in disapproval and keep reading.

 

[malinborn]

I think that is what I will have to do. I know I am thinking too much into this and the author has suggested the books are going to get less sexual in nature so i hope this book is a bit of a turning point though I hear it's a bit of a fluff piece similar to her Micah book... we'll see

 

[graceanne]

Honestly, I think she's just getting confused about who's speaking .. Anita or Meredith... either that or she's wrapped up in the sex sells. The stories in the beginning didnt need quite THIS much sex to hold up the storyline... but now, it's all they are.. one big penthouse forum with a little bit of real book in the beginning and a quick wrap up on the last page. The last few have just made me more and more disappointed

I wish she'd find an in between. I liked the old ones and I like the new ones, but I sure wouldn't mind a little bit more action and a little less sex.

 

[celticsunspiral]

Felt I should post on this thread since my av is Anita Blake.

Actually, there has been a BDSM theme run throuh several of the books in this series. I agree that her portral of it is flawed, some books were extreme and others not. If I knew more and had more experience I would email her and talk with her about it. Found this on her web site, thought it was interesting that she portrays herself as having knowledge.

Quote from Laurell's Blog

Monday, June 9
Phoenix Evening
...One of the questions was about how I had researched the bondage and submission for the books. I talked about starting with the book, A Different Loving, and ending with finding a guide to take me to BDSM events. If I hadn’t done the research, I’d have sooo gotten it wrong, like most movies and books. I was asked if I still went to events, and I had to say, no. I didn’t do public events anymore, because every time I did someone outted me on the internet, or to other people. There are two rules for BDSM that are meant never, ever, be broken. Rule one: safe, sane and consensual. You play safe, don’t get crazy, and no really does mean no. Rule two: you do not out anyone. In fact, I was taught that if someone bears tales out of school from one of these events they can get black listed. Not just from that event, but any and all events. If you can’t keep your mouth shut, then no one wants to play with you. But I can’t go, even if all I do is try to visit with friends, someone is on the internet telling that I was there, what I was wearing, etc . . . Why do I explain this here? Because three different women came up and asked about this later. Two of them misunderstood and thought I’d been black listed, nope, I’ve done nothing wrong. One, just didn’t seem to understand what I meant. So, here, in print, I hope that clears up, the misunderstanding on this topic. I did meet a woman at the Ann Arbor signing that had also had trouble in the St. Louis BDSM community with people tattling. I’m sort of a celebrity, so it makes a little sense, but apparently St. Louis has some people that just can’t keep their mouth shut. Sad.......

posted by LKH at 6/09/2008 04:49:00 PM

 

[FurryFury]

See, what I've learned from reading novels that are supposed to be all BDSM-y is that 99.9% of the authors have NO real idea what BDSM is.

Even if they've researched it, the basics of what it is remains either a mystery to the writer or colored by their own inaccurate somewhat base interests. Well that, and how it might add to sales.

I've never considered her stuff to be BDSM. It was clear from book one she bought into the whole, refusing to have sex means you are a good person BS in our culture. At least then she wrote TONS of action.

 

[graceanne]

The other thing to consider is that BDSM is fluid - what it is to one person isn't what it is to another person. That's why we have so many label wars.

 

[Marquis]

No one in this thread OWNs BDSM.

Instead of asking someone else to say "well, THIS is what BDSM is to me"

why not just say yourself, "well THAT's not what BDSM is to me" and be comfortable with it.

For what it's worth, I didn't think the analogy was that bad. I also haven't read the books, but I wouldn't be shocked if the writing in a novel called Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter was a little trite.

 

[graceanne]

No one in this thread OWNs BDSM.

Instead of asking someone else to say "well, THIS is what BDSM is to me"

why not just say yourself, "well THAT's not what BDSM is to me" and be comfortable with it.

That's pretty much what I just said.

 

[FurryFury]

Well I'm not trying to "own" BDSM. However, I'm saying that when I read what most writers come up with and think is BDSM, the dynamics seem all misguided just wrong or downright insulting, to me.

*shrug*

 

[kittenartist]

Interesting.

I just started reading this series. I am on The Lunatic Cafe and was starting to get cranky about the lack of sex/bdsm I was promised by the many people who recommended the series. *laughs* Glad to see it will come up eventually -- even if it isn't ideal (to some ).

 

[graceanne]

Interesting.

I just started reading this series. I am on The Lunatic Cafe and was starting to get cranky about the lack of sex/bdsm I was promised by the many people who recommended the series. *laughs* Glad to see it will come up eventually -- even if it isn't ideal (to some ).

Yeah, the first probably half of the series is totally sex free. Then the sex starts, but it doesn't start getting REALLY kinky till the last few books.

But, quite frankly, you gotta read them all to understand what's going on. And the books are good by themselves.

 

[DVS]

I am reading this series of books by Laurell K Hamilton called Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter. Okay, they are not called that but they are referred to that. The books started as great Horror/Drama/Mystery and slowly got more and more sexual as the series went on. Book eight ended the slight sexual contact and book nine began the slow downward spiral towards orgyfest. I do not mind sex but sex for sex sake in a series like this is not so great and it's not written so well... well now she is introducing BDSM and is not doing so very well... in fact her ideals behind it bother me.

The character is very straight laced and is learning to be more.. willing for her countless lovers.. and one is very into BDSM. Anyway the term gets tossed around often in the first pages of this book and the below paragraph came up and it just.. hit me.



Okay... maybe it is a game to many... to many it is nothing more then just a game to several.. but this statement just seems too.. clean cut for me. Too cut and dry and flat like this is all it is to anyone... instead of saying something more like "BDSM, for me, was like stripping.... ....that you would truly do what was promised."


I dunno... am I over-thinking this?

I think you are over-thinking this, too. I'm on the outside here, because I haven't read the book. But, this is just one person's opinion and everybody has one. To say this is NOT what BDSM is...well, DUH.

And maybe this was just what the character in the book was thinking? You know, people new to BDSM don't always see the whole picture in the beginning. They just see certain things. Maybe this charactor will see and understand more as the story progresses? OK, I did say I haven't read the book. I could be totally wrong.

 

[caela]

I'll agree that you're overthinking it a bit Malin. However if you're going to think about it instead of just reading it and letting it go ) ) you also have to remember that Anita's introduction to BDSM was really through Nathaniel who came to her as one fucked up lil wereleopard so she's got to deal with his kinks while also safely navigating the emotional/mental minefield that he represents...all while still learning how to execute his kinks in a manner that both pleases him and doesn't totally wig her out at the same time lol.

I like these books but I'm hoping that this one really is a bit of a turning point and that she finds a better balance between all the sex and the actual ACTION in the books. Now that it looks like Anita can feed on anger/rage as well as sex she might be able to do that...hell can you imagine the boost she could get feeding off some of the vamps she's gone after in her other books?!!! Then there's the whole Mommy Noir subplot to develop as well...I'm really hoping this woman wakes up hehehe.

 

[Abraxas Winterlight]

if you like that genre and don't want the penthouse style writing try Kelly Armstrong.

Similar to Hamilton but much less penthouse forum in it. I really enjoy her books. Yes they have sex in them, but it's the story that sells the books, not the sex.

Keri Arthur is ok too. More sex in her books, but it's not "introduce soryline, 200 pages of orgy, wrap up storyline"

 

[malinborn]

I think she just needs to put a bullet into a few heads and be happy with JC

I am not trying to own BDSM i suppose it just bothers me to see something in a mainstream novel be so cut and dry though i have decided to look at this as Anita's perspective, flawed as it may be

Thanks all to thos who have replied to this... and kittenartist it's not that the sex doesn't appeal it's that she just doesn't write it very well.

I hope you enjoy the series. I recommend it to almost all of my friends

I'll agree that you're overthinking it a bit Malin. However if you're going to think about it instead of just reading it and letting it go ) ) you also have to remember that Anita's introduction to BDSM was really through Nathaniel who came to her as one fucked up lil wereleopard so she's got to deal with his kinks while also safely navigating the emotional/mental minefield that he represents...all while still learning how to execute his kinks in a manner that both pleases him and doesn't totally wig her out at the same time lol.

I like these books but I'm hoping that this one really is a bit of a turning point and that she finds a better balance between all the sex and the actual ACTION in the books. Now that it looks like Anita can feed on anger/rage as well as sex she might be able to do that...hell can you imagine the boost she could get feeding off some of the vamps she's gone after in her other books?!!! Then there's the whole Mommy Noir subplot to develop as well...I'm really hoping this woman wakes up hehehe.

 

[Betticus]

I enjoyed the earlier books before they turned into strange harlequin romance meets hustler forum letter books.

Seriously, the last one, the noir one ... Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck a lot more, plane trip, stare down a guard, fuck, go to party, go back to room, fuck a bunch of strange guys for days without stop, feel a bit whorish, one chapter of action, more fucking.

That's basically a breakdown of the whole book. The one before was just like that and the one before that I managed to force myself through a 200 page sex scene before I was absolutely convinced the entirety of the book was the chick fucking everything that moved. An entire "vampire hunter" novel that has nothing but her fucking a vampire and a whole slew of people who turn into animals, sometimes during the fucking.

And isn't she supposed to raise up zombies?

 

[FurryFury]

Most males I know got turned off to the books about the time they became fuck fests with little to no action or storyline.

I've enjoyed seeing Anita progress from uptight little bitch to overburdened, somewhat accepting of all the sex, slut.