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10 Authors Who Put Sex In Their Science Fiction

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Dagrolord
04/20/09

In reply to 10 Authors Who Put Sex In Their Science Fiction
A great list including many of the giants of left-handed science fiction paperbacks.

I got my hands on a copy of Phillip Jose Farmer's A Feast Unknown as a teenager. I remember keeping it hidden between my mattresses although from its cover it would have passed parental scrutiny.
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Ian Vincent
04/18/09

In reply to 10 Authors Who Put Sex In Their Science Fiction
Nothing on Spider Robinson - Callahan's Bar/Lady Sally's Place? Heck, Lady Sally's is a brothel where Nikola Tesla is a regular! (Also has one of the best literary celebrations of BBWs ever written.)
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Evil Tortie's Mom: R.O.A.C.H.
04/18/09

@Ian Vincent: Yes, lots of sexy sex sex in many different forms, some involving aliens, and it's all regarded as a Good Thing.

But sex with someone(s) you love is still held up as the best, which is very sweet.
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Alexis
04/17/09

In reply to 10 Authors Who Put Sex In Their Science Fiction
Yay! Varley love.
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Evil Tortie's Mom: R.O.A.C.H.
04/17/09

In reply to 10 Authors Who Put Sex In Their Science Fiction
On "Houston, Houston", I'll give you "stagnant" (though I'd call it merely very slow-growing, after a big setback), but am puzzled as to where you get "ruthless" -- I thought the story very OBVIOUSLY and clearly made the opposite point.

The all-female world had love, families, sex, but no violence, war, poverty, religious hatred, or cut-throat competition, AND they had colonies on other worlds.
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Alasdair Wilkins
04/17/09

@Evil Tortie's Mom: I was going on how they treated the crewmen (not that at least two of them didn't somewhat deserve it, but anyway). Eh, I'll just take it out - you definitely know better than me on this one.
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Evil Tortie's Mom: R.O.A.C.H.
04/17/09

@Alasdair Wilkins: *victory dance*

(they treated those guys really well, until the men got all asshole-y, and even then they were pretty mellow)
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Steve Stockdale
04/17/09

In reply to 10 Authors Who Put Sex In Their Science Fiction
How can you forget Larry Niven? He may not have been the most graphic, but the whole concept of rishathra deserves mention.
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Evil Tortie's Mom: R.O.A.C.H.
04/17/09

@Steve Stockdale: The fact that he invented a world that needed a word for that is impressive.

Bonus points for "Man of Steel, Woman of Kleenex".
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taterpie
04/17/09

In reply to 10 Authors Who Put Sex In Their Science Fiction
Where's Piers Anthony and his skeevy sexbooks?
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geekgrrl
04/20/09

@taterpie: and here i thought i was the only one who found his sex-tinged scenes a little "off."
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Evdor
04/17/09

In reply to 10 Authors Who Put Sex In Their Science Fiction
It needs to be said.

When did Io9 turn into Fleshbot's Sci-fish cousin? :P

(Seriously, soooo 'Sci-fi sex' on the front page today..)
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Grey_Area
04/17/09

@Evdor: It is all in honor of the Hyu-mon Mating Season that these primitive mammals seem to enjoy so much. By Monday all shall revert to usual nerdishness, with occasional NSFW.
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DeltaGuy
04/17/09

In reply to 10 Authors Who Put Sex In Their Science Fiction
Is it just me that can't find number 5?
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Alasdair Wilkins
04/17/09

@DeltaGuy: Oh wow, you're totally right. I'll have to add one in.
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Alasdair Wilkins
04/17/09

@DeltaGuy: There ya go. Sorry about that...it's been a long week.
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Alasdair Wilkins
04/17/09

In reply to 10 Authors Who Put Sex In Their Science Fiction
I'll just say as sort of a general note/disclaimer, that pretty much any attempt to do a comprehensive survey of something like this is doomed to failure. I tried to focus on those who were considered absolutely ground-breaking (Farmer, Sturgeon) or who were just generally luminaries of the genre (Heinlein, Le Guin). This list is definitely not meant to be the be all and end all for this - this list could legitimately have been "1000 Authors Who Put Sex In Their Science Fiction."
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Grey_Area
04/17/09

@Alasdair Wilkins: Homes, this was a great list. I was unduly unkind at Alyssa's non-bookish list earlier today--must apologize. You did a great job, thanks much!
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JonathanBreese
04/17/09

In reply to 10 Authors Who Put Sex In Their Science Fiction
"Sex and science fiction have not always been the most obvious partners;"

Holy Christ!?! Are f-ing kidding me. It seems that every time I pick up one of the classics of Science Fiction or Fantasy, they are nothing but masturbatory fantasies for 13 year olds. It is even worse with the latest collection of writers.

For God's Sake, if I have to read one more passage about an evil dictator who has implants in his penis to deliver various drugs anally, or read sex described as "plowing the field" one more time, I am going to gouge my damn eyes out.

I started to make an effort to read more and more Sci-Fi and fantasy, and they are one step away from trashy romance novels. It is bad enough that I thought about tossing aside the genre all together.

Sci-fi and sex not obvious partners? Man... what sci-fi have you been reading.
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matthewtoney
04/17/09

@JonathanBreese: "they are nothing but masturbatory fantasies for 13 year olds" - ok with a lot of the early stuff I would agree with that - although that was pretty awesome when I was reading it AND a 13 year old male.

Still, "implants in his penis to deliver various drugs anally" and "plowing the field" - what the hell are you reading? I don't find modern sci-fi to be like that at all, but I guess it depends on who you're reading.
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Evil Tortie's Mom: R.O.A.C.H.
04/17/09

@matthewtoney: I'm wondering where he's buying his books. Haven't seen a lot of that in my local Barnes and Noble.
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Andrew Liptak
04/17/09

In reply to 10 Authors Who Put Sex In Their Science Fiction
Richard K. Morgan also puts in quite the steamy scene in his books.
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tetracycloide
04/17/09

@Andrew Liptak: steamy is an understatement, he puts much of the above to abject shame.
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taterpie
04/17/09

@Andrew Liptak: I was just coming to say the same. And he's even handed. Lots of sex whether characters are gay or straight.

To be honest I wish he'd scale back on the graphic nature of the sex.
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Grey_Area
04/17/09

@taterpie: I have to agree. Sometimes it feels like Penthouse Forum.
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