What do you think?
Rate this book
Aqua Erotica: 18 Stories for a Steamy Bath
Imagine a hot tub party where a married couple tests the boundaries of fidelity. A model who finds herself unaccountably aroused as she poses for a watercolor artist. A pool of water on a desert road and two lovers who know how to make the most of it. This is Aqua Erotica , a sensuous tasting of desire's liquid, ecstatic other worlds.
Aqua Erotica is a siren's song, a book so unforgettably sexy that you will want to take it with you to the bath, the sauna, the night-lit pool.
What's amazing is that you can.
The first-ever waterproof book for adults. The most seductive collection of original literary erotica ever gathered under one cover.
Aqua Erotica is a book that quite literally goes places you never imagined books could go. Featuring today's boldest erotic
Francesca Lia Block
Poppy Z. Brite
Louise Erdrich
Carol Queen
Marcy Sheiner
Cecilia Tan
Barry Yourgrau
and many others --
Aqua Erotica is a siren's song, a book so unforgettably sexy that you will want to take it with you to the bath, the sauna, the night-lit pool.
What's amazing is that you can.
The first-ever waterproof book for adults. The most seductive collection of original literary erotica ever gathered under one cover.
Aqua Erotica is a book that quite literally goes places you never imagined books could go. Featuring today's boldest erotic
Francesca Lia Block
Poppy Z. Brite
Louise Erdrich
Carol Queen
Marcy Sheiner
Cecilia Tan
Barry Yourgrau
and many others --
208 pages, Paperback
First published August 22, 2000
14 people are currently reading
400 people want to read
About the author
Mary Anne Mohanraj
76 books160 followersMary Anne Mohanraj is author of A Feast of Serendib, Bodies in Motion, The Stars Change, and twelve other titles. Other recent publications include stories for George R.R. Martin’s Wild Cards series, Perennial: A Garden Romance (Tincture), stories at Clarkesworld, Asimov’s, and Lightspeed, and an essay in Roxane Gay’s Unruly Bodies.
Mohanraj founded Hugo-nominated and World Fantasy Award-winning speculative literature magazine Strange Horizons, and serves as Executive Director of both DesiLit (desilit.org) and the Speculative Literature Foundation (speclit.org). She is Clinical Associate Professor of fiction and literature at the University of Illinois at Chicago. www.maryannemohanraj.com
Mohanraj founded Hugo-nominated and World Fantasy Award-winning speculative literature magazine Strange Horizons, and serves as Executive Director of both DesiLit (desilit.org) and the Speculative Literature Foundation (speclit.org). She is Clinical Associate Professor of fiction and literature at the University of Illinois at Chicago. www.maryannemohanraj.com
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
September 28, 2019
In my list of the stories I want to read are erotic books. Not just the Penthouse style ‘stroke books’ but erotica. Something beyond tab A into slot B, repeat. Of late I have read through a few books that do little more than align body parts in various combination. The 18 short stories collected by Mary Anne Mohabraj in Aqua Erotica prove that human sexuality can inspire lovely writing. For me an incidental bonus is that the editor and many of the authors are female. I both applauded the women who are making a public issue of embracing their sexuality and have a personal interest in how they express their experience of sex.
The title alone should be enough warning that this is not for those with zero tolerance for any mention of sex and parents should be advised. If your want is the craft of writing and can embrace the steamy, this is your book. It certainly exceeds my desire for good writing. A few of the stories had the physical intensity that can happen in porn, but all of them represent what a free imagination and a skilled wordsmith can achieve.
The idea behind the title is that every story features water. From almost dried roadside pools of rain water to the breath of the ocean there is some mention of water in each story. To make sure we get the point the pages are water proof. Hence the sub title: Stories for a Steamy Bath.
Included are the usual combinations MF, MM, FF, MFF and so forth. In fact, more than four. Kinky level varies but not much beyond restraints and mild BDSM. Something for almost everyone. Then again this was edited together before LGB adopted the T.
Aqua Erotica is the first of several books under this title and editorship. Their reviews have me concerned that the quality in this book represents something unto lightning in a bottle. I will be seeking other offerings by the Editor Mary Anne Mohanraj and the authors she has brought to my delighted attention.
The title alone should be enough warning that this is not for those with zero tolerance for any mention of sex and parents should be advised. If your want is the craft of writing and can embrace the steamy, this is your book. It certainly exceeds my desire for good writing. A few of the stories had the physical intensity that can happen in porn, but all of them represent what a free imagination and a skilled wordsmith can achieve.
The idea behind the title is that every story features water. From almost dried roadside pools of rain water to the breath of the ocean there is some mention of water in each story. To make sure we get the point the pages are water proof. Hence the sub title: Stories for a Steamy Bath.
Included are the usual combinations MF, MM, FF, MFF and so forth. In fact, more than four. Kinky level varies but not much beyond restraints and mild BDSM. Something for almost everyone. Then again this was edited together before LGB adopted the T.
Aqua Erotica is the first of several books under this title and editorship. Their reviews have me concerned that the quality in this book represents something unto lightning in a bottle. I will be seeking other offerings by the Editor Mary Anne Mohanraj and the authors she has brought to my delighted attention.
May 29, 2010
***WARNING: THIS REVIEW IS FOR ADULTS ONLY (18 YEARS UP)***
It's been more than I year since I bought this book on sale. I have a daughter who turned into a teenager only a couple of years back and I would not want her to see me around the house reading a explicitly sexy book like this. This weekend, finally, she is spending time with her grandparents. So, yesterday I looked for this book that had been hidden at the bottom of a stack of books in our (my wife's and mine) bedroom. I started reading and told myself that I would finish this 204-page book on Sunday morning, the day she was supposed to be back. To my surprise, I finished this within 24 hours!
This is a "Durabook" which means a waterproof book. You can submerge this in water and read it. I did not try it because I bought this for P115 (a little than US$2.00) and I know of some relatives and friends who would be glad to borrow this after me. Being a waterproof book is a great, new and apt idea because this sexy book is composed of 18 erotic short stories. Stories that couples can read and share while relaxing in a bath tub or sharing a steamy bath in a sauna.
18 short stories by 18 gifted erotic storytellers. I do not know any of them as this is my first sex book after many, many years. I did not actually look for this. I just happened to be there in Booksale Waltermart sitting prettily on one of its shelves last year and it looked decently attractive, not to mention yummy LOL, what with the artistically-shot cover picture of a couple making out in the water. Also, the "Durabook" technology fascinated me.
I would say that the stories are made more with women in mind. Only few of them are "action-oriented" i.e., like watching a XXX porno material. Most are like X or R rated short films: 80% of which are verbiage or fore-foreplay. So, this is not really dirty but if you are still a minor or you are not open to this kind of stuff, nobody's forcing you to check this out. I saw in the internet that there is already Part II of this so I will be watching out when it will be showing up itself in Booksale Waltermart.
It's been more than I year since I bought this book on sale. I have a daughter who turned into a teenager only a couple of years back and I would not want her to see me around the house reading a explicitly sexy book like this. This weekend, finally, she is spending time with her grandparents. So, yesterday I looked for this book that had been hidden at the bottom of a stack of books in our (my wife's and mine) bedroom. I started reading and told myself that I would finish this 204-page book on Sunday morning, the day she was supposed to be back. To my surprise, I finished this within 24 hours!
This is a "Durabook" which means a waterproof book. You can submerge this in water and read it. I did not try it because I bought this for P115 (a little than US$2.00) and I know of some relatives and friends who would be glad to borrow this after me. Being a waterproof book is a great, new and apt idea because this sexy book is composed of 18 erotic short stories. Stories that couples can read and share while relaxing in a bath tub or sharing a steamy bath in a sauna.
18 short stories by 18 gifted erotic storytellers. I do not know any of them as this is my first sex book after many, many years. I did not actually look for this. I just happened to be there in Booksale Waltermart sitting prettily on one of its shelves last year and it looked decently attractive, not to mention yummy LOL, what with the artistically-shot cover picture of a couple making out in the water. Also, the "Durabook" technology fascinated me.
I would say that the stories are made more with women in mind. Only few of them are "action-oriented" i.e., like watching a XXX porno material. Most are like X or R rated short films: 80% of which are verbiage or fore-foreplay. So, this is not really dirty but if you are still a minor or you are not open to this kind of stuff, nobody's forcing you to check this out. I saw in the internet that there is already Part II of this so I will be watching out when it will be showing up itself in Booksale Waltermart.
June 13, 2008
hot stuff.
some of it disturbing.
some of it boring.
some of it disturbing.
some of it boring.
March 4, 2016
Rating: Mild 4, as much for the story-telling as the heat factor.
My favorites:
"I Want" - Mary Maxwell: Two women on a desert road.
"New House" - Daniel James Cabrillo: A man meets a mysterious woman at a house he's considering purchasing.
"Watercolor" - Thomas S. Roche: An artist's model is attracted to the artist.
"Movements" - Michael Hemmingson: A married couple try something different.
"Seven Cups of Water" - Mary Anne Mohanraj: The narrator and her brother's new wife.
These two were interesting stories, but not very hot:
"Nothing of Him That Doth Fade" - Poppy Z. Brite: An American couple in Australia.
"Naked Woman Playing Chopin" - Louise Erdrich: A nun falls in love with her music.
Note: Five of the 18 stories focus on same-gender pairings. So if that makes you uncomfortable, be advised.
My favorites:
"I Want" - Mary Maxwell: Two women on a desert road.
"New House" - Daniel James Cabrillo: A man meets a mysterious woman at a house he's considering purchasing.
"Watercolor" - Thomas S. Roche: An artist's model is attracted to the artist.
"Movements" - Michael Hemmingson: A married couple try something different.
"Seven Cups of Water" - Mary Anne Mohanraj: The narrator and her brother's new wife.
These two were interesting stories, but not very hot:
"Nothing of Him That Doth Fade" - Poppy Z. Brite: An American couple in Australia.
"Naked Woman Playing Chopin" - Louise Erdrich: A nun falls in love with her music.
Note: Five of the 18 stories focus on same-gender pairings. So if that makes you uncomfortable, be advised.
June 17, 2009
A friend loaned me this. It's not bad, though I've read some of the stories in other collections...
The stories in this collection are all water themed, and the book itself is waterproof--but you probably know that already.
I found some of the stories more erotic than others. This collection leans more heavily on art than on lust, which is fine. But sometimes I prefer a bit less artsy heavy breathing and a bit more explicit sex.
The stories in this collection are all water themed, and the book itself is waterproof--but you probably know that already.
I found some of the stories more erotic than others. This collection leans more heavily on art than on lust, which is fine. But sometimes I prefer a bit less artsy heavy breathing and a bit more explicit sex.
May 22, 2007
While not the hottest collection of erotica ever, I give Aqua four stars for a good effort. There are some traditionally steamy stories, but also some interesting, if not entirely successful, departures from that formula. So: if you're looking for pure smut, look elsewhere, but if you wouldn't mind a little less kink for better fiction, read away. Plus, waterproof books are cool.
December 29, 2015
Delicious forbidden pleasure. If I'm not careful, I'm going to end up a sex word addict.
Obviously, not all of the stories were winners. There were great stories, true definitions of erotica, and there were (dive) bombs. No amount of bath water would've been enough lubrication for some.
When reading erotica, a collection is usually best. Bath optional.
Obviously, not all of the stories were winners. There were great stories, true definitions of erotica, and there were (dive) bombs. No amount of bath water would've been enough lubrication for some.
When reading erotica, a collection is usually best. Bath optional.
December 12, 2007
I couldn't resist this one, the novelty of it. It's even waterproof for bath time reading. :) The stories were fun and frolicsome. Nothing to rave about, but not terrible either.
December 25, 2007
not good enough. am more interested in the waterproof pages than the content.
January 26, 2008
Not a wonderful read...but you can't beat the feel of this book....You can read it in the bathtub...what's not to love about that
July 11, 2008
My favorite stories in this collection:
- New House
- Hot Springs
- Fishermen's friend
- New House
- Hot Springs
- Fishermen's friend
August 21, 2009
Great concept, somewhat middle-of-the-road erotica though.
October 22, 2010
Used to read this at the help desk while working at a local book dealer.. Kept my cheeks flushed and my fingers white knuckled at the desk;)
September 12, 2012
I bought this just because its a waterproof book. I'ts a great idea, but, the stories kind of sucked.
December 18, 2016
Pretty good collection of erotic short stories. Book is actually waterproof.
Read
May 14, 2017
The book reviewed contains sexually explicit material, not suitable for those under the age of 18. My review contains certain words and phrases and adult themes that you might find offensive, but that I deem necessary to use for this review. Read at your own risk.
Aqua Erotica is a collection of eighteen short stories, all erotic in one respect or another, all having a connection with water in the story. The book is bound in waterproof paper so that the reader(s) may take it along with them to the bath, hot tub, or beach. Mary Anne Mohanraj, who selected and edited the stories in Aqua Erotica, also contributes the final short story. The stories run the gamut from the exotic and erotic, to good old smut. Depending upon the individual reader’s exposure to erotic materials, some of the stories may seem shocking or even tame.
Mohanraj, in gathering these sexy tales, tries to reach all audiences: heterosexual, homosexual, lesbian, bi-sexual, and swingers. Yes, she attempts to have a little something for everyone. In this regard, she fails. In the introduction, Mohanraj writes: “For decades authors have been examining the complexities of love and desire in some areas of sexuality, in the realm of the permissible; now we can openly take those discussions further.” My assumption, after reading this statement in the introduction, was that ‘anything goes’ in these stories. Well, I’ve read more graphic descriptions of homosexual/lesbian/group sex in Judith Krantz novels than in this volume of stories that the editor seems to think are beyond “the realm of the permissible.” Maybe she thinks the reader is not ready to “take those discussions further.”
While I purchased this book as a gift to my best friend and her husband who happened to be buying a house with a hot tub (they have a Christmas tradition of seeing who can give whom the kinkiest gift). They read most of the book before I did and my best friend told me that the fourth story in Aqua Erotica gave her husband a shock because it’s about two men. We shared a laugh about male homophobia and I then read the entire book just out of curiosity. In Nothing of Him That Doth Fade by Poppy Z. Brite, a gay couple are stranded off the coast of Australia during a diving trip. Of late, their relationship has been troubled and, of course, the idea of dying out there in the big ocean, brings them together again. The sex scene in that story lasts a mere five lines, while the heterosexual sex scene in New House, by Daniel James Cabrillo, goes on for seven pages. In Watercolor, by Thomas S. Roche, a lesbian does not consummate her relationship with another woman but with her vibrator instead; she could have been a heterosexual woman just as easily. Also taking on a lesbian theme is Mohanraj’s own story, Seven Cups of Water, a sensual tale of a young bride and her sister-in-law. In Deep, by Simon Sheppard, the remaining story that touches upon homosexual themes, has more sex scenes and is more graphic than Nothing of Him That Doth Fade, but that’s pretty much it for the book as far as non-heterosexual sex is concerned. Though I believe it’s possible for heterosexuals to become turned on by homosexual (lesbian and gay) erotica and vice versa, it’s clear to me that the intended audience is largely heterosexual, whether she knows it or not.
Some of the stories in this collection are better than others, all submitted by different authors with different styles having only the water theme to unify them. Even then, this connection stretches itself thin.
Hydrodynamica, by Diane Kepler, is one of the better written stories. A student studying fluid dynamics for an upcoming exam loses herself in a fantasy about meeting the author of one of the theories she’s trying to master back in 18th century Russia. The story flowed well (excuse the execrable pun), tying in the main character’s studies with her fantasy.
Both The Little Mermaid by Cecilia Tan and Mer by Francesca Lia Block follow the pattern that one would expect from the titles alone, the former being a retelling of the fairy tale of the same name, and the latter reminded me of parts of Splash. One of the better written, albeit least graphic, stories is Naked Woman Playing Chopin: A Fargo Romance by Louise Erdrich.
The other stories in the collection not previously mentioned are:
I Want by Mary Maxwell
Movements by Michael Hemmingson
Minarets by Barry Yourgrau
Hot Springs by Carol Queen
Velvet Glove by Kristine Hawes
Gliuccioni and the River God by Heather Corinna
Josie’s Rainy Day by Marcy Sheiner
Addiction by William R. Burkett, Jr.
Fisherman’s Friends by Tabitha Flyte
Overall
As I said near the beginning of this review, this volume tries to offer a little something for everybody and fails in this respect. I am not recommending this book primarily because the writing of the various stories isn’t anything stellar, with only a few reaching above average. The waterproof aspect of the book is fun and novel, but nothing else in this book is as new or ground-breaking as it styles itself.
Aqua Erotica is a collection of eighteen short stories, all erotic in one respect or another, all having a connection with water in the story. The book is bound in waterproof paper so that the reader(s) may take it along with them to the bath, hot tub, or beach. Mary Anne Mohanraj, who selected and edited the stories in Aqua Erotica, also contributes the final short story. The stories run the gamut from the exotic and erotic, to good old smut. Depending upon the individual reader’s exposure to erotic materials, some of the stories may seem shocking or even tame.
Mohanraj, in gathering these sexy tales, tries to reach all audiences: heterosexual, homosexual, lesbian, bi-sexual, and swingers. Yes, she attempts to have a little something for everyone. In this regard, she fails. In the introduction, Mohanraj writes: “For decades authors have been examining the complexities of love and desire in some areas of sexuality, in the realm of the permissible; now we can openly take those discussions further.” My assumption, after reading this statement in the introduction, was that ‘anything goes’ in these stories. Well, I’ve read more graphic descriptions of homosexual/lesbian/group sex in Judith Krantz novels than in this volume of stories that the editor seems to think are beyond “the realm of the permissible.” Maybe she thinks the reader is not ready to “take those discussions further.”
While I purchased this book as a gift to my best friend and her husband who happened to be buying a house with a hot tub (they have a Christmas tradition of seeing who can give whom the kinkiest gift). They read most of the book before I did and my best friend told me that the fourth story in Aqua Erotica gave her husband a shock because it’s about two men. We shared a laugh about male homophobia and I then read the entire book just out of curiosity. In Nothing of Him That Doth Fade by Poppy Z. Brite, a gay couple are stranded off the coast of Australia during a diving trip. Of late, their relationship has been troubled and, of course, the idea of dying out there in the big ocean, brings them together again. The sex scene in that story lasts a mere five lines, while the heterosexual sex scene in New House, by Daniel James Cabrillo, goes on for seven pages. In Watercolor, by Thomas S. Roche, a lesbian does not consummate her relationship with another woman but with her vibrator instead; she could have been a heterosexual woman just as easily. Also taking on a lesbian theme is Mohanraj’s own story, Seven Cups of Water, a sensual tale of a young bride and her sister-in-law. In Deep, by Simon Sheppard, the remaining story that touches upon homosexual themes, has more sex scenes and is more graphic than Nothing of Him That Doth Fade, but that’s pretty much it for the book as far as non-heterosexual sex is concerned. Though I believe it’s possible for heterosexuals to become turned on by homosexual (lesbian and gay) erotica and vice versa, it’s clear to me that the intended audience is largely heterosexual, whether she knows it or not.
Some of the stories in this collection are better than others, all submitted by different authors with different styles having only the water theme to unify them. Even then, this connection stretches itself thin.
Hydrodynamica, by Diane Kepler, is one of the better written stories. A student studying fluid dynamics for an upcoming exam loses herself in a fantasy about meeting the author of one of the theories she’s trying to master back in 18th century Russia. The story flowed well (excuse the execrable pun), tying in the main character’s studies with her fantasy.
Both The Little Mermaid by Cecilia Tan and Mer by Francesca Lia Block follow the pattern that one would expect from the titles alone, the former being a retelling of the fairy tale of the same name, and the latter reminded me of parts of Splash. One of the better written, albeit least graphic, stories is Naked Woman Playing Chopin: A Fargo Romance by Louise Erdrich.
The other stories in the collection not previously mentioned are:
I Want by Mary Maxwell
Movements by Michael Hemmingson
Minarets by Barry Yourgrau
Hot Springs by Carol Queen
Velvet Glove by Kristine Hawes
Gliuccioni and the River God by Heather Corinna
Josie’s Rainy Day by Marcy Sheiner
Addiction by William R. Burkett, Jr.
Fisherman’s Friends by Tabitha Flyte
Overall
As I said near the beginning of this review, this volume tries to offer a little something for everybody and fails in this respect. I am not recommending this book primarily because the writing of the various stories isn’t anything stellar, with only a few reaching above average. The waterproof aspect of the book is fun and novel, but nothing else in this book is as new or ground-breaking as it styles itself.
June 22, 2007
This book of erotica is really cool because the pages are made out of a special paper that allows them to stay in water for an extended period of time without degenerating in any way. Most of the stories are hot and sexy too.
June 6, 2010
Not bad, but not something to rave about either....Maybe it's the manner I read the book: I read it just as I would have read any other book - cover to cover; and not for what it was originally intended for. It was a good ice breaker just the same.
August 25, 2008
Some of the stories were better than others, but since the opening story is one of my all time favorites, I have to give this a thumbs up overall.
January 4, 2009
hahahahahahahahahahahaaaaahahaha
October 8, 2009
This is what girls want.
Read
July 25, 2011erotic stories on a water proof book (durabook)
August 29, 2012
An adorable book of erotic readings and poetry that you can take into the hot tub, bath, shower, swimming pool, etc.
August 30, 2015
Features a collection of physical encounters that are associated with water. Includes girl-girl, dude luv, a group/film, and others. Swearing.
January 14, 2014
‘Aqua Erotica’ is a compilation of short erotic stories with a common theme of water. Perfect for a steamy bath, it’s no coincidence that this book is typically sold in a high-quality waterproof cover. Written by eighteen different authors, the stories in ‘Aqua Erotica’ drip with human emotion, need, and artistic sensuality. Each character encounters new desires on the path to self-discovery, often ending in the unexpected.
‘Movements’ and ‘In Deep’ were two stories this reader found particularly appealing.
‘Movements’ details the exploits of a married couple “testing the boundaries of fidelity” while trying to rekindle the allure of their relationship. Touching on aspects of a swinger lifestyle, as well as voyeurism/exhibitionism, the novella is narrated from the perspective of the reluctant husband playing the voyeur to both his wife’s wantonness and his own emotions to his marriage. The psychology in this story was very fascinating and the mounting sexuality was titillating.
‘In Deep’ is a story about self-discovery and the unveiling of new personal boundaries. Detailing a first gay encounter, this story follows a man testing the limits of his sexuality and psyche; leaving him with new meaning filled with more questions than answers. The gritty masculine power play of this story intrigued this reader with its rawness.
This book is high-quality and the epitome of what we hope to find for our readers. Due to the waterproof construction of the book as well as the sophisticated writing quality, this book is classy and feminine. As the first erotic novel read by this reader, it’s the perfect introduction to the art of erotica.
‘Movements’ and ‘In Deep’ were two stories this reader found particularly appealing.
‘Movements’ details the exploits of a married couple “testing the boundaries of fidelity” while trying to rekindle the allure of their relationship. Touching on aspects of a swinger lifestyle, as well as voyeurism/exhibitionism, the novella is narrated from the perspective of the reluctant husband playing the voyeur to both his wife’s wantonness and his own emotions to his marriage. The psychology in this story was very fascinating and the mounting sexuality was titillating.
‘In Deep’ is a story about self-discovery and the unveiling of new personal boundaries. Detailing a first gay encounter, this story follows a man testing the limits of his sexuality and psyche; leaving him with new meaning filled with more questions than answers. The gritty masculine power play of this story intrigued this reader with its rawness.
This book is high-quality and the epitome of what we hope to find for our readers. Due to the waterproof construction of the book as well as the sophisticated writing quality, this book is classy and feminine. As the first erotic novel read by this reader, it’s the perfect introduction to the art of erotica.
May 7, 2021
Great book
August 24, 2021
These are some of the best short stories I've read, steamy or otherwise. Such a perfect combination of styles and uses of the theme. Should delight fans of both erotica and literary fiction.
May 8, 2010
A fairly enjoyable book. I enjoyed some of the stories more than others!
not-even-gonna-touch
November 1, 2013I'm just laughing so hard at the fact that this is a thing, Jesus Jazzy Christ.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews