The Sword and Laser discussion
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The Calculating Stars
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TCS: Is it just me, or does this pick feel like Veronica is missing vaginal fantasy?
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Benji
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rated it 3 stars
Feb 07, 2019 05:53AM
I have not listened to the Vaginal Fantasy podcast so I can not really compare. But I do feel like this novel is very steamy. A little too steamy...
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I liked the steamy aspects of the book. It felt very sex positive but it was still PG-13. It wasn't too much and you can't go wrong with a tasteful fade to black.
I honestly didn't really think anything of the "steamy" scenes. Like Dara said, they weren't explicit and mostly consisted of innuendo and fade to black. I can definitely think of more "steamy" scenes and books that I've read, both for this group and outside the group.And, like Mary Robinette has said on podcasts and in interviews (see, for example, the essay/blog post I posted in Dara's thread), she likes portraying happily married couples, and sex is part of most happily married couples' lives.
Call me when she starts picking dinosaur erotica.
Tassie Dave wrote: "You are right it is way too steamy.Especially when [spoilers removed]"
Tassie Dave!!!
Tassie Dave wrote: "You are right it is way too steamy.Especially when [spoilers removed]"
*fans self*
I've only read 10 chapters so far, but only one of them contains anything particular steamy (or I missed something) so I'd hardly consider that "too steamy". Nothing I have read seems out of place or gratuitous in any way - that steamy scene was a perfect demonstration of how the loving, married couple in the story relate to one another whilst responding to the events that unfold.I have to say, and I apologise if it wasn't meant this way, but I feel that the title of the thread comes across as a little insulting, as if V picked this book solely for sexy times, as if there is nothing else to the book, which causes a knee jerk defensive reaction in me that I am trying to resist. Do you think it is a negative thing for a book to contain a lot of sex? I have certainly read some books where sex is formulaic, out of place, distracting to the narrative, etc. but to me, this book has nothing like the above to earn any criticism, so I felt startled to see some. But perhaps that was not the intention?
Ruth, the "sexiness" mostly shows up later in the book you might be too early for it, but as others have said, it's very much fade-to-black and (funny) innuendo.I agree that the original question of the thread is confusing b/c it's just not that steamy.
Ruth (tilltab) Ashworth wrote: I have to say, and I apologise if it wasn't meant this way, but I feel that the title of the thread comes across as a little insulting, as if V picked this book solely for sexy times, as if there is nothing else to the book, which causes a knee jerk defensive reaction in me that I am trying to resist. "Again, I apologize to Benji if this was not your intent, but honestly, I had a similar reaction when I saw the title of this post. And given that the group has read books like American Gods and A Song of Ice and Fire, it does seem odd to single out this book as "too steamy."
thank you Tassie Dave for getting the dpuble entendre! hahaha
Benji wrote: "thank you Tassie Dave for getting the dpuble entendre! hahaha"Wait... Are you saying you intentionally started this entire thread as a bad joke? I mean, I like a good pun and all, but, dude, really?
OK, so the original post might have been in jest, but I have to say that the 'bedroom scenes' were painful to read. The language is unbearably twee and I cringed inwardly whenever they appeared in the text. Steamy? No.
Mod
Colin wrote: "OK, so the original post might have been in jest, but I have to say that the 'bedroom scenes' were painful to read. The language is unbearably twee and I cringed inwardly whenever they appeared in ..."You don't like rockets ;-)
Colin wrote: "OK, so the original post might have been in jest, but I have to say that the 'bedroom scenes' were painful to read. The language is unbearably twee and I cringed inwardly whenever they appeared in ..."I found the bedroom scenes really cringy too. I mean, yes (IME) that is a normal thing married people do, including the discussions of every day things during the sexy times. But not *every* sexy times. And even though I work with my partner, *any* reference to work during sexy times is gonna kill the mood right off!
Iain wrote: "You don't like rockets ;-) "I was ambivalent on the sex scenes. I was glad they were short, though they did show that Elma and Nathaniel were real people. :)
There are definitely times that those who play with space...make references to the...phallic nature of rockets. For example, I brought home a tabletop model of an Ariane 5 rocket from a trip to Kourou (full disclosure: the link I made has a picture of the actual rocket, but it primarily talks about a launch that didn't go to plan, unfortunately one of my spacecraft was the payload). My male coworker decided to point out to me that the model I brought home had a definite "lilt" to it. *facepalm*
But seriously, if you're looking for a phallic rocket, look no farther than the Blue Origin New Shepard...
The reason I chose this book to single out was the steamyness of both the meteorite and the 'sexy times'. I don't think that it was chosen for this reason. I am actually really enjoying the calculating stars. Sorry if I offended anyone, it was not my intention.
terpkristin wrote: "But seriously, if you're looking for a phallic rocket, look no farther than the Blue Origin New Shepard... ."Isn’t that the photo the National Enquirer blackmailed Bezos over?
Bah-dah-bum! *tish*
Zank you! I be here all see veek!
Has anyone ever seen Casablanca? Right after Rick and Ilsa kiss it cuts away to a lighthouse. 😂And Hitchcock was pretty creative getting around the censors, like with the fireworks scene in To Catch A Thief, or the classic happy ending of North By Northwest: https://youtu.be/DPt-4Nwght0
The greatest sex scene of all time occurs in Naked Gun 2-1/2: The Smell of Fear. Watch till the end. https://youtu.be/_OfOuTDLpBU
I guess everyone one has a different definition of STEAMY.... This was just a normal book PG, Maybe PG-13. STEAMY would be some hardcore XXX, But I guess that is just me.
It's pretty sedate as far as sexy times. I'm reading Queen of Zazzau now. There's a lot of steamy sex and actual bodice ripping.
How about Half Orc sex? The Grey Bastards has one very hot scene between two characters that you, the reader, were just waiting for them to hook up.
Mod
Enough to make life incompatible with human life seems very steamy to me ;-)
In case people missed it, the OP was making a joke :-)
Tassie Dave wrote: "In case people missed it, the OP was making a joke :-)."It was a very bad joke and OP should feel bad. Boo! Minus 15 internet points.
The Sweet Meteor O'Death thought it was hot Hot HOT! But didn't go quite far enough.(That's a real Twitter account. Well, a real "fake" account for the Sweet Meteor O' Death and its intention to wipe out all life on earth except for bacteria. @smod4real)
Dara wrote: "Tassie Dave wrote: "In case people missed it, the OP was making a joke :-)."It was a very bad joke and OP should feel bad. Boo! Minus 15 internet points."
OP should be Pun-ished.
Robert wrote: "Dara wrote: "Tassie Dave wrote: "In case people missed it, the OP was making a joke :-)."It was a very bad joke and OP should feel bad. Boo! Minus 15 internet points."
OP should be Pun-ished."
Hahaha!
So....send him to the Punitentiary?
Stop getting hot and bothered over it ....Just stop sweating over it....
I think I should stop.
Why do Americans get so hung up on sex? It is quite natural.
Mod
It was a very bad joke and OP should feel bad. Boo! Minus 15 internet points."
I've made worse jokes on here ;-)
I am not even sorry haha
You're all terrible and I <3 you.
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