Erotic Fiction: Adult Stories in 21st Century

Forget “50 Shades of Grey,” – the real fun lies in erotic fiction! Why would you “consume” erotica that has already been planned out with no room for fantasy when you can read a good book that will let your imagination run wild?

Books have always been known to give readers a much better way of immersing themselves in the story that’s presented to them, which is of utmost importance when it comes to erotic fiction. Still, not every novel is made the same and as you can suspect, there are a lot of books out there that are actually great even though they aren’t exactly mainstream. In that name, here are our picks for the best erotic fiction books of the 21st century. 

Read on…

1. Crossfire series by Sylvia Day

Since we’ve already mentioned “50 Shades of Gray,” it’s only right to talk about the book series that are slowly but steadily threatening to overthrow the book and its big screen adaptation from the erotic fiction throne.

The Crossfire series are written by Sylvia Day, who has an impeccable sense of how to mix supreme written erotica with the ominous feeling of inevitability and helplessness. The first novel in the series is titled “Bared to You” and tells the story of two young individuals and their relationship, which takes a dark turn once they realize they have both been abused as children. Creepy, but very much worth the read.

2. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

Alright, we’ll admit it – this isn’t actually supposed to be on this list, since it was first published back in 1955. Still, “Lolita” has stuck around for so long and is considered a must-read by so many people (even those who don’t usually enjoy erotic fiction), that it has by now turned into one of the biggest written successes in the erotic department.

Vladimir Nabokov spared nobody in this masterpiece, which follows the relationship between a middle-aged man and a 12-year-old girl. As you can imagine, the novel shocked pretty much everyone back in the ‘50s and had been banned and rejected all over the place – especially in France – yet, it somehow managed to find its place on the shelves of every library in the world.

3. The Story of O by Anne Desclos

While the French government didn’t hesitate to ban Nabokov’s “Lolita,” it actually proclaimed this next novel as a national triumph. Talk about double standards.

Namely, “The Story of O” was originally published back in 1954 by a certain Pauline Reage. It was only revealed in The Observer in 2004 that this was just a pseudonym used by Anne Desclos, who wrote the novel in honor of her secret lover. The book itself is more of pornographic nature rather than erotic and includes a plethora of scenes which revolve around BDSM, castles, group sex and many other kinky things you absolutely must read about.