Do you like sex/love scenes in the stories you read?

[Barty]

It's not the sex, it's how it fits in the rest of the book.

I've liked authors who deal with sex in the most oblique manners (eg anita brookner) and I've like authors who deal with it in rather explicit language (eg Lionel shriver). What I don't care for is the obligatory romance/sex (eg the jack reacher novels -- ok, he's getting some. Whew. Now get on with the program)

[Piper_]

I pretty much only read historical fiction, and for me, the only problems are:

• Not telling us anything at all. Sometimes i really do want to know how the wedding night went - at least when it's between the handsome knight and the damsel he fought for.
  
• Telling about it without their taking a bath, when they obviously need one badly. Ick.
  
• Telling us every detail every time they do anything, with no variety. Gets too predictable.

[Enkidu of Abydos]

Originally Posted by Piper_

Telling about it without their taking a bath, when they obviously need one badly. Ick.

You never done it sweaty and hot, after an excercise or hiking or bicycling ? The old saying says cleanlines is next to godliness, not cleanliness is a prerequisite for sex...

[Piper_]

Originally Posted by Enkidu of Abydos

You never done it sweaty and hot, after an excercise or hiking or bicycling ? The old saying says cleanlines is next to godliness, not cleanliness is a prerequisite for sex...

LOL Fresh sweat is ok. What you get after 2 weeks riding horses through marshes and forests, from battle to bloody battle, wearing the same pair of underwear... mmm... not so enticing.

[Anke Wehner]

Depends on the book (or my expectations of it), and the sex scenes.

The blurb of Gail Carriger's Soulless led me to expect a mystery with a side of romance. What I got was a rather thin mystery plot to hang heavy petting and sex on. Reasons why I didn't like that include: I don't buy into the idea that two people bickering all the time means they are meant for each other; mutual biting is creepy when one of the partners has supernatural healing, but the other doesn't; the phrase "he impaled himself" used for penetration...

With Lois McMaster Bujold's Sharing Knife books, I knew that I was heading into a romance, and while there were certain squick factors (e.g. age gap) in the relationship, it was affectionate and involved mutual trust, rather than standoffishness, before the sex started. I also got the impression that sex scenes themselves gave more space to the characters' reactions rather than mechanics.

[astra]

Originally Posted by Piper_

LOL Fresh sweat is ok. What you get after 2 weeks riding horses through marshes and forests, from battle to bloody battle, wearing the same pair of underwear... mmm... not so enticing.

That's why French invented perfume

I read mostly Fantasy and a bit of Sci-Fi.

I belong to

Love scenes are fine if they contribute to characterization and plot

If it fits then

I really enjoy sexuality in Fantasy/Sci-Fi

but only if it fits.
Although no hardcore please, because there are better sources for the real taste. Then again, who would call it Fantasy or Sci-Fi if it were hardcore?

Spoiler:

There is one definite No-No-No for me though. Not only love scenes, even romance. I cannot read it. Man-Man.
Please do not make me privy to the details.

[pendragginp]

I'm thinking the OP is probably a man, since sex scenes and love scenes are talked about as if they are one and the same. Not necessarily, ya know!

Which I think is Harry's point.

[Enkidu of Abydos]

Originally Posted by Piper_

LOL Fresh sweat is ok. What you get after 2 weeks riding horses through marshes and forests, from battle to bloody battle, wearing the same pair of underwear... mmm... not so enticing.

I wouldn't really know, I bathe every day, and it's been a while since I went on my last raid and pillage...
What I do know (from personal experience) is that after just one short ride on horseback your trousers can end up all hairy - from the outside... That's why proper grooming is important...

[astra]

Originally Posted by Enkidu of Abydos

That's why proper grooming is important...

Proper grooming of ...the rider?

[Enkidu of Abydos]

Originally Posted by astra

Proper grooming of ...the rider?

Of the horse actually...
The hair on my legs doesn't grow on the outside of my trousers. And I never groom it...

Originally Posted by astra

That's why French invented perfume

Right you are !

Originally Posted by pendragginp

I'm thinking the OP is probably a man, since sex scenes and love scenes are talked about as if they are one and the same. Not necessarily, ya know!

Which I think is Harry's point.

I thought girls usually think love and sex are one and the same, being more emotional than guys ? That's why they usually say "making love" instead of just "f***ing"...
I think you can have sex without love and love without sex (though much harder, but it exists, it's called platonic love), and if you have both it's like bicycle riding or eating food - something that's fun to do by yourself or with anyone else or in a group, but most fun with someone you love.
all !
Anyway, the OP is definitely a woman, says so in the profile. And the OP never said sex and love were the same, she just asked what people thought about books which contain EITHER of them.

[Enkidu of Abydos]

Originally Posted by Poppaea

Yeah, great, you normal guys legalize sex in public transportation and where are we poor perverts left then? I mean, no more public disgrace for me, what do you think where I'm supposed to have fun then???

There are still city squares, fountains, government buildings, public parks, national monuments and the like...
Come to think of it, those are also great locations for public mass orgies, you should organize some MobileRead volunteers... Like promoteing reading through public nudity and orgies...

[SlowRain]

Alan Furst has some great sex in his World War 2 thrillers. He's pretty good about discussing it in his interviews, too.

[wachuko]

Originally Posted by dsvick

I don't mind them at all if they contribute, and occasionally if they don't but are well done. I don't want to find hardcore porn in a book I'm reading unless I'm reading it for that specific purpose.

Like a few others have said though, it is hard to do well for all types of readers. So I think the safe route is to leave most of it to the imagination of the reader, after all if I wanted it explained in graphic detail I'd just go get a movie - or turn on primetime TV now

+1

[orlok]

Originally Posted by Enkidu of Abydos

There are still city squares, fountains, government buildings, public parks, national monuments and the like...
Come to think of it, those are also great locations for public mass orgies, you should organize some MobileRead volunteers... Like promoteing reading through public nudity and orgies...

*trying to find a smiley that represents a bucket of water being thrown over the poster...*

[Freeshadow]

Originally Posted by Enkidu of Abydos

Thinking about lesbo twins and one-touch-cum-nympho girls has gotten me kind of hot and flustered, especially with the lascive, lurid and kinky statements made above by the German babe...

I somehow expected that from you - *yawn* a one-touch-orgasm-trigger how boring for a wish.


You either haven't learned yet that going the way is the fun and not sitting at its end - or you got lost everytime and never arrived.

I'd get kind of disappointed if I'd meet a woman which 'd say "don't mind about multiple O's - I'll just place that woodpecker on my skull"

Like in Miles Vorkosigan there's mention of sex between a human and a humanoid girl with 4 arms and no legs (the arms being in place of legs), and also I think Miles does it with a female werewolf (kind of, genetically engineered).

*sigh*
1.) there's far more than "mention" about intercourse and relationships between quaddies and humans.
2.) Miles not only "does it" - Miles and Taura have a long-term affair running.

The next time you read the series I'd propose you wipe the screen more frequently, so you might see more text and less whitespace.