Erotica Anthologies on Submission and Power

Anthologies of short erotic stories are a long-standing format in publishing. Collecting many authors under one theme lets an editor map a subject from several angles, and submission, power exchange and bondage have been recurring themes for decades. Serving Him, a collection of submission-themed stories, is one title from that tradition.

A review in a Canadian queer sexuality publication gave the book a reading that its marketing probably did not anticipate, which makes it a handy window into how such collections are received.

How the format works

Erotica is generally distinguished from pornography by its attention to character, mood and narrative, although the boundary is argued over by critics and readers. Short stories suit the form because tension can be built and released in a few pages.

An editor selects the pieces, writes an introduction and often aims for variety within the theme, usually drawing on authors who have published widely in the genre.

What the collection contains

The collection gathers stories of power exchange, role play and bondage, among other themes. Some follow newcomers exploring something unfamiliar together, while others deal with questions of trust and control. The introduction promises readers a range of surprises.

Intended readers appear to be heterosexual, with women in submissive roles and male dominants common across the entries.

A queer reading of the book

The reviewer described coming to the anthology as an outsider to its likely audience, a queer reader who initially expected a conventional pairing of male dominants and female submissives. The response varied by story. A repeated line of dialogue distracted from one piece, while others prompted closer attention.

The reviewer saw an overarching and, in that reading, distinctly queer theme: the power that can sit within submission itself, rather than only with the dominant partner. This idea is also common in wider BDSM discussion, where consent and negotiation are often described as giving the submissive role its own agency.