What is Futanari (and why should you read it)?

What defines the futanari genre? 

What do readers want from it? 

What do they expect from it? 

It was a conversation with the lovely Sakura von Sternberg that got me really thinking, and after a very long email (What can I say, I am passionate about the subject!), I thought the subject might be a nice way to ease back into things following my vacation.


A Mythological Gender, Free from Social Prejudice

For me, the primary appeal of the futanari genre is that it is pure fantasy, an exploration of a mythological gender that can be free from the real-world psychological baggage, emotional anxieties, and social prejudices of being transgender. That does not mean futanari cannot be used to explore themes of transgender acceptance (more on that in a moment), but that approach is an option, not the default expectation. Similarly, while futanari can, and often do, incorporate a transformation element, it is usually more of a plot catalyst, as opposed to a character aspect that implies so much more about lifestyles, personalities, and social interaction. They can still be a secret gender, a rare expression of sexuality, but usually in a fun way, rather than a forced-to-hide-in-the-closet-by-society kind of way.

Another appeal for me, of course, is the tendency to explore some form of sexual exaggeration with futanari, whether it be unusual size, incredible stamina, ridiculous ejaculation volume (which I had a lot of fun with in my Futanari Moans stories), or uncontrollable lust. That aspect is so much fun to write about, and even more fun to read. We can take our wildest fantasies, our most unrealistic expectations of a lover, and gleefully indulge them. That aspect ties into one more appeal, which is the way a futanari character really opens up the story to the potential for science fiction, fantasy, or horror themes.


Identities, Expressions, and Labels
Okay, so what exactly is a futanari? It is hard to say, because the use of the term has evolved over time, and has become artificially co-opted for marketing purposes, but I am a traditionalist when it comes to the genre. If you go back to its anime and manga origins, futanari comes from a Japanese term for hermaphrodite, and implies that both male and female genitalia be present - "two holes and a pole" as someone once said. Traditional futanari are usually explored as ultra-feminine, often hyper-sexualized, figures who have a penis in place of their clitoris. Sometimes the character has a clitoris that grows and expands into a penis when aroused, allowing their true nature to be otherwise hidden, but more often it is a permanent bulge in their panties that adds to their taboo appeal.

As for that genre evolution, the aspect of dual-genitalia is not the absolute requirement it once was, but there is a fine line there. On the one side, you have authors who use the term as a politically correct substitute for shemale. I understand the appeal of exploring that aspect of transsexuality, where the non-binary gender expression is a fixed destination, not a stage in a pre-op/post-op journey, but using the futanari label disrespects what is a legitimate decision for real people who deserve to be respected for their gender identity/expression. I get it, non-binary is not the sexiest of labels, but the alternative should not be to use something with mythological or fictional connotations.

Okay, let me step down off my soapbox and kick it back under the desk. :)

On the other side, you have authors who sidestep the question of dual-genitalia by playing with themes of growth and transformation - which is a bit of a cheat, but one I am okay with. Here we are not dealing with real-world people or real-world gender issues, but the fantasy of being endowed with a penis through magic, mad science, a curse, a wish, or some other imaginative event (A Queer Sort of Queen is the favorite of my transformation scenes). The fact that it is a fantasy representation of gender, the impossible (or improbable) transformation of the female form, is what makes it close enough (for me, at least), to reasonably be considered futanari. I do not entirely understand the appeal of that approach, outside of perhaps eliminating some orgasmic complexities, but it can work, and I have seen it done with flair.


Who Does It Best?
Let me start off by profusely apologizing to anyone I omitted in the lists below. I put together a pretty solid list of futanari authors for Sakura last night, and have added more today, but I know I will miss a few obvious choices. If I do, call me out, bend me over for a spanking, and I will fix it!

I love what Roxy Katt has done with her stories, using her own term to allow her the freedom to play with futanari expectations. Phallogyne sounds so beautiful, so sophisticated, it feels like it should have the same historical background as futanari. She has a wonderful post over on her blog about what exactly the term implies.

JC Winchester has a Futa Ranch series he is working on that deals with female-to-futa transformations. and which manages to be both sexy and gender-positive. To get back to that comment I made earlier about acceptance, he uses his story to parallel transgender themes, allowing us to consider them from a different angle.

E.V. Stonebraker is writing some fun stories where futanari are simply another gender, there to be admired, enjoyed, and interacted with, outside of any big surprise or grand conspiracy. Her stories are sexy, smutty, and well-written - and, as an added bonus, she is one of the few authors who regularly indulge in scenes of futa-on-male erotica (among other taboos).

Marissa Scott is another author doing fun things step-family taboos within the realm of futanari erotica, mostly on the futa-on-female side of the genre, but with some tasty explorations of male-on-futa as well.

Reed James is a granddaddy of the genre, a prolific author who is perhaps most responsible for introducing me to futanari as a reader. He has constructed entire universes of loosely connected stories where futanari walk among us, usually with a mythological origin, but he has also explored sci-fi alien origins as well. Check out his guest post from a few years ago to understand why he loves the genre.

Bryce Calderwood would then be the favorite uncle of the genre, the author most responsible for introducing me to futanari as a writer. His stories are grounded firmly in the sci-fi and horror genres, involving aspects of monster erotica and paranormal romance, with his futanari becoming engaged with (and aroused by) vampires, tentacles, and dinosaurs. In fact, I chose him to design my Futanari Moans covers in hopes that some of the magic might rub off!

Thomas Pike is one of those authors who largely avoids the question of dual-genitalia with his futanari stories. Part of why he makes the approach work is that he is just as comfortable using the shemale label, and he understands the difference between real-world and fantasy gender.

Moctezuma Johnson is not only the author responsible for introducing me to the smutpunk genre, but probably the author most responsible for inspiring my sense of futanari excess. He writes explicit, deliberately trashy tales, often with a sci-fi bent, and uses his futanari in some creative ways.

Joanna Noor is a new author to the genre I have gotten to know very well, playing with themes of futa transformation within the framework of a Gorean-inspired heroic fantasy. Hers is a connected series of short stories and novels, all set within that world, and telling a larger story that is as much about fantasy as futa.

Gabrielle Prevot is, if memory serves me, the first author I read who explores the futanari genre. She plays with supernatural themes, but she also incorporates a lot of taboo elements to her stories, which makes her an exciting read.

In terms of pairings, futa-on-female and futa-on-futa are definitely the most popular, but futa-on-male certainly has an audience, including me! I have already mentioned E.V. Stonebraker, but other authors who regularly indulge in that taboo include Relm Jayne and J.A. Dolan (both of whom I quite like), and authors such as Darian Brasher, B.J. Sackrider, Harper Rindell, Brock Spurtze, Lara Longstaff, and Rowenna Skye (all of whom I need to get reading).

Even rarer than futa-on-male is futa-on-sissy or futa-with-feminization erotica (which is partly why I wrote Cuckolded by the Futa Motorcycle Club), but authors who do it well include Kella Z. Driel, Solar Harris, and Stephen T. Grey, while authors I need to be reading include Riley Rodman, Ruby Scarlet, and Tabetha Kate.

Finally, in addition to Bryce Calderwood and Thomas Pike, there is a whole subgenre of futanari monster erotica too, which is perfectly in keeping with the sci-fi, fantasy, and horror themes. River Belle and Leona D. Reish are two authors I have enjoyed, while Eden Redd, Mogan Page, and Gigi Whitney are more authors I need to be reading soon.


What Are You Looking For?
I realize this post became getting rather long-winded, but I wanted to do it justice while also paying homage to the authors who call the genre home.

There is plenty of room for play within the genre, with a wide variety of ways to explore futanari, but I am curious what you think. Is the lack of dual-genitalia a deal breaker? Do you prefer futa-on-female over futa-on-male? Would you rather see more real-world stories, or do you enjoy the science fiction and horror elements?

This is your chance to get your voice heard, and maybe help guide the next generation of stories. Please, share, comment, and (of course) read.