Freebie Fetish Friday - Putting the TG in TGIF!

Well, if it's Friday, then it must be time to bend our way into the weekend with Freebie Fetish Friday.

Every Friday I search through the weekend's free titles on Amazon, looking for those that might be of interest to similarly bent readers, fans, and lovers. Even if you don't have a Kindle, you can still download the titles through one of Amazon's free reading applications, or covert it with Calibre to load onto a Kobo, iPad, or anything else.

Please do be sure to check the price before downloading anything, as most freebies are limited time offers, and some are specific to certain regions.

                                        

 

Enjoy!

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.

Freebie Fetish Friday - Putting the TG in TGIF!

Well, if it's Friday, then it must be time to bend our way into the weekend with Freebie Fetish Friday.

Every Friday I search through the weekend's free titles on Amazon, looking for those that might be of interest to similarly bent readers, fans, and lovers. Even if you don't have a Kindle, you can still download the titles through one of Amazon's free reading applications, or covert it with Calibre to load onto a Kobo, iPad, or anything else.

I actually on vacation this week, but I do not want to leave you all empty-handed, so I scheduled a free promotion on a few of my own titles! Enjoy your weekend  . . . and should you feel inclined to post a review, I would be ever so grateful!

      

      

Enjoy!

A Trio of One-Handed Quickies (#crossdressing #futa #lesbian #taboo)

The Masturbatorium of Dr. Wrong sounded like a hot story with a lot of potential, but I was pleasantly surprised by how well Brooklyn Mayflower followed it through. When her father passes away, he leaves Kayla and her new step-mom in a tense situation, forcing an unusual approach to resolving their differences. Kayla's immediately suspicious of the BDSM-themed dungeon that Dr. Wong calls his treatment room, but she is trapped by a promise and desperate to cut her step-mom out of the picture.

What follows is a fantastic story of mental conditioning, bondage, and coerced sexuality. The taboo element of the older/younger woman, brat/MILF, step-mom/step-daughter relationship is very well played, and the lesbian seduction is delicious. As much as part of me wishes there were more to the story, it ends on a high note, and leaves us to dream of what might come next.

Smooth and Silky was too short for my tastes, and glosses over some of the scenes I would have most loved to explore, but it was still a delightful bit of fun. Erica Smooth knows how to tease a fetish and build a relationship, with the relationship between John and Gina almost as enjoyable as the pantyhose fetish and first forays into crossdressing.

It is a fun, sensual story that offers some wonderful visuals and some electric sensations of pantyhose on naked, newly shaved legs, as well as (even more exciting) pantyhose on pantyhose. There is some lovely exhibitionism as well, including a very naughty scene beneath a restaurant table, and more than enough detail for foot fetishists, but its strongest appeal is its straight crossdressing romance.

Seduced By The Futa Milf was my first literary encounter with River Belle (who also writes as Candy Banger), which is a bit of a shock because I have so many of her stories in my library. The story felt a little odd, almost as if it started as a professor/student relationship, before the decision was made to turn her into a mom/MILF. She is a clever, if unorthodox seductress, and I like that her approach is more along the lines of bribery than blackmail. I also appreciated the fact that Professor Paulton is not a horrible lech or a total pervert, but a decent man and good teacher, who just happen to have a weakness for beautiful, big-breasted, big-bottomed women.

The negotiation of grades, leading to the seduction of the professor, was well-done, and his eventual breaking is entirely believable. I loved how the scene went from slow burn, to hot sex, to even hotter surprise, and the futa-on-male scenes are well done. I wish there had been more to those scenes, because it is an under-represented fetish, but it was still a delicious treat.

Reviewed by Sally

Am I Still The Victim by M.C. Questgend (#transgender #biography #abuse)

Is it possible to walk up to someone you care about and explain to them that you combat stress by dressing up in women’s clothes and the reason you are not having sex is that you can’t find that comfort zone you need to feel aroused?

Every reader focuses on a passage that hits close to home, or which puts into words what they are feeling. It is what connects us to a story, what give it relevance to our own lives. While that passage comes late in M.C. Questgend's story, and is not necessarily the core question of Am I Still The Victim, it is where I found that common bond that drove home the significance of events I can only imagine.

As you may have guessed from the title, and most certainly will have gleaned from the cover blurb, abuse is at the heart of the story . . . but it does not define it, and I think that's what struck me the most. M.C. endured things most people could not even imagine, with a family (and friends) so dysfunctional that it sickens me to believe they are real, and not the product of some twisted fantasy, but hers is a story of taking those experiences and making something of them (and herself). There are thoughts of suicide, issues of depression, scenes of therapy, and instances of repressed anger - all things that readers will understand, and even expect, but she rises above it all.

Every reader will come at the story in their own way, and take something different away from it but, for me, Am I Still The Victim is a story of self-analysis and self-discovery . . . of coping, acceptance, and transformation. Did any of that come easy? No, and it would ring false if she tried to claim it did. You have to admire her her for having the strength to live through such experiences, and for having the courage to share them to so that others can know that they are not alone. I am proud to have had the good fortune to call M.C. a friend, and reading her story only strengthens that feeling.

Readers who are coming to this as fans of M.C.'s fiction may find themselves in a bit of a dilemma. There are elements there, especially in the forced feminization and forced bisexuality, that will leave some readers confused or conflicted. She describes acts that *could* be erotic, and *could* be part of a fictional fantasy, if only the ages were appropriate. Readers may be excited by the act, but horrified by the actors . . . envious of the experience, but crushed by how and why it was experienced it. Such is the nature of literature, where it is so easy to imagine envision yourself in a story, as opposed to a movie or TV show, where you cannot escape the visual evidence of abuse. As a result, there will be some readers who will criticize M.C. for sharing too much detail on the abuse, but I think there will be even more who will silently thank her for reminding them they are not alone. Personally, I think she struck the perfect balance.

Ultimately, what makes Am I Still The Victim so compelling, and so heartbreaking, is how well she demonstrates the confusion and uncertainty of those early years, the doubts and the fears about her gender and her sexuality, and the guilt of finding solace in something that started as abuse. It is the glimmers of hope that define the story for me, the fact that she was able, even then, to find ways to isolate aspects of the experience and cling to whatever it was that allowed her to cope (healthy or otherwise). I think she did a fantastic job of showing all the connections throughout her teenage and adult years, drawing in the experiences of friends (Julie's story is as important for its parallels and its diversions), and I appreciated how she provided some adult closure to her closest friend's story - revisiting the issue of such dark secret from the perspective of another abused child is hauntingly powerful.

As we follow her through the years, we see that she has taken that power away from both her friend's family and her own parents. She acknowledges what they did to a vulnerable youth, and explores how (and, more importantly, why) they contributed to shaping her psychological/emotional state, but her story does not stop at victim. She turned horrible negatives into something positive, salvaged the tiny little good parts of an atrocious experience, and found a path to peace, comfort, and understanding that does not require hard drugs, alcoholism, prostitution, self-harm, or any of the other things we have become so accustomed to in stories of abuse.

If you were to ask me whether M.C. is still the victim, my answer would be a resounding (and emphatic) negative.

Born in 1971, M.C. Questgend traveled the country with his parents as a military brat. Settling in Texas where he was first introduced to alternative lifestyles, he was able to finish high school and continue his new "hobby" in college. After college, he and "she" returned to start a family, but the strain of his "secret" was too much for his now ex-wife. Married a second time was not the answer, so M.C. has transferred the stress to the pen and keyboard. Writing erotic stories - some loosely based on his and "her" life as well as stories involving aspects of the LGBT community, a community and lifestyle he has come to privately embrace. M.C. Questgend is a pen name used to protect his privacy and anonymity. The intent was to write stories that entertain, inspire and motivate - which are as much sensual and heartwarming as they are sexual and explicit.

@mcquestgend
http://www.mcquestgend.com

Reviewed by Sally

#TGCaption - Belonging (#femdom #feminization #bondage)

TG Captions are one of my favorite forms of storytelling. There is no narrative fluff, no extraneous details, just the hook, the twist, and the climax.

I have been in a foul mood lately - overwhelmed, anxious, and depressed - but this blog, these books, and this community are what keep me going. So, rather than wallow in self-pity, I thought I would indulge in a little wish-fulfillment this weekend and dream of what might be . . . 

#TGCaption - A Perfect Fit (#femdom #feminization #bondage)

TG Captions are one of my favorite forms of storytelling. There is no narrative fluff, no extraneous details, just the hook, the twist, and the climax.

I have been in a foul mood lately - overwhelmed, anxious, and depressed - but this blog, these books, and this community are what keep me going. So, rather than wallow in self-pity, I thought I would indulge in a little wish-fulfillment this weekend and dream of what might be . . . 

Freebie Fetish Friday - Putting the TG in TGIF!

Well, if it's Friday, then it must be time to bend our way into the weekend with Freebie Fetish Friday.

Every Friday I search through the weekend's free titles on Amazon, looking for those that might be of interest to similarly bent readers, fans, and lovers. Even if you don't have a Kindle, you can still download the titles through one of Amazon's free reading applications, or covert it with Calibre to load onto a Kobo, iPad, or anything else.

Please do be sure to check the price before downloading anything, as most freebies are limited time offers, and some are specific to certain regions.

                                                            

Enjoy!