Kink

An anthology of sexual desire, love and exploration, Kink is a diverse and imagined look into a world often kept securely behind closed doors.

This was certainly, well, kinky. But it was also a lot more. Most of the stories explore the complexities of sexual desire, the confusion, the confidence, the wide range of sexual interests that exist in human nature. No-one has a singular experience of sex and this anthology demonstrates this eloquently. I have never read an anthology so rich in diversity. My favourite, by far, was Carmen Maria Machado's piece.

I was not sure entirely what to expect from this collection at first, but was drawn in by the contributors to this book (including some big names like Roxanne Gay and Garth Greenwell) and how these stories might all connect to the title 'Kink'.

The title of this collection may intrigue and repel people in equal measure, but essentially it goes far deeper than just a group of stories about sex. Indeed, these stories cover a broad range of identities, thoughts and sexual practices, and use sex and/or kinks as springboards to wider discussions about gender, sexuality, identity, worth and society, among many other topics.

From a story about a trans character's relationship to their body after top surgery, to a gay man reconciling his own spiralling self-esteem with the seeming opposites of his desire to be a sub and to be safe, to a whole host of other characters understanding their place in society and in various groups through what sex they have or don't have, and want or don't want, this collection pulls together a truly diverse range of outlooks, bodies and desires, and is all the more powerful for it.

Although not every story hit me the same, as an overall collection, the quality is very high, and there were not any stories that I actively disliked. And the stories I did like truly made this whole collection absolutely worth reading. This is a collection that deserves your time and attention, and will linger in your mind after.

I received a free advance copy of the book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

This is an intriguing collection of stories, namely ones part-edited by a great writer, Garth Greenwell. The book’s title may put some people off, it shouldn’t: this is [generally] a well-written collection which deals with ‘kink’ in myriad ways.

Here, readers will find an employed ‘sex slave’ who spends his summer living with an older straight couple - but when the husband falls in love with the younger male, things come to a sudden end. The opening tale deals with the complexities of thinking you want something, then thinking you don’t, before switching again — and even though, as with some others here, there is some gratuitous sex, it’s well-written: miles away from ‘Fifty Shades’ and similar books of that ilk. One of the latter stories sees racism - and prejudice more generally - woven into the story of a male-female couple who’ve have transitioned. What is particularly thought-provoking is how small-minded people can be, something many of us have likely experienced.

Towards the end, some of the stories are less compelling; some try too hard, or are over-long. Still, it’s perhaps a matter of personal choice so I’ll leave you to make your own decision.

‘Kink’ is an unusual collection and a refreshing change - so if you’re intrigued, fascinated, ambivalent, or anything else, the stories are certainly worth reading.

This collection of avant-garde short stories is exactly what I wanted to read. I laughed out loud, cringed, and was moved in equal measure. A brilliant collection of some of our finest writers.