Imagine yourself in Victorian times where corsets and numerous underclothes would protect a woman’s virtue or honor. Now, to that, add new types of energy sources that can power eccentric machines that are used to satisfy erotic urges, and you get this book, Carnal Machines Steampunk Erotica. This book is so good that if I had enough time, I would have finished it in one sitting, so I had to settle for two.

This collection is edited by D. L. King, and I would be looking forward to another book edited by her. The book of 198 pages contains 14 stories, and even if the usual anthology has about 20 stories, you won’t see the difference. The content is excellent with all the exquisite details that keep you enthralled, the innovative ideas to make Steampunk work, and the surprises that make you smile. Does it show that I loved this book? Oh and I know it’s not something that I often mention, but I just can’t stop admiring the cover photograph by Hartmut Nörenberg (I’ve visited his deviantART page, and he’s got some amazing work).

Seriously, I’ve had my share of Victorian romance in the past and I love sex toys, so a mix of the two would be very alluring to me. The toys that are used are more or less compact, from a simple dildo to a thinking mechanical device, without forgetting the inescapable fucking chair (a perfect pun here, but you’ll see if you read it). Not only that, but sex isn’t always about straight sex, and include some homosexual action, women or men (but you won’t always know for sure until the end), and some BDSM, like bondage and spanking. Also, be ready to see some fantasy elements in some stories, like some fantastical creatures and flying vessels.

The stories are:
Human Powered – Theresa Noelle Roberts
The Servant Question – Janine Ashbless
Sleight of Hand – Renee Michaels
Mutiny on the Danika Blue – Poe Von Page
Deviant Devices – Kannan Feng
The Perfect Girl – Jay Lawrence
Dr. Mullaley’s Cure – Delilah Devlin
Her Own Devices – Lisabet Sarai
Lair of the Red Countess – Kathleen Bradean
Infernal Machine – Elias A. St. James
Dr. Watson Makes a House Call – Essomeh Teepee
The Treatment – D. L. King
Lucifer Einstein and the Curious Case of the Carnal Contraption – Tracey Shellito
The Succubus – Elizabeth Schechter

The only critical comment I could say about this book is that I felt the stories used a little too much the concept of the “Doctor treating hysteria”, but then it’s based on true historical events and it was a good thing that each story did it well. It’s hard for me to come up with my top favorite stories, but I really had a thing for Mutiny on the Danika Blue. The setting was very original as it was set on a ship in space, and the woman-on-submissive-male action really turned me on. As I said, there was a little bit of BDSM going on throughout the book, and it adds a nice palette of flavors to the stories. You can also get this book at this sex toy store I trust.

Kynky Kytty

$14.95Carnal Machines Book by Collection of Stories by Various Authors Format: Paperback Publisher: Cleis Press Inc. Buy from EdenFantasys

This product was provided free of charge to the reviewer.

This item was received for free in exchange for an unbiased review. This review is in compliance with the FTC guidelines.