SFW Vaginas. Photo by Charles ?? on Unsplash
There are some sub-genres in erotic literature that do it for me and others that don?t.
This is definitely the latter.
It might be because I?m as maternal as a cactus in a radioactive wasteland or it might be because I often find this sub-genre to be problematic, but regardless of my feelings on the matter, this topic is covered in a niche collection of erotic literature works and it is worth talking about. Even if you aren?t baby-mad.
The Birds, the Bees and the Breeding
Contrary to what the name suggests, this sub-genre doesn?t have anything to do with bestiality. It actually concerns a collection of works in erotic literature that do not just focus on sex, but on proceation.
Falling pregnant and having babies isn?t foreign in erotic literature, but it normally isn?t the main focus, whereas certain works that fall into this sub-genre really zero in on it, normally making breeding the main goal of at least one of the protagonists.
These works normally feature a male and a female protagonist, with the male normally being the one with the initial urge to breed. The sex in these works is often very graphic with a strong focus on bodily fluids, like semen and vaginal lubrication, and orgasm.
Why Use the Term ?Breeding??
?Breeding? is a bit of an unusual term when used to describe human procreation. It is normally used when speaking about mating and offspring production between animals, so when used to describe human procreation it can either make readers very uncomfortable or it can arouse readers.
Terms like ?breeding? and ?rutting? with a focus on sex to further the species can be used to signify to readers that the characters are animalistic, feral and at the mercy of their instincts. This is normally done in stories that feature shifters or non-human characters, like aliens or robots.
In these stories, the characters are normally swayed by forces outside of their control like pheromones, the phases of the moon or some kind of mating instinct. Females are normally portrayed as going into ?heat?, where their bodies are ready to be bred.
These stories often involve dubious consent and the theme of bodies betraying the characters (normally the female characters), and so they can both equally alienate readers and arouse them with the use of taboo topics. Good examples of these sorts of works are any stories in the omegaverse genre or stories in the shifter/werewolf genre.
The theme of breeding can also be used to objectify the characters, make them into nothing but animals, and in that stripping away of societal restraints, arousal is created in readers. Many readers may have a closeted desire to have children or may just enjoy the roughness of being ?bred?, and so these stories serve to arouse and not frighten or alienate readers.
The graphic descriptions of ejaculation and ?bare? sex is also often very liberating because this sort of sex is not accessible to everyone, and so readers can embark on this journey with the characters in the safe confines of a fantasy.
More Problematic Than Most
I?ve found this sub-genre to be one of the most problematic in erotic literature. It is often used very closely with the themes and ideas of dubious consent, and so sometimes can seem to straddle that very fine line between erotic literature and rape fantasy.
We live in a world where many countries do not allow women to choose whether they would like to abort unplanned or unwanted pregnancies, and so this sub-genre can sometimes feel like a re-enactment of that harsh reality in works that normally promote fantasy and escape.
The Climax
As always, writers should place their works in whatever genres or sub-genres they want, but should try to indicate to readers early on what kind of work they are reading.
I think when involving consent, these works are fun and different. I enjoyed Alexa Riley?s Breeding Series, which is about ? you guessed it ? breeding. But when dubious consent and even outright rape are mixed in, this sub-genre has the tendency to lean towards the exploitative and, to be honest, downright creepy.
