Alien Sex

Alien Sex probably what you are expecting. If the title conjures up intercourse between humans and extraterrestrials, well, there is some of that but the book explores unusual couplings and passions that can only be found in genre fiction. For the mmost part, the stories are literate, engaging and worthwhile. Some of my favorites are:

-"Her Furry Face": a man falls in love with an exceptionally intelligent orangutang. While there are obvious overtones of bestiality, the story is quite sad and a metaphor for what we cannot understand regarding love.

-"Man of Steel, Woman of Kleenex": this was written in 1971, long before people regularly held up magnifying glasses to comics and deconstructed them. It has achieved notoriety on the Internet, but the essay is still a hilarious examination of the pitfalls of Superman's love life and the difficulty of having sex with a human.

-"How's the Night Life on Cissalda?": one of the funniest alien invasion stories ever written and a story that more than delivers on the "alien sex" theme.

-"Arousal": A spooky tale that reminds you to be careful what you wish for.

-"Scales": a disintegrating marriage is helped along by a mysterious woman who is more than she seems. Scary and disturbing.

If you have an open mind and aren't easily offended, this book will provide an enjoyable read. Recommended.