Embraces: Dark Erotica is a literate and provocative approach to the type of fiction that came to be called erotic horror in the last decade or so. Mainstream publishers tried to capitalize on it with best-selling anthologies like I Shudder At Your Touch, Dark Love, Love In Vein, and the Hot Blood series. Even established erotica publishers like Masquerade came out with hot versions of horror classics in their Darker Passions series. Embraces: Dark Erotica, however, is something different: twenty stories of modern, highly sexual dark fiction from writers who, in most cases, are not considered "erotica writers" — fresh blood, so to speak. Contents ix • Introduction (Embraces: Dark Erotica) • (2000) • essay by Paula Guran 1 • You Give Me Fever • (2000) • shortstory by Nancy Holder 11 • Saturnalia • (1999) • shortstory by David J. Schow 31 • On the Dangers of Simultaneity, Or, Ungh, Mmmm, Oh-Baby-Yeah, Aaah, Oooh... UH-OH! • (2000) • shortstory by Robert Devereaux 39 • Creeps • (2000) • shortstory by Steve Rasnic Tem 47 • Torpor • (2000) • shortstory by Charlee Jacob 63 • Seeing Things • (2000) • shortstory by J. R. Corcorrhan 79 • Before the White Asylum • (2000) • shortstory by Rob Hardin 89 • Blue Boy • (2000) • shortstory by M. Christian 105 • Her Master's Hand • (2000) • shortstory by Dominick Cancilla 109 • Madly, Deeply • (2000) • shortstory by Connie Wilkins 117 • First Love • (2000) • shortstory by Jay Russell 123 • Small Bubbles • (2000) • shortstory by Samuel Cross 129 • Payback's a Bitch • (2000) • shortstory by Thomas S. Roche 147 • Director of Dolls • (2000) • shortstory by Anne Tourney 157 • Mekong Medusa • (2000) • shortstory by Julia Solis 167 • Beholder • (2000) • shortstory by Stephen Dedman 173 • Homewrecker • (1998) • shortstory by Poppy Z. Brite 177 • Matchbox Screamers • (2000) • shortstory by Ian Grey 187 • The Virgin Spring • (2000) • shortstory by Lorelei Shannon 199 • Learn at Home! Your Career in Evil! • (2000) • shortstory by John Shirley 215 • About the Writers (Embraces: Dark Erotica) • (2000) • essay by Paula Guran