The erotic genre category existed long before "50 shades of grey" came along. The success of "50 Shades of Grey" happened because an author managed to write a story about a relationship and about sex that was mainstream. People were able to relate to the couple because they were curious about one another and both had an interest in having sex, but they both had to step outside of their comfort zone to make it happen. In addition, the novel tackles the idea of the submissive and the controlling partner in a relationship and how this plays into the sexual act.
It didn't take long for people to react to this book series. While the author experienced tremendous success because women rushed out to buy the novel to read about the sexy – and somewhat controlling – businessman Christian Grey, there were skeptics in regards to this series. It's clear that the author was doing something new that hadn't been them before. She was writing to the mass-market which may not be something you often see in Erotica. Instead, you'll see people writing about erotica in interesting genres, such as paranormal, historical, and even science fiction. Sometimes, authors feel that the most boring stories are those that are too close to reality.
There's much more to offer
If you are planning on becoming a writer of erotica, don't let this particular book series stop you if you found it to be boring, not challenging enough, or too relatable.
There are plenty of other books on the market that may do the trick for you in terms of excitement.
Same thing goes for the reader. If the "50 Shades of Grey" was your first exploration into erotica and it didn't convince you at all, try something else. You can't let one book decide whether or not you like an entire genre. Many people love the series, and it had some exciting and unique elements that played into the entire story, but some people wanted more.
Encouraged dominant sex
Some people didn't like the stories because the writer encouraged her female lead to have sex with a man who clearly wanted to dominate her. He had a whole room dedicated having sex where he could control her. Of course, he was just playing into a fetish, but it was enough for some readers to take distance from the book series.
If you feel the same way, please explore other books in the genres that don't deal with the controlling partner. There's plenty of literature where equality is more prevalent.
What do you think about "50 Shades of Grey" in terms of erotica writing?
