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Ellen Datlow
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Alien Sex Paperback – 21 Nov. 1991

by Ellen Datlow (Editor)
3.6 out of 5 stars 103 ratings
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  1. Print length
    336 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Grafton
  4. Publication date
    21 Nov. 1991
  5. ISBN-10
    0586211780
  6. ISBN-13
    978-0586211786
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Grafton
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ 21 Nov. 1991
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0586211780
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0586211786
  • Item weight ‏ : ‎ 180 g
  • Best Sellers Rank: 157,989 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • Customer reviews:
    3.6 out of 5 stars 103 ratings

About the author

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Ellen Datlow

Ellen Datlow

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I've been a short story editor for over forty years, starting with OMNI Magazine and webzine for 17 years, then EVENT HORIZON, a webzine, and SCIFICTION, the fiction area of SCIFI.COM. I currently acquire and edit short fiction and novellas for Tor.com and I edit original and reprint anthologies. I've lived in NYC most of my life, although I travel a lot.

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3.6 out of 5 stars
103 global ratings

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Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • Claire Simpson
    5.0 out of 5 stars Alien sex
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 24 March 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Interesting short stories from the other side of the fence instead of sexy aliens making a play for humans, it's humans doing the running,very quirky stories and interesting if sometimes slightly unsettling, still recommend to the long term sci-fi reader
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  • John Peter O'connor
    4.0 out of 5 stars Some strong stories, some weak
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 17 February 2000
    As advertised, 19 tales on the theme of sex involving humans and aliens.
    Sex is an important part of our lives. It is not so far fetched to believe that the same might be the case for at least some alien species. But, this area is not one that has featured widely in SF writings. Around half of the stories here are published for the first time in this collection.
    This is not a collection of erotic writing, indeed it is more disturbing and sometimes funny than arousing.
    Horror fiction has a much stronger tradition of covering sexual matters and some of the stories here wander along the boundary of the two genres. Particularly "The First Time" by K.W.Jeter. This gruesome story is not an easy read but it is also one of the strongest in the collection.
    "All My Darling Daughters" by Connie Willis and Leigh Kennedy's "Her Furry Face" also dwell on aspects of the human condition that you wouldn't want to discuss with your mother. Nonetheless, they are good stories that use the "alien" setting to good effect.
    The collection is not confined to such serious, or even disturbing material. There are some genuinely funny stories here too. Especially the classic "How's the Nightlife on Cissalda" by Harlan Ellison and "Man of Steel, Woman of Kleenex" by Larry Niven.
    Many of the stories deal with the theme of aliens as a sexual threat to humans. From lighthearted stories such as Pat Cadigan's "Roadside Rescue" to the macabre "Dancing Chickens" by Edward Bryant.
    I'd rate about three quarters of the stories in here as being above agerage or better. A couple were rather weak and the book would have been better had they been left out but, overall, this is a good collection.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Ancient Mariner
    3.0 out of 5 stars Cheerless and Dated
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 24 May 2015
    It would appear from this collection that sex is a grim and humorless business, composed mostly of rape, incest, domination, degradation and manipulation. I suspected we were in trouble when the foreward noted that men and women sometimes regard each other as though they are two different alien species, and that does seem to be the dominant theme here, and the primary reason for the use of the word "alien" in the title. All of the stories in this anthology originally appeared in an anthology with the same title in 1990, and while it is possible that this was cutting edge then, which I doubt, it seems fair to say that time has not been kind and that almost everything here is now well behind the cultural curve. (For what it's worth, you might want to check out the reviews for the 1990 version - it was not particularly well received then, either.) On the other hand, at least this collection pre-dates, and so includes no examples of, soft-core vampire erotic romance.

    There are a few classics from the 1970's and 80's, but they are mostly of historical interest, and in any event have been anthologized repeatedly. I'm sure that two or three or so of the stories will hold one's attention, and I'd bet that for different people the vote for "best" stories would be different. I guess that's the main appeal of a broadly collected anthology like this. Just don't expect a gem in each tale, and remember, "In space, apparently, no one can hear you enjoy sex".

    Please note that I received a free electronic copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a frank review.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Tnuctip
    5.0 out of 5 stars Mostly new to me. Good leads to other writers
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 8 June 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Not as sleazy as it sounds, with accents on both themes, separately and together. Interesting selection of stories I would never have found another way.
    Old favourite Man of Steel, Woman of Kleenex from Larry Niven is always worth another read. Plus new authors to add to my wishlist
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Peter Ripota
    5.0 out of 5 stars Sex mit Außerirdischen
    Reviewed in Germany on 18 September 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Als Verehrer der SF-Klassiker (Asimov, Bradbury, van Vogt etc.) kann ich mit der modernen SF nichts anfangen. Also kaufte ich für wenig Geld dieses Buch in der Hoffnung, vielleicht doch eine Perle der modernen SF zu finden. Zu meiner Überraschung fand ich viele. Das sind Geschichten von hohem literarischem Nivo, die sich wohltuend vom Puritanismus der Meister ebenso wie von der Beliebigkeit und Langeweile der Modernen abheben. Irritierend, schillernd, liebevoll, durchdringend, geheimnisvoll, modern - da ist wirklich alles drin. Für SF-Freunde ein Genuss, für Liebhaber dezenter Erotik-Erzählungen ebenso.
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  • Don Hallford
    5.0 out of 5 stars Stretched my Mind
    Reviewed in the United States on 3 April 2022
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    Wonderful stories to stretch your mind. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this collection of stories and would recommend this book to all my reading friends.
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  • J Music Fan
    3.0 out of 5 stars Some stories are good, some are depressing
    Reviewed in Canada on 18 June 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Some stories are good, some are depressing, and some are just gross. I enjoyed a few stories, didn't think much of some, and had to skip over one. I put the book down after reading about two thirds of it, and have little urge to pick it up again. It's a very mixed bag, and 2-1/2 stars would be more accurate.
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  • Schtinky
    3.0 out of 5 stars Five good stories, the rest do not measure up
    Reviewed in the United States on 24 March 2006
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    With a titillating title like Alien $ex, I was expecting stories a little more disturbing, perhaps something with a touch of the squishy to it, flavored with the tangy taste of repulsion. What I discovered was mostly mild, neither horrifying or $exual, and only vaguely imaginative.

    Table of contents:

    1) Her Furry Face by Leigh Kennedy

    2) War Bride by Rick Wilber

    3) How's The Night Life On Cissalda? By Harlan Ellison

    4) The Jamesburg Incubus by Scott Baker

    5) Man Of Steel, Woman Of Kleenex by Larry Niven

    6) The First Time by K.W. Jeter

    7) The Jungle Rot Kid On The Nod by Philip Jose Farmer

    8) Husbands by Lisa Tuttle

    9) When The Fathers Go by Bruce McAllister

    10) Dancing Chickens by Edward Bryant

    11) Roadside Rescue by Pat Cadigan

    12) Omnisexual by Geoff Ryman

    13) All My Darling Daughters by Connie Willis

    14) Arousal by Richard Christian Matheson

    15) Scales by Lewis Shiner

    16) Saving The World At The New Moon Hotel by Roberta Lannes

    17) And I Awoke And Found Me Here On The Cold Hill's Side by James Tiptree Jr.

    18) Picture Planes by Michaela Roessner

    19) Love And Sex Among The Invertebrates by Pat Murphy

    The five good stories are 'Her Furry Face', dealing with an orangutan rather than an alien; 'Roadside Rescue', which really does display the strange $exuality of aliens; 'Scales', a story of infidelity with a Lamia; 'And I Awoke And Found Me Here On The Cold Hill's Side', a futuristic glimpse as to where mankind might head if copulation with aliens became a mainstream practice; and 'Love And Sex Among The Invertebrates', a post apocalyptic scientist tries to breathe life back into the world.

    The rest of the stories all suffered from what I term "Abstracting and Distracting". Some SF tales, mostly the older pieces in the genre, tend to believe that the more abstract their prose is, the more "alien" it appears, when in reality it is simply too distracting to read. Chunky, clunky sentences strewn haphazardly across a page and using a form of "guess what I'm thinking" detachment does not make for a smooth story. I was particularly surprised at how awful Harlan Ellison's contribution to this anthology was, but even the masters must slip once in a while. Unfortunately, too many of the stories in this collection suffer this affliction, and there are too few good ones for me to recommend this book as a 'buy'. Grab it from the library, or find a used copy.
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  • "aldu"
    2.0 out of 5 stars A few good interesting stories
    Reviewed in Germany on 17 February 2019
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    A very uneven collection and not really focused on sexuality of aliens - which is an underexplored topic in SF. Not that its really necessary; my favourite story in this one deals with vampires rather than aliens.
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