Monsterfudgers, or Romance and Erotica readers who love a sexy and monstrous protagonist, have always been on the fringes of the Romance and Erotica genres, eagerly sifting through indie offerings for the gems. If you’ve kept up with Romancelandia these past couple years, you’ll have seen the sudden explosion of Monsters in the Romance and Erotica mainstream. Morning Glory Milking Farm made a huge splash (pardon the pun) last year when it gave us a hot minotaur to lust over. After that, it didn’t take us long to normalize studly orcs in the office. Even Katee Robert has leaned into the trend with her new Deal with a Demon series, refreshing old favorite tropes by throwing studly dragons, krakens, and gargoyles at them.
People want to read about f***ing monsters because monsters are clear in their desire and they do not play games. If a monster wants you, they will let you know in no uncertain terms. They have powers that are surprising and delightful, especially in the bedroom… or lair. And while the monsters in these kinds of books may understand individual humans very well, they don’t always understand humanity. Our beauty standards perplex them, because to them you are perfect. They either don’t recognize or don’t accept our complex social mores that can make it hard to tell someone that you desire them. For women and for queer people, that means monsters can simplify complications in intimacy.
The real world can make joyful, unfettered erotic encounters difficult for pairings (or groupings) that don’t appear heterosexual. Women and queers must navigate tremendous barriers to safety and emotional well-being when seeking out sexual and romantic partners, especially if we are attracted to people with more power than us. It can be exhausting to put yourself out there over and over again only to get body-shamed, slut-shamed, and taken advantage of (or worse) in your journey to knowing yourself and owning your desires. No one comes out of this journey unscathed….though we all deserve to.
We should all have the right to safely explore ourselves and to make meaningful connections, both erotic and otherwise. And this spirit tends to underpin so many of the new books for monsterfudgers. Monster protagonists allow readers to explore often hyper-masculine sexuality and physicality in a new environment, divorced from human expectations and cultural values that can make this exploration fraught.
We’ve always known that books in the Romance and Erotica genres are fantasy. Many are unashamedly pro-women and pro-queer in a world that just isn’t yet. Adding monsters into these genres makes them a fantastical delight this holiday season.
Read an excerpt from “Second Chance Krampusnacht.”
D. S. Dane’s story, “Second Chance Krampusnacht,” is featured in A Very Cryptid Christmas: a high-steam holiday romance anthology for the monsterfudgers who are fans of inclusivity and like a side of feelings with their filth. Find out more at dsdanebooks.com.