Secret Sex, edited by Russell Smith

What would you write about sex if no one knew who you were? That’s the premise of the anthology Secret Sex, edited by Russell Smith, a set of anonymous short stories about sex, ranging from pure erotica to more literary reflections on sex and its role in life. The anthology isn’t entirely anonymous; Smith does list the writers who contributed, with biographies at the back, though none of the stories are credited. Being familiar with many of the writers in this anthology, I do have some guesses for who wrote what, based on style and setting, but I won’t write them here – the mystery is part of the fun with this anthology.

Smith’s introduction is brief but it sets the stage wonderfully: so often, sex is handled gingerly in the world, let alone the world of writing. Smith notes the challenges of writing about sex freely, without people reading your preferences into your fiction, for example, or needing to be discreet when wanting to write about your own sexual experiences. Or a writer may not be comfortable with having their name attached to their literary exploration of sex and sexuality. We’re still a fairly repressed culture when it comes to open discussion about sex, which Smith notes, and so the idea of Secret Sex was born: taking away the direct knowledge of who wrote which story, it adds a layer of intrigue and freedom to the writing in this anthology.

The stories lean more toward erotica for the most part, but there are several reflections on lost relationships, the meaning of sex to the characters, exploration of sex work and both the collapse and formation of intimate relationships. The opening story, “Sext,” is written entirely in text messages, while “Niche Parade: Hotel Maid Compilation,” is drawn from PornHub video titles. There are deliberations on the ethics of different kinds of sex, there are fantasies, there are confessions of loneliness, there are scams. None of these stories are long; in a 272-page book, there are 24 stories. And yet there are whole worlds in some of them, and they cover so many different types of experiences and relationships.

Secret Sex is an experiment, and a successful one at that. Smith frames the collection beautifully, and the gimmick of having stories written by Canadian writers of some renown works well. What would we say about sex if we could keep some mystery around our writings? What would we share? In the stories in Secret Sex, there’s lust, love, and freedom.

Russell Smith is a novelist and acquiring editor at Dundurn Press. He lives in Toronto.

Publisher: Dundurn Press (January 2, 2024)
Paperback 8″ x 6″ | 272 pages
ISBN: 9781459752429

Alison Manley

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Alison Manley has ricocheted between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia for most of her life. Now in Halifax, Nova Scotia, she is the Cataloguing and Metadata Librarian at Saint Mary's University. Her past life includes a long stint as a hospital librarian on the banks of the mighty Miramichi River. She has an honours BA in political science and English from St. Francis Xavier University, and a Master of Library and Information Studies from Dalhousie University. While she's adamant that her love of reading has nothing to do with her work, her ability to consume large amounts of information very quickly sure is helpful. She is often identified by her very red lipstick, and lives with her partner Brett and cat, Toasted Marshmallow.