Erotic Romance

This chapter examines erotic romance, a literary category whose history has been largely ignored in the wake of the Fifty Shades-phenomenon. It seeks to better understand and define erotic romance by situating it in context: in particular, its industrial context, examining its publishing history and its relationships to fan fiction and the burgeoning digital publishing marketplace. It argues that erotic romance is a space which pushes the boundaries of the romance genre, both structurally and in terms of content, but ultimately exists within those boundaries.