Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Radclyffe!

Radclyffe ? Well I am not thinking Radclyffe Hall, the author of the old-time classic lesbian novel "The Well of Loneliness" but Radclyffe aka Len Barot, author of numerous LesFic's published by Bold Strokes Books the publishing company that Len Barot heads.

To follow up on my post the on Radclyffe's "Honor series" I thought we could take a stroll through some Radclyffe fic's .... maybe you've missed a good read?

Soft butch - or what ?
My first Radclyffe "experience" was "Loves Melody Lost" a story about Graham a famous composer and pianist who has lost her "melody" after a car accident that also blinded her. As you might have guessed Graham is an unhappy soul who will need special attention to get back in step with her music and learn to trust in love. And she will get the attention she needs from her new live-in house manager Anna, but do you think that she will take kindly to the loving care that Anna provides?

I found this early story by Radclyffe a bit too stereotype for my taste as I think Graham's butch character is presented as more of a transgender character than lesbian, but then again I am really not proficient in determining the correct labels to fix on anyone's orientation - so I might be wrong on this. And should transgender be your thing - then I guess it really doesn't matter at all.

While we are on the subject of stereotypes, labels and such I thought that I might make a statement "I do not like imposed labels" - and no that is really not a phrase that I came up with. It is from "The Bookish Butch", but I hope she will let me borrow it as it fits nicely with the way I feel about labels ..... if I want one - a label that is - I will stick it on my forehead myself!

Anyway let's forget about labels .... but before moving on we might just have a bit of fun with the clichés that goes with the labels that we might choose for ourself. Try this link ! I know that I posted the link to the YouTube video from "ThatsWhatSheSaid" before, but maybe you missed it ? 

I hear you shout for me to move on down the Radclyffe trail so here we go .... If you trust in my ability to judge a good romance from a bad, you might want to take a look at some of the published Radclyffe fic's. My all time Radclyffe favorite is "Turn Back Time", but then again I am biased when it comes to a romance set in the medical world - I just love "White Coats, Warm Hands and Wondrous Hearts".

"Turn Back Time" is a great mix of the stressed professional lives of young doctors trying to make a career for themselvs in the competitive environment of the teaching hospitals, family life as in a single mother mixing work with rising a child, and the promises of what life could be like, if you let love happen.

In "Turn Back Time" you will encounter Radclyffe's signature soft butch character - hard on the outside, but soft as melting butter on the inside. All you have to do is brake through the shield that guards her  heart and show her love! Ain't that just sweet ?

If we stay in the medical world, which is not hard to do with Radclyffe - who seems to have had her own career as a surgeon - you might want to look up "Passion's Bright Fury". The soft butch is on the hunt again, this time in the form of the formidable Saxon Sinclair who never seems to rest, but really she just needs someone to rest her tired soul with. You can read a review here at the site - just use the author tag for Radclyffe. You will find "Passions' Bright Fury" available both online and in a published version by Bold Strokes Books.

I you want to move from soft butch to a life on the dark side of passion you might want to follow Radclyffe into the "Shadowland", but if BDSM is not you thing then pass it over. I found this story to be way too dark for my taste. Should you however want to try your hand at BDSM "on dry-land" so to speak, you could look up BadSquirrels "The Dark Side Of The Moon". The tone of this story is much "softer". On the other hand the BDSM-universe related in the storyline feels very much constructed, but then again one can't really complain ... it is fiction after all .... is it not? You can find a few other fic's with a BDSM theme on Listmania, if you want to explore this topic further.

Whatever you choose for your Afternoon Delight it is guaranteed to include romance and the promise of LHEA.

Sorry it seems that I lost the Radclyffe trail somewhere along the line ....... I'll try to find my way back .... some other time.

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