In the middle ages The Decameron by Giovanni Boccacio shocked readers with its tales of naughty nuns and lascivious monks. The Heptameron, published in 1558 and written by Marguerite of Navarre, followed strongly in its footsteps.

Throughout the 17th century, numerous saucy writings were secretly circulated and devoured by hungry readers, and the rise of the novel in the 18th Century helped things along enormously. Even then, most of what was written would be considered “pulp fiction” by literary standards.

Throughout the 1800s, erotically charged fiction remained a clandestine pleasure, enjoyed in secret. Nonetheless, several erotic titles became very popular, including The Way of a Man With a Maid and the Autobiography of a Flea.

This is an excerpt from The Dirty Book Checklist, a feature article on the history of erotic fiction. You’ll find the full text of this article at For The Girls – quality erotic ezine for women.