h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi Eco Worrier - having done all the immediate research surrounding Story of O except read the book I'd like to thank you for writing the excellent entry that started off my research (well, it started with a school project on Olympia Press, but my Story of O-specific interest came from this entry). Well-written and all-round good.

Thanks very much, it was nice of you to say so.

Aren't you interested in reading it yourself, or is it due to your age?

Of course I'm interested in reading it myself - I've just, for the first time, come up against the wall of parental censorship as, when trying to buy a copy, I neglected to remember my mother's encyclopedia knowledge of modern literature.

I do find it difficult to think of you as a 'child' who has parents to supervise yor reading material - you never come across that way at all!

I would have thought that 16 was quite old enough, but I'm very used to reading this kind of material so maybe I'm wrong in that decision. I'd like to think that it was part of a 'balanced' reading list though - obviously I'm 'that way inclined' but I wouldn't like anyone to think that's the *only* way of doing things.

By age 16 most teenagers have read some porn, especially with the internet, unless I'm mistaken in that! I remember being 13/14 and it not being strange to have seen some sort of dirty mag by that age. Unless that's just Essex.

I'm glad to hear I come across as so mature! Thank you.

I don't know that my mother would actually *stop* me from reading O. She just made such noises of disapproval when I raised the subject (I forget the context exactly) that I decided it wasn't worth the hassle to press it (I am, unfortunately, still at the age where going to the bookstore requires my mother's driving me there). I was quite surprised by my mother's shocked reaction, as I tend to consider her quite the permissive sort (which is why I've never run into problems, from Stranger in a Strange Land to Lady Chatterley's Lover - though, to be honest, I didn't tell her about Fanny Hill). I suppose even the most enlightened folk have societal taboos to overcome.

I would have thought 16 was old enough too, for more or less precisely the same reasons except from a kid's perspective. The kids I hang out with (both male and female) are pretty familiar with the porn world, especially online. However, I suppose you could say this particular crowd represents the diverse range of teenage sexuality, shall we say - and less straight/vanilla kids are always less prudish, as is the case with adults, so maybe it's not a fair comparison.

In any case, it's good to see that such topics are not omitted on h2g2. Folks are talking now about how the site's going to the dogs, as they do at least once a year. At least we (well, I) can say it's not gone yet - witness the BDSM entry that just went through PR (which I was very disappointed I didn't get to sub-edit; I missed it in the queue by two entries).

Let me knoe when you do get around to reading it. I've introduced it to my new boyfriend but he doesn't do a lot of reading, so I've no idea when he'll get around to reading more than a few pages.

I've got some more entries I want to write now floating around in my brain, I won't mention them on h2g2 in case someone pinches them! But they'll be on this subject of course! I've just got to get the next edition of my club magazine out first.

I'm awaiting them with bated breath!