Race and Ravishment Fantasy

[Lucius]

The question of race pops up from time to time in our stories and comments. Is there something special, a distinctive approach, when we use characters belonging to races other than one's own, including fantasy races -- or encounter them in various ravishment settings as readers?

The choice of words, the choice of scenarios -- do we use stereotypes or try to subvert them in our interracial stories? Are we driven towards them by the thrill of the forbidden (okay, not legally anymore), pure aesthetics of bodies of different colours joined together -- or other reasons? Perhaps it's a turn-off for some.

I'm certain I don't need to state it explicitly, but here it goes anyway, just in case -- it's a Book Club thread limited to the role of race in ravishment fantasy.

[Vela Nanashi]

For me with fantasy races, it is the different sizes and colours and exotic natures that appeal to me and also them not being humans, that I see a lot of in my real life already Though I do sometimes feature some humans in my fantasy stories They are a bit rare

What I don't have is any real feeling of my own for superiority of species/races, though some of my characters do, but rather every species tends to have something they are really good at in my stories, though some species are too good at a lot of things, like the terrifying star elves, that are sort of for most other species a cosmic horror in my setting, or gods and goddesses, and not very nice (most of them)

Real life does not so much interest me though or things too close to it.

[Lucius]

For me with fantasy races, it is the different sizes and colours and exotic natures that appeal to me and also them not being humans, that I see a lot of in my real life already ...

Fantasy races must be interesting to play with aesthetically, all the colours, stars on the skin -- while humans get by with tattoos and salt!

[Vela Nanashi]

Something like that lol I want what I can't have in real life in my stories I guess

[Claire]

Personally, I don't care much for interracial as a kink. If it's over-emphasized in stories I even find it distracting.

Aside from the interracial kink in sex scenes, I also never tried to write a narrative that focused on race. I think I would find the challenge to accurately and responsibly delve into that topic too daunting at the moment.

When it comes to fantasy races, I again have no personal interest in that. But I could find certain aspects of it fun to play with. @Vela Nanashi likes to highlight the sensitivity of elf ears or their ability to decide when to get pregnant or not. @SoftGameHunter included a scene in The Girl in the Maze where a telepath made another character experience what was done to her in her mind. Writing a scene about a race where a member of a race of telepaths gets raped and experiences both their own suffering and their rapist's joy/pleasure at the same time could be interesting. Basically, using fantasy races to include different senses or magical abilities could be fun for me.