Dissecting Dragons: Episode 138: Streetwalkers, Courtesans and Companions - The World’s Oldest Profession in Speculative Fiction

Episode 138: Streetwalkers, Courtesans and Companions - The World's Oldest Profession in Speculative Fiction

 

Many sci-fi and fantasy worlds have incorporated their version of the sex industry into their world building. From the highly sought and exquisite companion to the lowly street walker trying to scape enough credits together to get off world, prostitution is rife in SFF. So is this a good thing, reclaiming sex and sex positivity? Is it exploitative, perpetuating bad steriotypes and encoraging a mindset of permissiveness toward the ill treatment of sex workers? Or is it merely a snapshot of life and human nature, falling into neither the positive or negative? This week the dragons delve into the sometimes seedy world of the SFF sex industry. On the slab this week - Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey, Terry Pratchett's Discworld, Firefly, The Song of the Lioness Quartet by Tamora pierce and many more.

 

Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic