Stories that will make you blush? Erotic audio fiction on the verge between privacy and publicness
Sundén, Jenny and Tanderup Linkis, Sara LU
(2025)
In Sound Studies
11(1).
p.119-136
- Abstract
This article focuses on the rapidly growing Swedish market of app-based audio erotic fiction through an analysis of two significant apps and publishers: Blanche Stories and Ava Stories. We explore audio erotica apps as devices of both literature, pleasure and intimate sonic connectivity. First, we discuss the specific affordances of the born-audio format, its flexible and mobile forms of listening and the consequences of this flexibility for audio erotica. Secondly, we move in on the content of these apps by taking a closer look at specific forms of erotization of books and literature present both in paratextual elements surrounding the stories, and in the stories themselves. Thirdly, we shift to a discussion of content regulation,... (More)
This article focuses on the rapidly growing Swedish market of app-based audio erotic fiction through an analysis of two significant apps and publishers: Blanche Stories and Ava Stories. We explore audio erotica apps as devices of both literature, pleasure and intimate sonic connectivity. First, we discuss the specific affordances of the born-audio format, its flexible and mobile forms of listening and the consequences of this flexibility for audio erotica. Secondly, we move in on the content of these apps by taking a closer look at specific forms of erotization of books and literature present both in paratextual elements surrounding the stories, and in the stories themselves. Thirdly, we shift to a discussion of content regulation, marketing strategies and strategic framing of audio erotica apps as digital and sonic devices of pleasure. These apps and their content may be considered “safe” in a number of ways: They are framed as healthy and wholesome from a particular ethical, feminist standpoint by emphasising consent and disassociating with porn. They create intimate and, in a sense, private and safe spaces of listening. But they also carry interesting, queer potentials for mobile forms of sexuality and for public (or semi-public) sonic erotic experiences.
(Less)
- author
- Sundén, Jenny
and Tanderup Linkis, Sara
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2025
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Audio erotica, bookishness, digital platforms, erotic fiction, sonic intimacy
- in
- Sound Studies
- volume
- 11
- issue
- 1
- pages
- 119 - 136
- publisher
- Routledge
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:105001849148
- scopus:85189829680
- ISSN
- 2055-1940
- DOI
- 10.1080/20551940.2024.2335684
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 16b5aac9-331d-43ee-ba47-731a8507da22
- date added to LUP
- 2024-04-24 14:57:30
- date last changed
- 2025-10-14 10:24:39
@article{16b5aac9-331d-43ee-ba47-731a8507da22,
abstract = {{<p>This article focuses on the rapidly growing Swedish market of app-based audio erotic fiction through an analysis of two significant apps and publishers: Blanche Stories and Ava Stories. We explore audio erotica apps as devices of both literature, pleasure and intimate sonic connectivity. First, we discuss the specific affordances of the born-audio format, its flexible and mobile forms of listening and the consequences of this flexibility for audio erotica. Secondly, we move in on the content of these apps by taking a closer look at specific forms of erotization of books and literature present both in paratextual elements surrounding the stories, and in the stories themselves. Thirdly, we shift to a discussion of content regulation, marketing strategies and strategic framing of audio erotica apps as digital and sonic devices of pleasure. These apps and their content may be considered “safe” in a number of ways: They are framed as healthy and wholesome from a particular ethical, feminist standpoint by emphasising consent and disassociating with porn. They create intimate and, in a sense, private and safe spaces of listening. But they also carry interesting, queer potentials for mobile forms of sexuality and for public (or semi-public) sonic erotic experiences.</p>}},
author = {{Sundén, Jenny and Tanderup Linkis, Sara}},
issn = {{2055-1940}},
keywords = {{Audio erotica; bookishness; digital platforms; erotic fiction; sonic intimacy}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{1}},
pages = {{119--136}},
publisher = {{Routledge}},
series = {{Sound Studies}},
title = {{Stories that will make you blush? Erotic audio fiction on the verge between privacy and publicness}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/20551940.2024.2335684}},
doi = {{10.1080/20551940.2024.2335684}},
volume = {{11}},
year = {{2025}},
}