# Help ID this late 70s, early 80s, sexy novel **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 25, 2016, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-id-this-late-70s-early-80s-sexy-novel/744137 "2016-01-25T00:00:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Pashnish\_Ewing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8797f3/32.png) [@Pashnish\_Ewing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pashnish_Ewing)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-id-this-late-70s-early-80s-sexy-novel/744137/1 "2016-01-25T00:00:30Z")
I’m trying to come up with the title of a sexy paperback my parents hid from me (to no avail) when I was a child. The setting was a Hollywood, CA start-up adult magazine. Only one line sticks out in my mind. One of the publishers was flipping through a copy of Playboy (the competition), and, due to excessive airbrushing, he exclaimed “my hands smell from reading this shit” I wouldn’t categorize this mystery title as a ‘Romance Novel’. It was more of a ‘50 Shades’ of it’s day. Definitely set in Hollywood and definitely in the print porn biz. One of the (main?) characters was a bi-sexual male. Come on, Dope. What’s that title? ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-id-this-late-70s-early-80s-sexy-novel/744137/2 "2016-01-25T00:54:40Z")
No idea, but I get a strong Jackie Collins vibe from your description. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-id-this-late-70s-early-80s-sexy-novel/744137/3 "2016-01-25T01:10:47Z")
Or Erica Jong. Or Emmanuelle Arsan. Or maybe Xaviera Hollander? In fact, a quick google of Xaveria brings up her Wiki page which lists a book called _Erotic Enterprises, Inc._, published in 1985. I can’t find a description online, however. Could that be it, **Pashnish**? ---
**Author:** ![Pashnish\_Ewing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8797f3/32.png) [@Pashnish\_Ewing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pashnish_Ewing)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-id-this-late-70s-early-80s-sexy-novel/744137/4 "2016-01-25T01:27:36Z")
I don’t thinks he title was so obviously erotica. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-id-this-late-70s-early-80s-sexy-novel/744137/5 "2016-01-25T01:43:29Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Or Erica Jong. Or Emmanuelle Arsan. Or maybe Xaviera Hollander?.. Ah, the giants. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-id-this-late-70s-early-80s-sexy-novel/744137/6 "2016-01-25T01:52:28Z")
How about Harold Robbins? His [Dreams Die First](http://www.amazon.com/Dreams-Die-First-Harold-Robbins/dp/1491589248) sounds like a contender. ---
**Author:** ![Pashnish\_Ewing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8797f3/32.png) [@Pashnish\_Ewing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pashnish_Ewing)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-id-this-late-70s-early-80s-sexy-novel/744137/7 "2016-01-25T02:03:50Z")
I checked the Harold Robbins list of titles and nothing jumped out. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-id-this-late-70s-early-80s-sexy-novel/744137/8 "2016-01-25T02:15:06Z")
> [@Pashnish\_Ewing](#): > > I checked the Harold Robbins list of titles and nothing jumped out. Really? From the Amazon link: > [@Amazon reviewer](#): > > In Dreams Die First Harold Robbins tells the story of Gareth Brendan, a young man who comes home from the Vietnam War and drops out of society, but learns that in early 70s LA, society has moved on from the hippie era. Deep in debt and without direction, Gareth is saved (or is he?) by his Uncle, a shady, wealthy businessman who buys Gareth a weekly throwaway paper in order to launder money from his illegal business operations. But Gareth takes the opportunity and decides to strike it rich as a publisher of hard hitting pornography. The book explores the seamy, sleazy side of disco era LA. The writing is terse and to the point. The action flows and the sex is hard-hitting. And for the first time Robbins makes his male protagonist bi-sexual, enjoying hot sexual encounters with women and men. ---
**Author:** ![Pashnish\_Ewing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8797f3/32.png) [@Pashnish\_Ewing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pashnish_Ewing)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 8:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-id-this-late-70s-early-80s-sexy-novel/744137/9 "2016-01-25T08:55:04Z")
I guess that’s it! I didn’t recognize the title but the paperback cover is exactly as I remember. Thanks **JS**!