Why have we fallen FOR SMUT FICTION?

Saucy sex and heart-stopping adventures... we may not be having it, but we're certainly reading about it

-  FRANCES LEATE, EIMEAR O'HAGAN

These days, we're all craving a bit of escapism. And is it any wonder that, for so many of us, it involves losing ourselves in a steamy book?

The UK has reportedly seen a huge surge in 'romantasy' - romance and fantasy - book sales in the last year. Dubbed 'smut fiction' among more critical literary circles, it seems more and more of us enjoy reading about dragons, fairies, vampires and even cowboys, with a heavy dose of adventure, romance and sex thrown in. Which is ironic considering some reports seem to suggest us Brits are having less sex than ever before.

But not everyone is a fan of getting stuck into the pages of a spicy romance, with some turning their noses up and dismissing this guilty pleasure as nothing more than fluffy 'chick-lit'.

Yet, this genre has now pushed the UK's fiction revenue above £1bn for the first time ever, with sales of romance and saga novels growing from £62m in 2023 to £69m in 2024, and science fiction and fantasy increasing from £59m to a staggering £83m during the same period.

So, while these novels show no sign of a shelf life, we speak to two readers with very different opinions about this controversial genre.

'IT'S THE ULTIMATE ESCAPISM'