• lovely image by Grant Snider, you can see the full cartoon here

In an infinite library do the lesser-thumbed books ever feel neglected?

Imagine wandering absent-mindedly through the towering canyons of shelves. Each book silently calling: pick me, choose me, read me. I’ll arouse your mind, I’ll fill your imagination with imagery you never thought you could conceive. Every now and then you stop, plucking a book from the nearest shelf to test its worthiness, evaluating its title, the claims on its back, even the musty woody scent of its pages.   

What was it that drew you to the erotica section? Did you find your way here by chance? What made you halt amongst the spanking books?

At random, you pluck a book from the shelf. This one is called Waiting - it has a stark monochrome cover of what looks like an austere old-fashioned schoolroom. Dwarfed within the expanse of empty space is a young lady, who’s standing facing a wall with her hands upon her head. She’s so small it’s difficult to make out details, but there appears to be a dark band above her ears. You turn over to read the blurb on the back, it describes itself as a story of apprehension, obedience and impatience. And there’s a quote from the story, from an unnamed protagonist:

“I’ve punished too many recalcitrant minxes to be sure of her sincerity. At first, most I punish are only really sorry they’ve been caught. But by the time they leave this room, their bottoms glowing, their sorrow tends to be genuine.”

Sounds mysterious… perhaps it’s worth a read.

Or maybe you’ll continue browsing. You pluck another book from the shelf - this one is entitled Cosmopolitan. The colours of its cover image are washed out, as if the scene had been photographed long ago. A group of giggling schoolgirls are hiding around a corner, unseen by a teacher in gown and mortarboard who stands in the distance, hands on hips, as if searching for someone. On the back, the book is described as a story of role-playing and fantasies made real, and teases the reader by asking…

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