Spankings in Books?

[greyrain]

Originally Posted by Erebus

I understand your point. But you're talking of spanking stories, in which the spankings (consensual or not) are the center and the purpose of the whole thing. Jordan was writing a heroic fantasy series and the many BDSM elements he inserted in it feel contrived and forced (not quite as heavy-handed as the Gor series, but quite repetitive).

Of course, tastes differ (a lot). While I can enjoy non-consensual spankings (whippings, canings or whatever) in spanking/BDSM stories, I have little taste for them in other fiction genres, which may explain my opinion.

As I mentioned, the BDSM elements were not the main reason I stopped enjoying the WoT. Rather, it was the fact that the pace had slowed down to a crawl (after the first few novels, the 800-pages books of the series could each have been condensed into a 300-pages book without losing any of the plot). Also, the characters were annoying me... actually, that reason may well be related to BDSM : I couldn't stand the fact that almost every single relation between a man and a woman was some sort of power play.

I had issues with the pacing too, but I really liked the books Sanderson wrote to finish off the series. It had the focus the series needed. Like you said WoT kind of stalled out and started to drag. I stuck through it because I wanted to see it through (I just hate not knowing how a story ends XD) but I wouldn't fault anybody for getting frustrated.

[Madcat]

I can't think of any of the spankings in the WoT series that are BDSM-themed. These aren't spankings done as part of a sexual fetish. They're all disciplinary in nature, even if the ages of some characters receiving them are a bit above what one might expect, but on the other hand, corporal punishment is more ingrained into the societies of the various kingdoms and factions within them.

[esoeh]

Originally Posted by Nene

There was a swat in Christine by Stephen King.. also there was a spanking threat in another one of his books called Pet Sematary.. xD

Another Stephen King Spanking reference. In Salem's Lot there is a wife who cheats on her husband and he belts her so hard that she can't sit for a few days.

[farrenlock]

Originally Posted by MintyRacer

In the book "To kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, the main character, Scout, received a few spankings xD

We were reading that book in Middle School. When those parts came up, I was ducked behind my book blushing like a complete weirdo. The teacher thought I was sick and had a fever. xD

[RobM]

One series of books that has a fair amount of BDSM themed violence and punishment as a sub-plot is the Study Series, a trio by Maria V Snyder, the first book is the most BDSMy; Poison Study.

Although a fairly mellow fantasy world, the protagonist, Yelena, faces extremes of sexual violence and eventually a rape prior to the start of the books, revealed usually through flashbacks or sudden mental images and vivid memories.
This shapes her arc as one of self-reflection and a 'letting go' aspect of the spirits that still manifestly haunt her since that time.

Its not a series of light spankings, I should warn. Her Dom, a noble named Reyard chains her down and beats her to within an inch of her life on several occasions, whips her around the castle and canes her backside and across her shoulders. Blood is spilled, tears are shed and bones are bruised.

I found it quite sexy and dark that it is the extremes of sadism without restraint, none of the punishments until the ending revelations in the third act are malicious - all are part of a powerful effort to produce specific results and calculated to effect Yelena and the story is of her resistance and the consequences of overcoming it.

Book two, Magic Study, also has some extreme-sadism and BDSM themes, where Yelena has to hunt down and kill/capture are suprisingly sophisticated sorcerous serial killer and rapist who again, uses extremes of sexualised violence as part of his magic rituals in this fantasy world.

Maria V Snyders follow-up Trilogy, the Glass Series with a new heroine, Opal, also has a lot of punishments, although she takes it to the exact opposite extreme, with an antagonist who inflicts pain and punishment dispassionately - using pressure points and nerves - without violence or even pysical contact.
His punishments are designed to be coolly economical and efficient.

Again, its mostly about the mental and willpower of the heroine to endure and grow stronger.
One particualar scene I found very sexy - Opal is bound and, to highen her humiliation stripped naked, arms tied above her head, blindfolded and gagged. The villain wants her cooperation with his diamond smuggling (Not a spoiler) but she won't give it. Clinically and without disapointment he attaches two clamps to her body. One to her upper thigh, one to her lower arm... then he just leaves her and lets them do the work. Visiting and checking on her to make sure they're both inflicting the maximum amount of discomfort.
Opal is practically paralised with the all-consuming pain of his punishments, mind running rapidly but without release or relief or alleviation from the burning pain, filled with the thrill of fear of how long she can withstand and disobey him this time and whether next time she will cave quicker or endure longer.

I found the whole aspect of how she fights against the punishments pretty cool.

I ought to add as a closer, Maria V Snyder is a pretty good author - if you think you're going to be put off by those themes within a fantasy book, don't read 'em, but do remember that its nothing worse than you find in a Game of Thrones book, the books are still very femenine as the author tried to keep the scenes visceral and full of impact, but relevent and not vulgur or overly-fetishised.

They're definately the best BDSM themes I've come across in what is definately a main-stream fiction and isn't either just an offhand 'reference' to someone being punished in a major publication or is fet-fic right from the start.