This piece by Manil Suri about sex, fame and literature in the NYT is worth reading:

‘DEAR Nominee,

I’m sorry. I know you’ve been hoping it wouldn’t happen, ever since your book was shortlisted, but my sad duty is to inform you that this Tuesday, the London-based Literary Review will, indeed, pick you for its annual Bad Sex in Fiction Award. Having won myself in 2013 for my novel “The City of Devi,” I feel for you. Let me offer some advice to help you prepare for your impending notoriety.’

(…)

‘The most frustrating aspect will be that some reviews may have commended the sex scenes as being particularly well-written. “Mr. Suri sensitively and skillfully traverses the many variations of lovemaking that can result from a party of three.” That was in The Wall Street Journal! Please promise me that you won’t carry around such clippings in your wallet as I did. It’s pathetic.

Finally, you’ll start wondering if you brought this on yourself. Why didn’t you tone things down? Why didn’t you take precautions?’

Read the article here.

I immediately ordered Mr. Suri’s novel and I hope you will do the same. When it comes to the “variations of lovemaking that can result from a party of three” we should be willing to accept exploding supernovas.

(If you wonder about these supernovas, read first the article and then the novel. I assume that all questions regarding the supernovas will be answered in the novel.)