Mark’s novels may be forgotten, and dated, today. They remain, however, as a witness of the new sex morals and its effect upon the society as they emerged in those days. The several sociological references they contain also testify to that society in turmoil. This actually provides for two possible reads of the novels: as spy romps or as sociological testimonies.
For a reader of 2018, the sex portions may appear banal and common-place. In the late sixties, however, they were shocking. So shocking that Mark avoided using the words “clitoris” and “vagina”, as well as “penis”, replacing them with several more poetic metaphors. The only sexual vocabulary used is comprised of breast, nipple and buttock, with an occasional use of “labia” or of the terms used in the Kama Sutra (such as lingam for penis)… Even the term of “orgasm” is never used. In doing so Mark might have avoided his books being banned.
While true, this kind of restraint vanished as the stories moved into the 70s. The “words” came into use, and somewhat later also the slang versions such as prick, cunt, etc. Interestingly, of the “good” words, “penis” was the last to appear.
This restraint disappeared toward the end of the sixties, mid-series. The anatomically correct terms became used, mixed with some metaphors. Interestingly, “penis” was the last term to appear.
As a result, this kind of literature is frequently tagged as pornographic. If so, it is of a “soft” variety, as Mark’s women are always willing, eager even, are never forced and enjoy their sexual activities (even when some SM is thrown into the mix). That these are phantasmatic, is a cliché of the genre. But Mark brings the women (and en) into situations were the conduct of both may seem realistic (orgies, parties, cruises) or places them in cultural background that are believed to have strong sexual rites (Arabia, Tibet, …) or they operate in brothels, or harems, of their free will.
Female and male parts are always exaggerated in their description: they are invariable quivering, palpitating, etc… This, again, is a cliché of the genre.
Mark also uses extreme colours to describe the complexion of breast et. al. And he adheres to the American phantasm of over-sized breasts, as well of proud derrières.
The point is, Mark’s novels are spoofs. That implies some exaggeration and the depiction of somewhat burlesque scenes, even during sexual intercourse. Some are hilarious. Others are contrived.
Last but not least, the novels are rife with references to the social end political life (and scandals) of the period. And Women Liberation movements are not forgotten. That confers the series an impressive “realism”, but also dates the books, unavoidably pushing them into the “forgotten history” corner.
Bob
2018
THE MAN FROM O.R.G.Y.
001
MY NAME is Steve Victor and sex is my profession. I have a Ph.D from a bona fide U. S. college that labels me an expert in the field. I also have a juicy research grant from one of those dollar-dripping American foundations. This means that I can play Kinsey, and they'll pick up the tab.
The foundation doesn’t hand out research grants to individuals, naturally. To qualify for one, I had to set myself up as an organization. But the organization is me, and I'm it.
It’s convenient to refer to this one-man show by its initials, which are O.R.G.Y. And people are impressed when I tell them that I'm the man from O.R.G.Y. It surprised me at first that many of them were profoundly disturbed when I told them what the initials stand for. Now I'm hesitant about revealing the full name. I'm not sure whether I should tell you or not . . .
The grant was what brought me to Damascus. It was the kick-off place for an extensive survey of Arab and Oriental sex practices. The purpose was to determine the relationship between these modern practices and such ancient sex doctrines as those set forth in Muhammed’s El-Quran (The Koran), the Muslims’ Book of the Ring of the Dove2 , India's Kama Sutra3 by Vatsayana, the Hindu Anangaranga4 (Code of Cupid) by Kalyanamalla, China's combination of Taoist legend and love-guide The Golden Lotus5 , the famous japanese handbook whose title literally translates as How to Make a Nymphomaniac Faint in One Foray, and other, lesser-known Eastern erotica.
As far as the foundation financing me was concerned, the method of the survey would be the common one of a lot of secondhand research and question asking. But I had other ideas. I believe that the only way to really get at this kind of truth is through personal investigation and experience.
Nice work if you can get it. I'd gotten it.
My plan was to pursue sex pleasures from Damascus through Syria and Iraq to Afghanistan, Pakistan, and then India. This roughly parallels the route taken by Alexander the Great after his conquests in Egypt. But I intended to go farther than Alexander. He'd turned back after India. I meant to go on, to cross the Bay of Bengal to Burma, to cover Thailand, Cambodia and parts of Vietnam. If possible, I hoped to cross the South China Sea and either touch on Formosa, or perhaps manage a visit to the coast of Red China itself. The State Department would raise hell if I succeeded in that, of course, but I am after all a dedicated scientist. In any case, I planned to close my investigation in Japan.
It was an ambitious undertaking, but with the foundation financing, I could afford to attempt it in a leisurely way. I'd spent enough of my life grinding away to get my Ph.D. Now I had the chance to cut loose and live a little, and I intended to make the most of it.
Since pleasure is my business, I figured that shouldn't be too hard to do. I got my feet wet the first week after I arrived in Damascus, sampling the fantastic variety of sex pleasures the city has to offer and making copious notes on what I experienced and observed. It was fun, naturally, but it was also productive in terms of the survey I was making.
Chiefly, I concentrated on the Mohammedan sex code. I learned that in modern Damascus it is still strictly observed in some ways, while completely ignored in others. All of the advice relating to heightening sexual enjoyment is pretty much followed, but most or the taboos aimed at restricting sex are for the most part ignored.
Thus, in the brothels of Damascus, both prostitutes and customers smoke hashish in accordance with El-Quran’s recommendation that this will prolong the sex act, but they also drink alcoholic beverages, which is strictly forbidden in conjunction with sex by the ancient holy book. Arab patrons spend long nights copulating freely with the whores in accordance with Muhammed's advice that this is beneficial to the health, but they are also just as free in breaking his taboo against “spilling the seed with loose women," which is considered to be fornication, rather than copulation, and therefore a sin. (What the Prophet advised was withdrawal before ejaculation, and for many centuries Arabs practiced this art when cohabitating with prostitutes.) Oral pleasures, recommended as the most satisfying of all in, the Muslims‘ Book of the King of the Dove, are pursued with religious fervor, but the taboo against the woman swallowing the fruits of this pleasure is likewise broken regularly by the joy-girls of Damascus. The harlots anoint their bodies with oils and perfumes as El-Quran decrees, but they rarely bother observing the lavish and time-consuming rituals of bathing which are also demanded.
To nail down facts like these and the others I accumulated, I had to visit some of the sleaziest and toughest districts of Damascus. A Westerner in such places was begging for trouble. I expected it and was prepared for it, having been an amateur boxer in college and later having studied both jiu jitsu and karate. I also carried a gun in anticipation of such trouble.