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Despite Juilie Zhang’s busy study Sharing Zhang’s interest in erotic “These gay fictions are more inter-
schedule, the postgraduate student gay fiction, university student Liu esting than the readings required for
reads erotic gay fiction at least four to Chang also spends at least five hours a my study. I spend hundreds of dol-
five hours a day. day reading gay fiction online. lars buying textbooks, but I don’t like
reading them. Most of these gay fic-
“I love reading stories about two “I feel so excited that I have to tions are free online, and I just love
men falling in love, overcoming dif- prevent myself from screaming when reading them,” she says.
ficulties together and breaking social I read stories with love scenes about
norms. This is what I expect from two boys flirting or kissing,” the “I am fascinated by the descrip-
love. Stories about boy-girl pairings 19-year-old student says. tion of subtle and sweet interactions
only position women as companions between characters. The writing is so
assisting their male lovers in becom- good that it makes me think that the
ing successful. Women are always in fictional plot might be real,” Liu says.
a secondary position rather than the
leading protagonist,” the 26-year-old Liu has never had a boyfriend, be-
girl says. cause she is concerned about dealing
with loyalty problems and having an
“Also I want to take a break from abusive relationship.
books I read for studies. I just want to
stay in my dormitory and read gay fic- “I am ready to live alone for the
tion. I even stay up late to read,” the rest of my life. I would rather read gay
PhD student researching in electronic erotica than date a boy in real life,” she
science says. adds.

Zhang often associates the stories Like Liu, university student Rita
with her own breakup experiences. Wang, 20, spends at least five hours
After experiencing two breakups, she reading gay fiction.
is reluctant to date again. She finds
comfort in reading online gay fiction Liu Chang reading gay erotica Wang shares that she finds de-
when she undergoes hard times. online with a smile. scriptions of gay relationships very
appealing.
Liu says her favourite story is ti-
“I see very clearly tled The Children of Fire Dancing. “Most stories are about two male

that gay fiction is a The story is about a top student and a lovers who have their ups and downs
thug. The two have strong feelings for
in their relationship. They grow wiser
Girls’ Hype Around Gay beautiful world each other. At first, they try to avoid together after going through tough
seeing each other and refuse to admit
times together. I really like that,” she
constructed by
the fact that they love each other and
says.
later they become a couple.
women. It is like
“I feel happy when I read gay fic-
Erotica heaven for lovers.” courage of two young men going tion, and what happens in the fiction
“This story showcases the great
world does not bother me at all. But if
stay together. That is very difficult in
The appeals of gay erotica to young girls in China. against all odds just to be in love and I have a real boyfriend, I might have
to deal with many relationship prob-
“The kind of love described in fic- real life,” she says. lems. I can have a good life on my own
tion is what I expect for my own ro- reading gay fiction,” she adds.
mantic relationship which I do not Liu seldom reads books related to
find in real life. These fictions also her studies or other literary works in Wang says she and her friends also
help me escape from reality,” she says. her free time. got to know each other because of
By Jennifer Liu their love for gay fiction. Now reading
gay fiction has become part of her life