Truth or Dare Tuesday with M.Christian

I'm so excited about today's Truth or Dare because one of my favorite authors of erotica is here to play. It's just like an early Christmas gift for me really.

M.Christian is here today, answering some tricky questions and opening up with a few personal details that I'm sure you'll be fascinated by, I know I was. For those of you who haven't heard of him before, below is a quick bio about his amazing career. After that he'll tell us why he chose truth over dare today.

M.Christian is the author of more than 400 stories in such anthologies as Best American Erotica, Best Gay Erotica, Best Lesbian Erotica, Best Bisexual Erotica, Best Fetish Erotica, and in fact too many anthologies, magazines, and sites to name.  In addition to writing, he is a prolific and respected anthologist, having edited 25 anthologies to date including the Best S/M Erotica series; Pirate Booty; My Love For All That Is Bizarre: Sherlock Holmes Erotica; The Burning Pen; The Mammoth Book of Future Cops, and The Mammoth Book of Tales of the Road (with Maxim Jakubowksi); Confessions, Garden of Perverse, and Amazons (with Sage Vivant), and many more.  M.Christian's short fiction has been collected into many bestselling books in a wide variety of genres, including the Lambda Award finalist Dirty Words and other queer collections like Filthy Boys, BodyWork, and his best-of-his-best gay erotica book, Stroke the Fire.  He also has collections of non-fiction (Welcome to Weirdsville, Pornotopia, and How To Write And Sell Erotica); science fiction, fantasy and horror (Love Without Gun Control); and erotic science fiction including Rude Mechanicals, Technorotica, Better Than The Real Thing, and the acclaimed Bachelor Machine.  As a novelist, M.Christian has shown his monumental versatility with books such as the queer vamp novels Running Dry and The Very Bloody Marys; the erotic romance Brushes; the science fiction erotic novel Painted Doll; and the rather controversial gay horror/thrillers Fingers Breadth and Me2. 

 

I picked truth over dare as I always try to live honestly ... well, as honestly as I can ... that and I have this odd 'thing' about being embarrassed.  Sure, I can write, or say, pretty much anything but doing something makes me shiver (burrrrrr).

Hmm, doesn't like being embarrassed, *evil grin*...very tempting but I better behave. Now, lets see what the truth is according to M. Christian.

Who is a movie villain you find attractive?

So very, very, very funny you mention movie bad guys because I've always had a thing for cinematic villains – in fact I've been working on and off on a book about them, called They Only Wanted To Rule The World: A Celebration Of Cinematic Villainy.   

Anyway, this a toughie because there as just so many very cool, if not downright sexy, bad guys (and girls) out there it's really hard to pick just one.  Like with usual human beings I have a thing for intelligence, creativity and style – but with villains I'd actually like to have a bit ... just a bit, mind you ... of what they have but not necessarily have sex with them (I'm straight, after all).  At the top of the list has to be Hans Gruber from Die Hard: not only is Alan Rickman absolutely brilliant but Hans is elegant and, best of all, scary-smart.  Right next to him has to be Ernest Thesiger as Doctor Septimus Pretorius from The Bride Of Frankenstein: he's not just a genius but creepy with elegantly smooth confidence.  Last, but not least, would have to be the various incarnations of Dr. Mabuse (I even wrote my own Mabuse story).  Mabuse isn't really sexy, per se, but he's absolutely fascinating: indefinable, fantastic, otherworldly – his intellect puts him outside of the world, beyond human comprehension ... and wouldn't that be amazing to experience, if just for a little while? 

What flaw is enough to cause you to break off a relationship?  

I can't stand cruelty in any form: while I'm ridiculously easy-going around a lot of things – and love to experiment and open myself up to new experiences, viewpoints, etc. – I'm totally intolerant for intolerance (that's a joke, son).  As I suffer from depression, I'm extra-sensitive towards insensitivity: I look for partners that are supportive, enthusiastic, kind, and who truly care about me.  Luckily I've found more than my fair share – though have a few scars from bad calls on my part.  Still, I try and stay optimistic and am always looking for lovers, as well as friends, who will help me expand who I am.

Would you still love your significant other if he or she gained 100 pounds?  

Ah, a trick question: see, I have a 'thing' for BBW (big, beautiful women to all who don't know what that means) so weight isn't a problem for me – but even though I have a preference I never, ever look at people (at lovers) as bodies: I fall in lust and love first through a person's mind and personality ... and if they happen to be physically a button-pusher it's the cherry on top.  I adore people who are enthusiastic, dynamic, caring, intelligent, experimental, and who look at the world – and me – as a treasure to be explored.

What is the worst thing about being an adult?

Who says I'm an adult?  Sure, I might be little more than half a century old but I live by the mantra of child-like but not child-ish: I play video games, watch cartoons. Play with toys and adore discovering new and wonderful things: movies, foods, people, history, science, art ... I feel the world is an immense treasure that far too many people take it for granted or look out at it with half-closed eyes.  I may not be able to pull it off all the time, but I really do try to live as much as I can: to push myself as much as possible and learn as much as I can about everything and everyone.

What are you afraid of?

Even though I may sound fairly assured I have chronic depression: it's a battle to stay focused, optimistic, and to always remember that any negative emotions I may be feeling are not the truth but unfortunate biology.  But the major problem with depression isn't feeling like you're worthless but knowing, without a doubt, that you are: so my greatest fear would have to be that these negative feelings are not a chemical delusion but are what I am and how I'm seen (shudder).

But, like I said, I battle it constantly and try to take care of myself as best I can: I try to find joy and pleasure in my friends and family, ask for help when I need it, work to not let the brutal business side of being a writer get in the way of the ecstasy I feel when I tell a great story or finish writing a book.

I love those answers, Mr. Christian (why do I think of a tropical island and mutiny when I type that?). Thank you for being so honest with your replies. I'm sure a lot of us can relate to your fear, I know I can, having battled that demon myself. I'm also really impressed that the first male we've had on here loves big beautiful women. I'm doing a happy tushie dance around the living room at that answer alone.  I'd definitely love to see the villain book come to fruition and it has me wondering, what movie villain would you like to see included in M.Christian's book? My pick would be Dennis Hopper as Frank Booth in Blue Velvet, what's yours?