Jewel of Sherwood

Zine
Title:	Jewel of Sherwood
Publisher:	Ragabah Production
Editor:
Author(s):	see below
Cover Artist(s):
Illustrator(s):
Date(s):	1994
Medium:	print
Size:
Genre:
Fandom:	Robin of Sherwood
Language:	English
External Links:	source see RoS Fanfic
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Jewel of Sherwood is a 500-page slash Robin of Sherwood novel by Laurence Steele (Mary Beth Edwards).

Summaries

From a distributor, Agent With Style:

Captured by a ruthless enemy, Robin of Loxely is sold to a nomadic desert tribe as a slave. Given to a powerful Saladin in tribute, Robin begins training as a servant...a pleasure servant. When Robert of Huntington forms a rescue party, will he find Robin Hood alive? Or simply a man who is a treasured slave known as the Saladin's Jewel?

From Bill Hupe's catalog:

A psychosexual Robin of Sherwood novel. Involves characters and situations from the television series, but portions of it are quite graphic and violent. Age statement required.

Reactions and Reviews

Then there is the utterly disgusting and thoroughly delightful (at least for those of certain tastes similar to my own) zine called JEWEL OF SHERWOOD by Laurence Steel. This is purportedly in the Robin of Sherwood universe, but actually could be about any delicious young man in peril.

There are some S/M tales which on the surface seem to be rape fantasy, where someone gets abused and learns to love it. But these sorts of S/M works are done in such a way as to be obvious fantasy, as though the two (or more) partners state to each other, "let's do an S/M scene; the safe word will be." But the literary style calls for this dialog to be edited out as redundant. What is left is the actual scene.

To me, there is a distinct difference between something like this and stories such as CONSEOUENCES, which try to be "real," yet will present a raped-and-learns-to-love-it scenario.

What do others think? I suspect that the line between S/M fantasy and rape fantasy is different for different people. At any rate, JEWEL QF SHERWOOD is quite clearly for me an S/M fantasy, and I am getting some good'one-handed reading in!