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Backdraft
What is it about firemen that rings the bell for gay men? Could it be the strong arms and chiseled jaw, the bulging muscles under sweaty tees and tight red suspenders, or the cool calm as they use their hoses to put out the flames? Or is it the hot red fire engine, the yellow slickers, the black boots, and even the firehouse dog? Maybe it’s all of these � or maybe there’s something more organic that starts the fire. Whatever the fireman fantasy, it’s explored in Backdraft, a sizzling collection of stories that celebrates the sexy, steamy side of these studly public servants. Contributors include Jeff Mann, M. Christian, Rachel Kramer Bussel, Tom Cardamone, and Bob Vickery.
220 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
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108 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 25, 2011
Firemen are sexy ~ it’s as simple as that. They are strong and tough, wielding heavy uniforms and risking life and limb to fight fires. This anthology brings together seventeen stories with a common theme but each has a very different approach. There is always a fireman involved, but you are never quite sure what shape the character will take. The stories are all seriously erotic and cover a wide range including stories that are touching, thought provoking, off the cuff, or just plain crazy.
“Four-Alarm Fire� by Rob Rosen ~ When Sam buys a house across the street from a fire station, he puts his binoculars to good use until fireman Kurt helps him with his own fire.
“The Dixville Volunteers� by Neil Plakcy ~ Andy joins the volunteer fire department to be closer to history teacher Mr. Santomasso who then gives Andy a tour of just what it means to be a fireman.
“Firestarter� by Simon Sheppard ~ Pyromaniac Lee transfers his love of fire to firemen when he meets volunteer firefighter Mike.
“Vance’s Flames� by Ryan Field ~ Vance has loved fire since he was little and when he gets assigned community service at a volunteer fire station he shows fireman Bucky just how good he is at starting fires.
“Barn Burning� by Alana Noel Voth ~ Keifer is along for the ride when his older brother Jame starts a barn fire and ends up with a new protector in his firefighter rescuer Garet.
“The Smoke Detector� by Charles W. Harvey ~ A firefighter arrives to do a surprise inspection and gives the tenant a taste of a different kind of meat.
“Anthony� by Charlie Vazquez ~ A man reviews the intensity and uniqueness of his relationship with firefighter Anthony.
“Smoke and Semen� by Jeff Mann ~ Bobby reflects on his love affair with submissive firefighter and “back Irish bear� Aidan.
“Fire Slut� by Rachel Kramer Bussel ~ Frank meets John and Ian at a fire and the two men become the embodiment of the power of flames that Frank can’t resist.
“Unattainable� by Stephen Osborne ~ Bobby learns the hard way that hot and hunky calendar firefighters aren’t always what you want them to be.
“Stuck� by Shanna Germain ~ Ben gets help from fellow firefighter Patrick on sticking another with a needle and more.
“Holding Pattern� by Tom Cardamone ~ A man recounts his sexual encounters with the fire marshall who rescued him from a plane hijacking.
“Facing the Dark� by Xan West ~ A fireman who has been injured spends time submitting to a sadistic Dom.
“Safety Zone� by Elazarus Wills ~ Firefighter Jerry comes to Abel’s cabin to discuss fire prevention and his ulterior motives are quickly revealed.
“Torch Song� by M. Christian ~ Fireman Bobby thanks Sandy in a way that feels good for both after the tables are turned and Sandy rescues Bobby from a fire.
“Fireman Nick� by Bob Vickery ~ Follow rookie firefighter Nick through his first three-alarm fire and shower confrontation with partner Tom.
“Firemen Three� by Shane Allison ~ Firefighters Ruckman, Booker, and Welty visit Derrick and have something much more sinister on their minds than fighting fires.
I enjoyed this collection of stories about firemen and was pleasantly surprised at the variety of themes and characters. The anthology is filled with a lot of guys who get off on fire or firefighters, or both. There were several pyromaniac characters, which I definitely did not expect, and several men fascinated and spellbound by fire who become firemen as a result. Of all the stories, my favorites were “Smoke and Semen� and “Facing the Dark�, ironically both stories of firemen who choose to submit to another. The dichotomy of a big, strong fireman allowing another to have complete control is a vivid image and one that the two authors wield with perfection. If you enjoy the image of hot and hunky fireman then you will most definitely enjoy this anthology.
“Four-Alarm Fire� by Rob Rosen ~ When Sam buys a house across the street from a fire station, he puts his binoculars to good use until fireman Kurt helps him with his own fire.
“The Dixville Volunteers� by Neil Plakcy ~ Andy joins the volunteer fire department to be closer to history teacher Mr. Santomasso who then gives Andy a tour of just what it means to be a fireman.
“Firestarter� by Simon Sheppard ~ Pyromaniac Lee transfers his love of fire to firemen when he meets volunteer firefighter Mike.
“Vance’s Flames� by Ryan Field ~ Vance has loved fire since he was little and when he gets assigned community service at a volunteer fire station he shows fireman Bucky just how good he is at starting fires.
“Barn Burning� by Alana Noel Voth ~ Keifer is along for the ride when his older brother Jame starts a barn fire and ends up with a new protector in his firefighter rescuer Garet.
“The Smoke Detector� by Charles W. Harvey ~ A firefighter arrives to do a surprise inspection and gives the tenant a taste of a different kind of meat.
“Anthony� by Charlie Vazquez ~ A man reviews the intensity and uniqueness of his relationship with firefighter Anthony.
“Smoke and Semen� by Jeff Mann ~ Bobby reflects on his love affair with submissive firefighter and “back Irish bear� Aidan.
“Fire Slut� by Rachel Kramer Bussel ~ Frank meets John and Ian at a fire and the two men become the embodiment of the power of flames that Frank can’t resist.
“Unattainable� by Stephen Osborne ~ Bobby learns the hard way that hot and hunky calendar firefighters aren’t always what you want them to be.
“Stuck� by Shanna Germain ~ Ben gets help from fellow firefighter Patrick on sticking another with a needle and more.
“Holding Pattern� by Tom Cardamone ~ A man recounts his sexual encounters with the fire marshall who rescued him from a plane hijacking.
“Facing the Dark� by Xan West ~ A fireman who has been injured spends time submitting to a sadistic Dom.
“Safety Zone� by Elazarus Wills ~ Firefighter Jerry comes to Abel’s cabin to discuss fire prevention and his ulterior motives are quickly revealed.
“Torch Song� by M. Christian ~ Fireman Bobby thanks Sandy in a way that feels good for both after the tables are turned and Sandy rescues Bobby from a fire.
“Fireman Nick� by Bob Vickery ~ Follow rookie firefighter Nick through his first three-alarm fire and shower confrontation with partner Tom.
“Firemen Three� by Shane Allison ~ Firefighters Ruckman, Booker, and Welty visit Derrick and have something much more sinister on their minds than fighting fires.
I enjoyed this collection of stories about firemen and was pleasantly surprised at the variety of themes and characters. The anthology is filled with a lot of guys who get off on fire or firefighters, or both. There were several pyromaniac characters, which I definitely did not expect, and several men fascinated and spellbound by fire who become firemen as a result. Of all the stories, my favorites were “Smoke and Semen� and “Facing the Dark�, ironically both stories of firemen who choose to submit to another. The dichotomy of a big, strong fireman allowing another to have complete control is a vivid image and one that the two authors wield with perfection. If you enjoy the image of hot and hunky fireman then you will most definitely enjoy this anthology.
February 22, 2013
Those of you who maybe expecting traditional m/m fireman erotica will probably be disappointed.
I purchased this as an audio book expecting hot and smexy stories of hot smexy fireman. A few of them were in this category, but a few were SO not. Now, I'm one to keep an open mind and I have listened to/read a lot of different types of m/m & m/m/m sex. I don't necessarily like BDSM or D/s smex myself, but I don't shy away if it's part of the story. I have read some stories with BDSM/D-s that were very smexy. But there is the kind that does not appeal to me, like some of the stories in this anthology. I would say I liked at least 4 of them, 3 did not appeal to me, and a couple left me thinking 'what?' I'm giving this a 3 star as opposed to a 1 or 2 star because I liked more stories than I disliked.
If you are feeling a bit adventurous and want to broaden your horizons and reading/listening experience, then you might like this.
I purchased this as an audio book expecting hot and smexy stories of hot smexy fireman. A few of them were in this category, but a few were SO not. Now, I'm one to keep an open mind and I have listened to/read a lot of different types of m/m & m/m/m sex. I don't necessarily like BDSM or D/s smex myself, but I don't shy away if it's part of the story. I have read some stories with BDSM/D-s that were very smexy. But there is the kind that does not appeal to me, like some of the stories in this anthology. I would say I liked at least 4 of them, 3 did not appeal to me, and a couple left me thinking 'what?' I'm giving this a 3 star as opposed to a 1 or 2 star because I liked more stories than I disliked.
If you are feeling a bit adventurous and want to broaden your horizons and reading/listening experience, then you might like this.
April 21, 2014
So, after indulging myself with a lot of M/M romance, I though it was about time to get to the nitty-gritty of what I like about the genre:-P�
And to explore this in the company of firefighters, who could ask for more?
This collection offers something for everyone.� There is BDSM with fire play, knife play & beatings, dub-con, peeping toms (quite a few), GFY, actual romantic stories, and most importantly, loads of firefighters (FFs).
Not firefighters will be referred to as NF in this review (for a short description of each story, please see Emily Moore's review)
Some general, random statistics for anyone interested (I was a bit curious, since most of the stories are written by men (14/17 stories), and are likely to be considered as "stroke" stories, but what do I know) :
Story told from NF or FF perspective:
10/17 stories are told from the NF perspective, usually 1st person narrative.
FFs in the closet and/or GFY (yes, I will use this term...)
8/17 stories have the FF as in the closet, or not sexually experienced with guys
5/17 stories have the FF as more or less openly gay
4/17 stories don't really bring up the subject
Top/Bottom:
7/17 stories had the NF as bottom
4/17 stories had the FF as bottom
5/17 stories had no actual penetration (!)
1 single story had two FFs doing the dirty :-P
Body hairiness of FF:
7/17 stories: FF are described as having a lot of body hair�
2/17 stories: FFs are described as „smooth�
8/17 stories: FFs appearance not really described in detail
Well, I am sure there are some conclusions to be drawn regarding what men want to read and write about when it comes to erotica and FFs, but since the sample is awfully small, and the authors were probably given a list of story lines to choose from (no idea, but there were so many pyromaniacs/fire obsessed MCs in there I was starting to wonder), I will not bother... However, I feel I should look further into this, which will of course demand a bigger set of data:-P.
So, on to the main part, the actual reading experience:
Below are the stories that for me were the most standing out in the collection, and some comments about them. Longer, smuttier quotes have been hidden under spoilers.
A story that I found quite funny and tongue-in-cheek, but not particular erotic, was The Smoke Detector
Here, the MC conveniently lives right next to fire station Sixty-nine (duh�), where he happily spends time watching the FFs through binoculars. The whole story is filled with sexual innuendos, like when the MC explains where to buy meat, which he will grill in his apartment:
"Some seek meat on the black market, cruising dark corners for anonymous uncut beef. Some of us search the Internet for black angus - one hundred percent grain fed. But me, I buy all my meat from Hank’s meat market close to closing time"
...and when walking past the fire station:
"A dark chocolate fire boy stood there with a rigid fire hose in his hand. A stream of water dribbled out of the nozzle and formed a puddle around my sneaker"s
Subtle it isn’t, but very funny:-). This story also has the second most un-sexy scene in the collection:
First prize of un-sexiness however, goes to Vance’s Flames, which although it contains a very sexy massage, also has this lovely depiction of a BJ:
Yuck…But, in all fairness, to each his own, etc. etc. and all that jizz. (still, yuck).
Another story that stuck out was Facing the Dark , where the MC is a „therapeutical� Dom, helping especially FFs:
"It is an honor to have a fireman choose to submit to me. It means he sees discipline and strength he can trust in my dominance. That he wants the feral force of my sadism unleashed upon him, and knows how dark a ride can be"
There is also some interesting knife play in it (still can't compete with Toreth though..) :
This was a very hot story for anyone into that sort of thing, and this is one of the stories I would have wished to be full-length! There was a lot in there to build from, in regards to where the relationship between the Dom and the sub could have gone, and a bit longer sex scenes would be highly appreciated from this reader.
There was also an „artsier� and sweeter story, Anthony.
This story it is short view into the life of the MC and his boyfriend, FF Anthony, who is still in the closet. They met via the internet, and have a perfect match in each other, the MC being a painter with a kink for FFs, and Anthony being a FF with a kink for painters.
The language used in the story is very different from the other stories, and at times I even found it poetic:
Although it was beautifully written, this kind of description of sex does not really do it for me, so it got quite low score on my personal smut-scale.
The best story in the collection was in my opinion Smoke and Semen .
The narrator tells us retrospectively about his experience with Aidan, a firefighter he met 20 years ago. The MC was then a Dom twink, who found his perfect love match in the closeted „Daddy Bear� FF Aidan.
I was actually surprised to be feeling so much from a short, erotic story.
It had a beautiful way of describing the MC’s feelings for Aidan, and the way he as a Dom loves his committed Sub:
The ending of this story �Real spoiler this time
Again, I did not expect to be so moved by a short erotica, but there you go, nobody ever expects the Spanish inquisition. This is one author I will definitely read more from.
Well, the earlier stories are all good and special, but this is after all an erotica-collection! The story that I found the absolute hottest, was Fireman Nick .
The MC, Nick, is a quite unprofessional horny idiot, honestly…Fire turns him on, and he seems to have a constant hard-on while working (well, who can blame him with those hot FFs all around) :-).
Right after rescuing a naked man from a burning building, he „takes liberties� while doing mouth-to-mouth:
Naughty naughty! However, the poor guy eventually wakes up, and asks for „Susan?�.
At that moment, Nick spots Tom, Nick’s firefighter partner, watching. However, it is unclear to Nick if Tom actually saw anything�
After returning to the fire station, Tom and Nick goes to the shower room to clean up, where Tom explains that he saw what Nick did, and is upset. „What a fucking asshole, unprofessional thing to do!� (I agree!), followed by some seriously yummy man-on-man action;-).
Two men soaped up, fighting and squirming against each other, now THAT is my cup of tea! And the language used in this story is so deliciously crude and very graphic�
This was a perfect short erotic story. Super hot, you get a feel for both characters. It is somehow enough, there is no need for more, and it leaves an „open� ending (i.e. pretty sure those two will get it on again!).
Thus endeth this way too long review for such a shallow subject...
And to explore this in the company of firefighters, who could ask for more?
This collection offers something for everyone.� There is BDSM with fire play, knife play & beatings, dub-con, peeping toms (quite a few), GFY, actual romantic stories, and most importantly, loads of firefighters (FFs).
Not firefighters will be referred to as NF in this review (for a short description of each story, please see Emily Moore's review)
Some general, random statistics for anyone interested (I was a bit curious, since most of the stories are written by men (14/17 stories), and are likely to be considered as "stroke" stories, but what do I know) :
Story told from NF or FF perspective:
10/17 stories are told from the NF perspective, usually 1st person narrative.
FFs in the closet and/or GFY (yes, I will use this term...)
8/17 stories have the FF as in the closet, or not sexually experienced with guys
5/17 stories have the FF as more or less openly gay
4/17 stories don't really bring up the subject
Top/Bottom:
7/17 stories had the NF as bottom
4/17 stories had the FF as bottom
5/17 stories had no actual penetration (!)
1 single story had two FFs doing the dirty :-P
Body hairiness of FF:
7/17 stories: FF are described as having a lot of body hair�
2/17 stories: FFs are described as „smooth�
8/17 stories: FFs appearance not really described in detail
Well, I am sure there are some conclusions to be drawn regarding what men want to read and write about when it comes to erotica and FFs, but since the sample is awfully small, and the authors were probably given a list of story lines to choose from (no idea, but there were so many pyromaniacs/fire obsessed MCs in there I was starting to wonder), I will not bother... However, I feel I should look further into this, which will of course demand a bigger set of data:-P.
So, on to the main part, the actual reading experience:
Below are the stories that for me were the most standing out in the collection, and some comments about them. Longer, smuttier quotes have been hidden under spoilers.
A story that I found quite funny and tongue-in-cheek, but not particular erotic, was The Smoke Detector
Here, the MC conveniently lives right next to fire station Sixty-nine (duh�), where he happily spends time watching the FFs through binoculars. The whole story is filled with sexual innuendos, like when the MC explains where to buy meat, which he will grill in his apartment:
"Some seek meat on the black market, cruising dark corners for anonymous uncut beef. Some of us search the Internet for black angus - one hundred percent grain fed. But me, I buy all my meat from Hank’s meat market close to closing time"
...and when walking past the fire station:
"A dark chocolate fire boy stood there with a rigid fire hose in his hand. A stream of water dribbled out of the nozzle and formed a puddle around my sneaker"s
Subtle it isn’t, but very funny:-). This story also has the second most un-sexy scene in the collection:
First prize of un-sexiness however, goes to Vance’s Flames, which although it contains a very sexy massage, also has this lovely depiction of a BJ:
Yuck…But, in all fairness, to each his own, etc. etc. and all that jizz. (still, yuck).
Another story that stuck out was Facing the Dark , where the MC is a „therapeutical� Dom, helping especially FFs:
"It is an honor to have a fireman choose to submit to me. It means he sees discipline and strength he can trust in my dominance. That he wants the feral force of my sadism unleashed upon him, and knows how dark a ride can be"
There is also some interesting knife play in it (still can't compete with Toreth though..) :
This was a very hot story for anyone into that sort of thing, and this is one of the stories I would have wished to be full-length! There was a lot in there to build from, in regards to where the relationship between the Dom and the sub could have gone, and a bit longer sex scenes would be highly appreciated from this reader.
There was also an „artsier� and sweeter story, Anthony.
This story it is short view into the life of the MC and his boyfriend, FF Anthony, who is still in the closet. They met via the internet, and have a perfect match in each other, the MC being a painter with a kink for FFs, and Anthony being a FF with a kink for painters.
The language used in the story is very different from the other stories, and at times I even found it poetic:
Although it was beautifully written, this kind of description of sex does not really do it for me, so it got quite low score on my personal smut-scale.
The best story in the collection was in my opinion Smoke and Semen .
The narrator tells us retrospectively about his experience with Aidan, a firefighter he met 20 years ago. The MC was then a Dom twink, who found his perfect love match in the closeted „Daddy Bear� FF Aidan.
I was actually surprised to be feeling so much from a short, erotic story.
It had a beautiful way of describing the MC’s feelings for Aidan, and the way he as a Dom loves his committed Sub:
The ending of this story �Real spoiler this time
Again, I did not expect to be so moved by a short erotica, but there you go, nobody ever expects the Spanish inquisition. This is one author I will definitely read more from.
Well, the earlier stories are all good and special, but this is after all an erotica-collection! The story that I found the absolute hottest, was Fireman Nick .
The MC, Nick, is a quite unprofessional horny idiot, honestly…Fire turns him on, and he seems to have a constant hard-on while working (well, who can blame him with those hot FFs all around) :-).
Right after rescuing a naked man from a burning building, he „takes liberties� while doing mouth-to-mouth:
Naughty naughty! However, the poor guy eventually wakes up, and asks for „Susan?�.
At that moment, Nick spots Tom, Nick’s firefighter partner, watching. However, it is unclear to Nick if Tom actually saw anything�
After returning to the fire station, Tom and Nick goes to the shower room to clean up, where Tom explains that he saw what Nick did, and is upset. „What a fucking asshole, unprofessional thing to do!� (I agree!), followed by some seriously yummy man-on-man action;-).
Two men soaped up, fighting and squirming against each other, now THAT is my cup of tea! And the language used in this story is so deliciously crude and very graphic�
This was a perfect short erotic story. Super hot, you get a feel for both characters. It is somehow enough, there is no need for more, and it leaves an „open� ending (i.e. pretty sure those two will get it on again!).
Thus endeth this way too long review for such a shallow subject...
November 26, 2023
Nice fantasies of hot firemen, sometimes obsessive, and definitely different. Being fascinated by very fit men in uniform is one thing, setting fires to get your jollies is another. Obviously I enjoyed some of the stories but others were a little over the top.
November 8, 2016
Great variety. Quite a lot of stories that simply weren't my thing (infidelity, dubious consent, BDSM), but the few that were I enjoyed.
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