Smut

Editors of Nerve.com. Chronicle Books. 208 pp.

This collection of erotic stories that first appeared on the sexually oriented hipster site Nerve.com is refreshing, readable and, depending on the reader's personal quirks, relatively arousing.

The object, say the editors, is "to turn people on while writing beautifully." They have succeeded pretty well with that mission. There are stories from some celebrated writers: Robert Olen Butler, Jay McInerney, Alice Sebold, Jerry Stahl. There's even one by an actor, Alan Cumming. Names to watch include Erin Cressida Wilson and Michael Martone. Indeed all the contributors have impeccable credits.

The 21 stories are brief, most just a few pages. The literature is visually enhanced by an excellent selection of sexy black and white photos from a variety of photographers that underline the general hip grunginess of the texts.