I tried not to post about this, really I did.... ok, I held back for a couple of hours though...
If this is a book on erotic fantasy, and is about what sex is like in a fantasy world (call me silly, but isn't it pretty much the same as in the real world), then why is the sample art an elf (half-elf?) in a bikini that is part naugahyde, part light chainmail peering cautiously down what is presumably a dungeon hall with about a third of her sword coated in red blood? What does that have to do with sex in a fantasy setting at all?
After seeing the liberal use of blood and other viscous fluids on the site of the photographer, as well as the indications that Anthony's experience with an Oregon based bondage group somehow adds to his qualifications to do a book on the erotic side of fantasy gaming, I do not believe that what we are going to get will be much more than a "coffe table" book of elf porn. Kind of like Madonna's "Sex" book meets "The Quintessential Elves Handbook." On the other hand I do believe that Anthony has the skills necessary to make the book more than that, but the article and the indicators so far don't lead me to believe it will be.
The photographer has a palpable dearth of male models on his site (can we say "dearth" on ENWorld?). While his direction and artist's eye are not that great, his technical expertise is very good (his butterfly shots are stunning). His models for the most part seem to be bored and do not evoke the mood of the scenes he places them in. If the same carries through to the D20 book, you'll have bored looking young women in various poses looking like they'd rather be at a rave or the mall.
To address one of the previous posters, perhaps the biggest failing of the D20 movement is that it does not really inspire publishers to put out what's needed. Instead they put out what everyone seems excited about. When Twin Crowns came out, people got excited at the prospect of naval adventuring, in very short order a handful of books based on that came out. People were excited by PrC's so dozens of PrC splat books are produced. People were excited over unusual settings, look at all the unusual settings coming out. Many DM's want and need economic primers and books on making the day to day existence of their players seem more realistic, they want to make the game a more immersive experience, but instead of getting useful material on how to do that, they get more pandering and munchkinism. The problem is that unless there is a "buzz" about a particular thing DM's want, there is no impetus to produce it. "Buzz"=word of mouth advertising=increased sales. That's why you will see more books about what faeries look like getting it on with dwarves before you will see them on how to lay out the countryside surrounding a major city in your world so that it can realistically support the population of that city.
I don't need a book of D20 erotica, I certainly don't need one that gets to claim compatability with WoTC products when so many excellent products cannot. I don't like peanut butter in chocolate chip cookies, and I don't like actors who try to foist their political agendas on me, not even if I agree with them. I have a sex life, I have a gaming life, I don't need them to cross pollinate, thanks anyway.
