Gary, in reference to the Book of Erotic Fantasy, you wrote the following,
This is a case of providing fuel to start a real fire, not just smoke as there was before, IMO.
and I find myself curious about that viewpoint.
Prior to the Book of Vile Darkness, there was a similar volume written, named 'Evil.' I don't recall any major fuss about it. It was written with those who would want to use such a thing in mind, snapped up by the gamers who wanted it, and most people now don't even seem to be aware of its existence.
IMO, the BoVD caused a storm of controversy because it was published by WoTC as an official D&D product, as opposed to being put out by one of the myriad little d20 startups now springing up all over the place. It is one such company that is putting out BoEF.
I feel that the BoEF wouldn't do any real harm if people would stop making it out to be some terrible thing... and leave it to those who would like to buy it. By thrusting the juiciest pages into the faces of anyone who might agree with them, as I'm seeing elsewhere on the web in gaming news sites and such, many of its detractors are fanning flames which never needed to be. I'm not saying that you, or anyone in particular, is doing this... rather, I feel that gamers in general are too nervous after the BoVD (I haven't seen any earth-shattering repercussions from that particular volume, even, for that matter). If the BoEF had come first, under another label as it is, I don't think anyone would've given it a second thought.
WotC's official standpoint is a case in point, I think. After releasing (and subsequently, vehemently defending) the BoVD under their own label, they are calling the BoEF 'thoroughly immoral' and 'highly inappropirate.' Nowhere is 'BoVD' to be found anywhere in their statements. Is sex with living people so much worse than sex with dead people, according to WotC? If a magical spell can be empowered by sacrificing a virgin on an altar, why not by stealing her virginity in a bedroom?
A major Dungeons & Dragons theme is sliding one's sword into the goblin's stomach and spilling his intestines out onto the ground. Call of Cthulhu d20, which utilizes the D&D system, was written largely by a D&D author, and will be grouped with D&D as 'those evil roleplaying games' by our detractors, deals with madness, torment, far more 'real' demons, insanity, and so forth. Given that ultimate levels of violence are already present, and often simply 'glossed over,' i.e. the blood is not described in detail as it gushes from the mortal wound... I don't feel sex, particularly handled in a similarly glossed-over fashion, would be a particularly bad addition.
I believe that D&D's detractors were never, ever close to being converted. They visualize their children worshipping Satan, or running through the city sewers with knives playing 'Orcs & Warriors,' and proceed to organize a community burning (figuratively speaking). Then they go away, and come back in a few months, ad infinitum. The ones who momentarily cave in due to a child's incessent pleading will inevitably take the subsequently purchased books away the first time they see the word (or illustration of a) 'Demon.' D&D will always be around, and it will always appeal to the people it's going to appeal to one way or the other, and it will never appeal to the more short-sighted mind... even if it's a bunch of teenagers sitting around just having a good time with a by-and-large completely wholesome and mentally stimulating activity.