... as Victor J. Banis

Lola Dances

Paperback, MLR Press; March 2008

"Terry Murphy has dreams of becoming a dancer as a means to escape the life of poverty he now endures. Working towards that goal, Terry takes dancing lessons at a theatre located at the opposite end of the lower east side New York slums he calls home. Alone after his lesson, it was at this theatre that set Terry’s life on a downward spiral. Attacked by a wealthy stranger, Terry is raped then stalked for several days before his courage leads him to confront his stalker at his uptown home. Terry is beaten, but avoids arrest with the help of Tom Finnegan, a tough guy who has a secret crush on Terry, and has been following him around to protect him. Tom gets Terry safely to Terry’s older brother Brian. Brian and Terry flee to the mining camps in California.

Lola Dances is a sultry saga that takes you on a journey of dark secrets, murder and the forbidden. With each encounter Terry has, the actions shape the persona that he becomes. The cast of characters, Martin Van Arndst, the rapist, Brian, brother and scoundrel, Joshua, self absorbed secret lover and Tom, who truly loves Terry, all play a major part in Terry’s way of life. Victor J Banis weaves a complex story with some tantalizing surprises; Terry’s loneliness gives a tug to your heartstrings, and a feeling of indignation for his loss of innocence Lola Dances is a most intriguing odyssey."
~Chocolate Minx, Literary Nymphs Reviews

Spine Intact, Some Creases

Available in Hardcover and Softcover, Borgo Press; February 20, 2008

Life & Other Passing Moments

Paperback, Borgo Press; January 10, 2008

Drag Thing, or, The Strange case of Jackle and Hyde

Paperback, Wildside Press; January 10, 2008

Longhorns

Paperback, Carroll & Graf; June 22, 2007

"One of my guilty pleasures is to collect Western pulp fiction paperbacks with homoerotic book covers, along with the campy gay pulp fiction as well. Rarely do the two genres meet; the Westerns never have gay characters, and the early gay pulps often fail in authenticity, with few exceptions.

One author who straddles both genres is Victor J. Banis, whose novel Longhorns will please fans of gay and western fiction. As one of the last products of the sadly defunct Carroll & Graf gay fiction wing, Banis' latest book gently blends elements of a standard romance, erotica, and traditional Western pulp fiction. It's like Brokeback Mountain without so much angst.

It's not surprising, considering that Banis, finally writing under his own name these days, is the author of more than 100 gay pulp erotic books spanning several decades.

In his engaging introduction to Longhorns , scholar and author Michael Bronski recounts his hunt for — and discovery of — one of the most prolific pre-Stonewall authors, who wrote under dozens of noms de plume, and was called "the godfather of modern popular gay fiction" by one editor.

Yet, for all this impressive back story, Banis' tale of drawn-out desire between Les, a stalwart ranch boss, and Buck, a randy half-Indian cowpoke with a warmth and sexual assuredness, is uncommon in most historic gay fiction (with the exception of the classic Song of the Loon trilogy).

Set in late 19th-century Texas, Longhorns has its share of Western cliché s, most of which are dealt with in a polished style that doesn't seem cliché . There are the joking ranchhands at the Double H Ranch who grow to tolerate and even enjoy Buck's sexual prowess, particularly after he proves himself adept at ridin', ropin', ranchin' and a few other skills. A trio of resentful neighboring farmer brothers proves a nasty problem, and a few minor tragedies ensue. But overall, Longhorns is a feel-good kind of book that never pretends to be high literature, but avoids the pitfalls of the lesser works in the genre.

Characters are hewn with depth. Buck's way of charming himself into the hearts — and pants — of anyone he fancies comes to an abrupt halt with his true desire, the strictly macho Les, who balks at Buck's blunt advances. That only makes Buck try harder.

Les is more than a cowboy, and despite his initial disdain for Buck's advances, proves himself smart and forward-thinking (in agriculture, if not sexuality) as the old ways of rural life in America are turning a corner.

Their disagreements, gradual respect and, you guessed it, eventual passion are written in a style that matches the Western fiction I often wished could be so homophilic.

The sex scenes are kept to a minimum when appropriate to plot and character, but the erotic edge pervades throughout. Combined with an astute attention to the details of ranch life, Longhorns makes for good reading over a campfire, or wherever you need some warmth on a cold night."

~Jim Provenzano, The Bay Area Reporter

Come This Way

Paperback, Regal Crest Enterprises, LLC; April 2, 2007

"Victor J. Banis's Come This Way is a unique collection spanning nearly a half century of a prodigious literary outpouring that includes 150 published books and scores of shorter works. It's unique as well in the breadth and variety of the material presented, ranging from the mysticism of "The Emerald Mountain" (a metaphysical gay mystery, which may be an entirely new genre) to the pathos of "The Girls"; from the gothic horror of "In Passing" to the whimsy of "An Apple a Day"; from the humor of "The Story of God as History's First Trannie" (a satirical look at ancient Goddess worship) to a chilling glimpse of a future world ruled by religiously hypocrisy in "Jesus Days," an excerpt from the novel Angel Land, to be published in 2008 by Regal Crest. Gay and lesbian love, young and old love, innocent and ribald love, and love won, lost, and sought for in vain. "It doesn't matter what the question is, Alex, the answer is always love."

Like his contemporaries, Ann Bannon and Marijane Meaker, many of Victor's early novels features lesbian themes. "The Countess Arrives" is from his first published novel, The Affairs of Gloria (1964), in which lesbian romance occasioned a landmark federal obscenity trial resulting in greater, not fewer, opportunities for gay and lesbian writers. The author's courage then - and now - has made him a cult icon in GLBT publishing circles.

Victor J. Banis has been hailed as "a national treasure," "an American hero," "one of the Grand Old Men of gay writing," and the "Godfather of modern gay popular fiction." What is readily apparent on reading this collection is that he is a master storyteller, still at the top of his game."
~Lori L. Lake

RE-RELEASES AND COMPILATIONS

Kenny's Back

(Previously published in 1968 as "Homo Farm.")
Paperback, Borgo Press; March 5, 2007

Goodbye My Lover

(Previously published in 1966.)
Paperback, Borgo Press; March 7, 2007

The Greek Boy

(Previously published in 1968 as "Brandon's Boy.")
Paperback, Wildside Press; March 5, 2007

The Why Not

(Previously published in 1966.)
Paperback, Borgo Press; February 10, 2007

The Gay Haunt

(Previously published in 1970.)
Paperback, Borgo Press; March 5, 2007

The Pussycat Man

Small town sex-- today!

The Sword and the Rose

Paperback, Pyramid Books; 1975

Men & their Boys:
The Homosexual Relationship between Adult and Adolescent

Stranger at the Door

(Previously published in 1967.)
Paperback, Borgo Press; May 16, 2007

MAN FROM C.A.M.P. SERIES

That Man from C.A.M.P: Rebel Without a Pause

Paperback (Reissue), MLR Press; August 7, 2008

This collection includes The Man from C.A.M.P., Holiday Gay, and The Son Goes Down plus an interview with the author by Fabio Cleto.

That Man from C.A.M.P: Rebel Without a Pause

Paperback, Southern Tier Editions; March 2004
(Includes The Man from C.A.M.P., Holiday Gay, and The Son Goes Down)

"WITTY, CLEVER, SUBVERSIVE, AND SEXY, they are a piece of American gay history that shouldn't be allowed to fade away."
~Greg Herren

Writing under a series of noms de plume, Victor J. Banis played a primary role in creating a new genre: gay pulp fiction. Southern Tier Editions and Fabio Cleto, one of the true authorities on the camp phenomenon, are proud to bring back three tongue-in-cheek novellas—and a revealing interview with the author—together in one volume. These fast-paced stories, written and set in the swinging sixties and unavailable for over three decades, will introduce a new generation of readers to the fabulous adventures of gay superspy Jackie Holmes, the Man from C.A.M.P. Armed with a cache of secret weapons, a body that just won’t quit, and a white poodle called Sophie who’s trained to kill with her razor-sharp teeth, the blonde bombshell with a license to thrill known as Jackie Holmes will blow you away!