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Coming Home
The swinging sixties, the Sunset Strip a smorgasbord of horny Marines, looking for a little action before heading off to Nam. A queen's delight, and it's all too easy for a guy to fall in love with these brave, young warriors. But some of those shipping out won't be coming home, and not all of the wounded wear uniforms.
48 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2009
2 people are currently reading
90 people want to read
About the author
Victor J. Banis
138 books214 followersVictor J. Banis is a writer. http://www.vjbanisauthor.com/
Victor Jerome Banis (May 25, 1937 – February 22, 2019) was an American author, often associated with the first wave of west coast gay writing. For his contributions he has been called "the godfather of modern popular gay fiction
Victor Jerome Banis (May 25, 1937 – February 22, 2019) was an American author, often associated with the first wave of west coast gay writing. For his contributions he has been called "the godfather of modern popular gay fiction
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
March 15, 2019
I didn't expect it to be THAT hot, THAT romantic and THAT emotional at once.
And when it was suddenly over...I had to confess, I hadn't expected to feel THAT MUCH from such a short novel. Only the best authors can do it.
And Victor J. Banis was one of the best and the most influencial writers of gay fiction of our time.
And when it was suddenly over...I had to confess, I hadn't expected to feel THAT MUCH from such a short novel. Only the best authors can do it.
And Victor J. Banis was one of the best and the most influencial writers of gay fiction of our time.
July 6, 2024
I knew going into this that it was very likely gay fiction (since the author is known as the godfather of modern gay fiction) rather than gay romance, but I surprised myself by enjoying it more than I thought I would. The thing that struck me the most is that the story is written in an unusual style. It feels more like a memoir than a narrative, with Mike (the main MC) telling the reader about his experiences after the fact (lots of introspection, lots of fourth wall breaking etc). I enjoyed it but I know some others find this style a turn-off.
As I've found to be typical of gay sex scenes written by male authors, the scenes are very blunt, crude and don't feel sexy to me. A lot of that has to do with the terminology used. Instead of using the terminology female authors typically use, the author uses all sorts of different and unusual euphemisms for male genitals and other bits and pieces, such as meat, butt lips and love chute. The terminology reminded me of Damon Suede's Hot Head, which used similar terminology (meat was also popular in that one). I don't find this style sexy and it doesn't work for me, but it didn't annoy me as much as it did in previous books that I've tried which were also written by male authors. I think it was because Mike had a good sense of humor and his observations and descriptions often made me laugh.
Overall, I did enjoy this very short gay fiction piece, but I can't give it more than 3 stars because it's not a complete story. It's a short glimpse into Mike's life and briefly describes how he meets Doug (his one night stand), how they grow closer before Doug's shipped out to Vietnam and how they reunite after Doug gets back home. But that's it. The most disappointing aspect was the romance.
While the story was an enjoyable piece of gay fiction set in the late 1960s, it wasn't satisfying as a romance because the story ends before the MCs are actually a couple. If this were a traditional gay romance, this entire arc would have taken place within the first third or first half and the rest of the story would involve Doug and Mike and exploring being a couple together and falling in love along the way. As a result of this, the story wasn't really my cup of tea but it was well written and the unusual style made me enjoy the experience.
As I've found to be typical of gay sex scenes written by male authors, the scenes are very blunt, crude and don't feel sexy to me. A lot of that has to do with the terminology used. Instead of using the terminology female authors typically use, the author uses all sorts of different and unusual euphemisms for male genitals and other bits and pieces, such as meat, butt lips and love chute. The terminology reminded me of Damon Suede's Hot Head, which used similar terminology (meat was also popular in that one). I don't find this style sexy and it doesn't work for me, but it didn't annoy me as much as it did in previous books that I've tried which were also written by male authors. I think it was because Mike had a good sense of humor and his observations and descriptions often made me laugh.
Overall, I did enjoy this very short gay fiction piece, but I can't give it more than 3 stars because it's not a complete story. It's a short glimpse into Mike's life and briefly describes how he meets Doug (his one night stand), how they grow closer before Doug's shipped out to Vietnam and how they reunite after Doug gets back home. But that's it. The most disappointing aspect was the romance.
While the story was an enjoyable piece of gay fiction set in the late 1960s, it wasn't satisfying as a romance because the story ends before the MCs are actually a couple. If this were a traditional gay romance, this entire arc would have taken place within the first third or first half and the rest of the story would involve Doug and Mike and exploring being a couple together and falling in love along the way. As a result of this, the story wasn't really my cup of tea but it was well written and the unusual style made me enjoy the experience.
November 4, 2009
Many aspects to this book--humor, romance, and heavy eroticism. But what stuck with me the most as I finished the story was how touching it was. Coming Home is a must read for those who enjoy a realistic romance with their hot man on man loving. Wonderful story!
April 24, 2012
This story is so hard to review because my emotions are all over the place. It starts out being kinda of sad with the life Mike is living only having hookups with no meaningful relationships, to uplifting when he's able to help Doug and Ryan discover something they both have been wanting for a long time, then sad again when he realizes he no longer wants to do tricks (he's missing Doug) to utterly tragic and heart wrenching and then back to heart warming when Doug returns from the war.
It's a testament to the writer to be able to elicit these range of emotions in such a short story.
It's a testament to the writer to be able to elicit these range of emotions in such a short story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 7, 2019
Home
A great story that started with the love the one your with life style. It changed in deep feels between 3 men Doug and mike and Doug and Ryan. A Vietnam story Doug comes home to Mike. Quite a tear jerker at the end.
A great story that started with the love the one your with life style. It changed in deep feels between 3 men Doug and mike and Doug and Ryan. A Vietnam story Doug comes home to Mike. Quite a tear jerker at the end.
July 23, 2010
L was really moved by this book, even though it was short it held so many stories with it and the events changed their lives
February 6, 2025
Re-read 3.75 rounded up to 4 stars
Often hailed as "the Godfather of Gay Pulp Fiction", Victor J. Banis had a distinctive pulpy style that sets him apart from other contemporary gay erotica writers. This short novella was sexy, funny, and entertaining in the first half, while managing to generate some emotional depth in the second.
I found the way Banis wrote about the worship of alpha-male masculinity quite jarring in his Deadly Mystery series, especially since one of the main characters leaned more toward the femme side; however, in this case, it suited the tone of his erotica.
Note on sex acts:
gay action with the Marines, blowjob, rimming, first-time butt sex (yes, it's the marine's virgin butt that got rimmed and rammed), threesome (more like voyeurism, as our protagonist played the matchmaker and sadly got excluded from the action)
Often hailed as "the Godfather of Gay Pulp Fiction", Victor J. Banis had a distinctive pulpy style that sets him apart from other contemporary gay erotica writers. This short novella was sexy, funny, and entertaining in the first half, while managing to generate some emotional depth in the second.
I found the way Banis wrote about the worship of alpha-male masculinity quite jarring in his Deadly Mystery series, especially since one of the main characters leaned more toward the femme side; however, in this case, it suited the tone of his erotica.
Note on sex acts:
gay action with the Marines, blowjob, rimming, first-time butt sex (yes, it's the marine's virgin butt that got rimmed and rammed), threesome (more like voyeurism, as our protagonist played the matchmaker and sadly got excluded from the action)
April 2, 2019
Steamy and romantic at the same time
So much perfection in a short novella
So much perfection in a short novella
November 1, 2012
Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS.
Rating: 8/10
PROS:
- Easy, conversational tone. I wondered for the first few pages whether I was reading fiction or something more along the lines of a memoir.
- Some really funny exposition. This is an early favorite of mine: “Insects start doing it too, when they think the end is near, but I don’t do bugs. Ever try to give a bedbug a [bj]? Marines are way better.” This is the first story I’ve read from Banis, but I think I’ll read more.
CON:
- I found the story kind of sad overall. There’s a turn in the relationship that’s pretty disappointing for the narrator, and when the other guy returns from Vietnam, he’s changed in a fundamental way, as were most men who fought in ‘Nam.
Rating: 8/10
PROS:
- Easy, conversational tone. I wondered for the first few pages whether I was reading fiction or something more along the lines of a memoir.
- Some really funny exposition. This is an early favorite of mine: “Insects start doing it too, when they think the end is near, but I don’t do bugs. Ever try to give a bedbug a [bj]? Marines are way better.” This is the first story I’ve read from Banis, but I think I’ll read more.
CON:
- I found the story kind of sad overall. There’s a turn in the relationship that’s pretty disappointing for the narrator, and when the other guy returns from Vietnam, he’s changed in a fundamental way, as were most men who fought in ‘Nam.
October 6, 2014
OMGS did this story shake me up!! ; v;
September 2, 2019
A great quick read - very atmospheric of the time - and hot too :-)
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews