A bold look at the unexpected ways porn shapes our lives, with a feminist defense, drawn from Erika Lust’s decades in adult filmmaking, that argues for a more ethical industry that can transform how we think about sexuality, power, and representation.
For more than two decades, Erika Lust has been pushing back against shame and stereotypes, building a new kind of adult cinema—one that is feminist, ethical, and deeply human. In Lust: Pleasure, Performance, Power, she tells the story of how a shy “good girl” from Sweden came to create one of the most talked-about studios in the world. She takes us behind the scenes of her films, where every detail matters: the casting, the consent talks, the way a set can feel safe, playful, and alive. We meet performers who are treated as collaborators, not objects, and glimpse the passion and chaos of making art about intimacy.
Lust makes the bold argument that adult media is not the root of society’s problems but a mirror of them. Instead of scapegoating it and missing the chance to address those problems, Erika offers pragmatic solutions for how we can develop and improve the industry. She rejects censorship and moral-panic legislation, which history shows only makes things worse, and instead points to the power of telling more complex, nuanced stories about sexuality and gender. While sharing openly about her experience as a director, Erika argues that pleasure is not shameful or frivolous but a basic right, and that questions of sexuality and representation are inseparable from our broader culture and politics.
Honest, passionate, and inspiring, Lust is a manifesto for anyone who has ever felt ashamed of desire, as well as a reminder that telling the truth about sexuality can change the world.
About the author
Erika Lust is an award-winning filmmaker, writer, and entrepreneur whose work has redefined erotic cinema for the 21st century. As the founder and filmmaker behind ERIKALUST, she has spent two decades pioneering ethical, feminist adult cinema that celebrates pleasure, consent, and diversity. Her films have been featured at film festivals worldwide and praised by The Guardian, The New York Times, Vogue, and Elle for their artistic and cultural impact.
Erika is a TEDx speaker and a leading voice in the global conversation on sexuality, feminism, and media ethics. Born in Sweden and based in Barcelona, she continues to create visually rich, thought-provoking work that challenges old assumptions and inspires dialogue about desire and human connection.
Mary Katharine Tramontana is a journalist, photographer, poet, and the author of Serious Pleasures: Poems of Lust and Longing (2024), and Do not write poems likening his body to god (2025).
A former sexuality research assistant at the Kinsey Institute, she has a Master of Arts in English Literature, Language and Culture from Freie Universität Berlin, and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Gender Studies from Indiana University. Her writing on queer feminist sexual politics and culture in The New York Times, Esquire, Playboy, and others asks how we may live our lives differently. She lives in Berlin.
Audiobook
" For every good and bad girl who has carried both the flame of desire and the weight of shame"
