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Why Are We So Obsessed With Romantasy? episode artwork

Aug 17, 2026 59 min

Why Are We So Obsessed With Romantasy?

from The Hook Up Hosted by Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Whether you have or haven’t read books like Heated Rivalry, A Court of Thorns and Roses or Fourth Wing, you can’t deny the rise in smutty literature. In 2025 romantasy and sports romance experienced triple-digit growth. But there’s been some criticism around how DR and romantasy books often glamourise SA and are too accessible for young readers. In today’s episode Dee is joined by guest co-host Esme James, a sex historian and author, to discuss why we’re all so obsessed with fantasy smut. SHOW NOTES: https://lighthouse.mq.edu.au/article/2026/feb-2026/romance-revival-why-we-love-stories-about-love?utm_source=chatgpt.com Why romance novels thrive on tiktok - https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-12-27/why-romance-and-romantasy-novels-are-so-popular-on-tiktok/103198518?utm_source=chatgpt.com Esme’s book! https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Esme-Louise-James/244716193 Dr Esme Louise James IG - https://www.instagram.com/esme.louisee/?hl=en DM us your thoughts, questions, topics, or to just vent at @triplejthehookup on IG or email us: [email protected] The Hook Up is an ABC podcast, produced by triple j. It is recorded on the lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation. We pay our respects to elders past and present. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the land where we live, work, and learn.

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