Erotic literature comprises fictional and factual stories and accounts of human sexual relationships which have the power to or are intended to arouse the reader sexually. Such erotica takes the form of novels, short stories, poetry, true-life memoirs, and sex manuals. A common feature of the genre are transgressive sexual fantasies on such themes as prostitution, orgies, homosexuality, sado-masochism, cross-dressing, incest and many other taboo subjects and fetishes, which may or may not be expressed in explicit language. Other common elements are satire and social criticism. Despite cultural taboos on such material, circulation of erotic literature was not seen as a major problem before the invention of printing, as the costs of producing individual manuscripts limited distribution to a very small group of readers. The invention of printing, in the 15th century, brought with it both a greater market and increasing restrictions, which took the form of censorship and legal restraints on publication on grounds of obscenity. Because of this, much of the production of this type of material became .

Erotische Literatur (Erotikon, pl. Erotika) ist ein Sammelbegriff für alle Texte und Zeichnungen mit erotischem Hintergrund.

Un conte érotique est un récit oral dont le sujet gravite autour de la sensualité, la sexualité ou l'amour. Par extension on parle de conte érotique pour désigner un récit écrit issu d'une retranscription.

Pornografisk litteratur avser litteratur, skrivna berättelser, inom den pornografiska genren.

Si intende per letteratura erotica uno scritto che abbia come suo argomento principale la trattazione esplicita di temi legati alla sessualità e all'amore fisico, attraverso i quali vengono, non di rado, veicolati contenuti filosofici o spirituali.