This reference work investigates the historical, cultural, and aesthetic evolution of erotic literature across global traditions and time periods. Editors Gaëtan Brulotte and John A. Phillips compile contributions from an international array of scholars to examine how human sexuality has been represented in written form. The text provides a comprehensive framework for understanding the intersection of censorship, artistic expression, and social morality throughout history.

Scholars and researchers frequently cite this encyclopedia as a foundational reference for the academic study of eroticism in literature. The text is noted for its breadth and the scholarly rigor applied to a subject often marginalized in traditional literary canons.