5 books that wouldn't exist without Fear of Flying

The erotic, feminist novel is celebrating its 40th anniversary

Erica Jong
(Image credit: (Evening Standard/Getty Images))

This year marks the 40th anniversary of Erica Jong's landmark novel Fear of Flying. Published at the height of the Women's Lib movement, the novel was the first to graphically articulate female sexual desire in all its lusty and, in the case of the protagonist Isadora Wing, neurotic glory.

Yet, as groundbreaking as the novel was for its depiction of female sexuality, the concept of a woman in her late twenties struggling with professional, personal, and romantic decisions also set a precedent for what would become the ChickLit genre.

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Emily Shire is chief researcher for The Week magazine. She has written about pop culture, religion, and women and gender issues at publications including Slate, The Forward, and Jewcy.