Bonkbuster (a play on "blockbuster" and the verb "to bonk") is a term coined in 1988 by British writerSue Limb to describe a subgenre of commercialromance novels in the 1970s and 1980s, as well as their subsequentminiseries adaptations.[1][2][3] In 2002 theOxford English Dictionary recognized thisportmanteau, defining it as "a type of popular novel characterized by frequent explicit sexual encounters between the characters."[1] In 2016Jilly Cooper, who was called "the queen of the bonkbuster",[4] suggested that the term ought to be updated to "shagbusters" as "bonk" felt out-of-date.[5]
Although the term has been used generally to describe "bodice-rippers" such asForever Amber (1944) byKathleen Winsor,[6] as well as the novels ofJacqueline Susann[7][8] andHarold Robbins,[9] it is specifically associated with the novels ofJudith Krantz,Jackie Collins,Shirley Conran andJilly Cooper, known for their glamorous, financially independent female protagonists and salacious storylines.[10] In particular, Krantz’s novelScruples, which describes the glamorous and affluent world of high fashion inBeverly Hills, California, helped define the bonkbuster.[11] In 2023 former British prime ministerRishi Sunak revealed that some of his favourite books were bonkbusters in theRutshire Chronicles series by Cooper.[12][13]
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