The Celestial Bed

The Celestial Bed
	First edition
Author	Irving Wallace
Country	United States
Language	English
Published	Delacorte Press, 1987
Media type	Print

Last updated February 27, 2019

The Celestial Bed is a 1987 novel by Irving Wallace, revolving around scientific issues of sex. It is based on some of the sex therapy techniques developed after Masters and Johnson, who created the term "sex surrogates". It was first published in 1987 by Delacorte Press.^[1] The title refers to the "celestial bed" marketed by the 18th century sexologist James Graham.

Irving Wallace was an American best-selling author and screenwriter. He was known for his heavily researched novels, many with a sexual theme.

Organisms of many species are specialized into male and female varieties, each known as a sex. Sexual reproduction involves the combining and mixing of genetic traits: specialized cells known as gametes combine to form offspring that inherit traits from each parent. The gametes produced by an organism define its sex: males produce small gametes while females produce large gametes. Individual organisms which produce both male and female gametes are termed hermaphroditic. Gametes can be identical in form and function, but, in many cases, an asymmetry has evolved such that two different types of gametes (heterogametes) exist.

Sex therapy is a strategy for the improvement of sexual function and treatment of sexual dysfunction. This includes sexual dysfunctions such as premature ejaculation or delayed ejaculation, erectile dysfunction, lack of sexual interest or arousal, and painful sex. It includes dealing with problems imposed by atypical sexual interests (paraphilias), gender dysphoria and transgender issues, very high sex drive or hypersexuality, a lack of sexual confidence, recovering from sexual assault, and sexual issues in aging, illness, or disability.

One of the theories the book addresses is that certain individuals are ill-adjusted to normal sex, and that this can have grave consequences. The book states that these issues can be solved, but only with the help of sex surrogates. The patients must be taught practical sexual techniques by real people. The book also discusses whether sex technicians — the people who provide the hands on learning — are prostitutes.

Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment. Prostitution is sometimes described as sexual services, commercial sex or, colloquially, hooking. It is sometimes referred to euphemistically as "the world's oldest profession" in the English-speaking world. A person who works in this field is called a prostitute, and is a type of sex worker.

The plot is structured according to the hero's journey technique.

The name of the book comes from a famous quack cure for impotence and sterility advocated by the "doctor" James Graham.^[2] (Both are a reference to a line in Act I, Scene 5 of Shakespeare's Hamlet .) The cover of the book features the famous painting La Grande Odalisque by Ingres.

Erectile dysfunction (ED), also known as impotence, is a type of sexual dysfunction characterized by the inability to develop or maintain an erection of the penis during sexual activity. Erectile dysfunction can have psychological consequences as it can be tied to relationship difficulties and self-image.

Infertility is the inability of a person, animal or plant to reproduce by natural means. It is usually not the natural state of a healthy adult, except notably among certain eusocial species.

William Shakespeare English playwright and poet

William Shakespeare was an English poet, playwright and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's greatest dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon". His extant works, including collaborations, consist of approximately 39 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and a few other verses, some of uncertain authorship. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright.

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Asa Earl Carter was a 1950s Ku Klux Klan leader, segregationist speech writer, and later western novelist. He co-wrote George Wallace's well-known pro-segregation line of 1963, "Segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever", and ran in the Democratic primary for governor of Alabama on a segregationist ticket. Years later, under the alias of supposedly-Cherokee writer Forrest Carter, he wrote The Rebel Outlaw: Josey Wales (1972), a Western novel that led to a 1976 National Film Registry film, and The Education of Little Tree (1976), a best-selling, award-winning book which was marketed as a memoir but which turned out to be fiction.

Surrogacy is an arrangement, often supported by a legal agreement, whereby a woman agrees to become pregnant, carry the pregnancy to due term, and give birth to a child or children, all of this for another person or persons, who are or will ultimately become the parent(s) of the child or children.

<i>The Book of Lists</i> one of a series of books by Irving Wallace and his children

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The RAMJAC Corporation is a fictional multinational conglomerate, or megacorp, featured in several novels by Kurt Vonnegut. In Jailbird, the company at its height owns 19 percent of the United States, twice as large as the next largest conglomerate in the "Free World". Copyrights on Vonnegut's later books are also held by RAMJAC, much like Isaac Asimov's later copyrights are held by Nightfall, Inc.

In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, celestials are a class of creatures and monsters known as outsiders who are of wholly good alignment.

Joan Baehler Bauer is an American writer of young adult literature currently residing in Brooklyn. Bauer was born in River Forest, Illinois. She settled down in New York City with her husband Doug Langham. They later became parents to one daughter, Jean. Before becoming a famous author Joan spent years working for McGraw-Hill and the Chicago Tribune. She also did some work in advertising, marketing, and screenwriting.

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Dell Publishing, an American publisher of books, magazines and comic books, was founded in 1921 by George T. Delacorte Jr. with $10,000, two employees and one magazine title, I Confess, and soon began turning out dozens of pulp magazines, which included penny-a-word detective stories, articles about the movies, and romance books.

Felice Picano is an American writer, publisher, and critic who has encouraged the development of gay literature in the United States. His work is documented in many sources.

The Seven Minutes is a 1971 American drama film directed and produced by Russ Meyer. The film was based on the 1969 novel of the same name by Irving Wallace.

James Graham (1745–1794) was a Scottish proponent of electrical cures, showman, and pioneer in sex therapy. A self-styled doctor, he was best known for his electro-magnetic musical Grand State Celestial Bed. Dismissed as a quack by medical experts, Graham apparently believed in the efficacy of his unusual treatments.

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Sex surrogates, sometimes referred to as surrogate partners, are practitioners trained in addressing issues of intimacy and sexuality. A surrogate partner works in collaboration with a therapist to meet the goals of their client. This triadic model is used to dually support the client: the client engages in experiential exercises and builds a relationship with their surrogate partner while processing and integrating their experiences with their therapist or clinician.

Amy Wallace was an American writer.

References

↑ Wallace, Irving. The Celestial Bed. New York, Delacorte Press, 1987. (ISBN 978-0385295567)
↑ Museum of Hoaxes: Graham's Celestial Bed

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[1] Wallace, Irving. The Celestial Bed. New York, Delacorte Press, 1987. (ISBN 978-0385295567)

[2] Museum of Hoaxes: Graham's Celestial Bed