The contributors to this revised classic incorporate autobiographical and firsthand accounts to emphasise the complexity and symbolic nature of this ‘velvet underground’ of human sexuality. A variety of sub-worlds and identities are explored: the professional dominatrix; prostitution and S&M; heterosexual, gay, and lesbian S&M; the role of pain and fantasy; and organised S&M groups. Recent trends such as non-mainstream body modification are discussed, along with the increasing integration of S&M themes in areas of popular culture such as the arts, literature, mass media, and fashion.