Exit to Eden is a 1985 novel by Anne Rice, first issued under the pen name Anne Rampling and later under Rice’s own name. It casts BDSM as romance-novel machinery: an isolated resort, trained submissives, formal auctions, and a Mistress who falls for the slave she chooses. It also spotlighted Rice’s non-vampire erotic track—alongside her Sleeping Beauty series under another pseudonym—long before mass-market “red room” branding.
Synopsis
Lisa Kelly runs The Club (Eden), a high-end island where wealthy clients live as Master or Mistress. Prospective slaves, paid after terms of about six months to two years, are auctioned by elite trainers. As head female trainer and co-founder, Lisa has first pick and chooses Elliot Slater. Instant chemistry deepens into love inside formal D/s roles and training hierarchy.
Film Adaptation
The 1994 Savoy Pictures film starred Dana Delany and Paul Mercurio as Lisa and Elliot. The studio heavily rewrote the plot, adding buddy cops Dan Aykroyd and Rosie O’Donnell. Critics panned it; the novel’s BDSM-romance core became set dressing for a jewel-thief comedy. See also the separate film entry. Related topics: Anne Rice / Anne Rampling erotica, BDSM resort fantasy, and 1980s literary SM romance.
