Philip Jose Farmer wasn’t afraid to step over lines in the 50’s and 60’s. “The Image of the Beast” was Farmer’s first novel for Essex House and his first novel with explicit sex. It is a very good read.
Essex House was based in Los Angeles and specialized in highbrow erotica. Many new publishing houses sprang up after the U.S. Supreme Court finally permitted the open publishing of adult fiction. Essex House was one of the best, though short-lived (1968-1969). Its young editor, Brian Kirby, also edited the books of the sister imprint, Brandon House. Many Essex House novelists were young serious writers (several of them poets) who used scenarios drawn from sf and fantasy as settings for their stories. About half of the 42 titles published by Essex House were sf/fantasy. They include novels by Richard E. Geis, David Meltzer, Michael Perkins and Hank Stine, along with Philip Jose Farmer. [Source: The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction at www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/essex_house]