We all know the titles: Lolita, Lady Chatterley's Lover, Naked Lunch. Each of these books have, at times, been the banned by various governments around the world. Today, all three of these works are considered classics among literary scholars.

When first released, The Diary of Anne Frank found resistance in Lebanon due to it's favorable portrayal of Jews and Israel.

John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath met with a brief banning (in the region of California in which the story is set) for its unflattering portrayal of local residents.

It seems just about any book has the potential to offend someone somewhere in the world. These bans range from the silly (Alice's Adventures In Wonderland was banned in China for its depiction of talking animals), to the scary (A death sentence is still in effect against author Salmon Rushdie for his novel The Satanic Verses).

Let's take a look at some other notable victims of super zealous governmental overreach: Brave New World was banned in Ireland for references to sexual promiscuity; Green Eggs and Ham became forbidden literature in The People's Republic of China due to it's portrayal of early Marxism; Frankenstein was labeled "obscene" by the apartheid government of South Africa, rendering the classic horror tale banned.

We can look back at a multitude of other amazing works that were once forbidden in various parts of planet: All Quiet on the Western Front, Animal Farm, Uncle Tom's Cabin. But what about the world in which we live today? Are we still facing far-reaching governmental control over what we are or are not allowed to read? And who are these people making such decisions?

The war to keep smut or politically sensitive materials out of your hands is still being fought in virtually every nation on Earth.

I've read several articles online in recent weeks dealing with attacks on those books commonly known as erotic fiction. Oh, there aren't any outright bans on the works, but, with a growing list of e-retailers refusing to stock these titles, the result is the same: A book unavailable to the public is effectively banned.

But even in this there is the stench of hypocrisy. Where a book dealer will refuse to carry erotic titles by indie authors, they have no problem stocking a big money-maker like Fifty Shades of Gray. Some retailers are even equating shape-shifting werewolf romances with bestiality, thus refusing to carry these novels. Have they refused to sell any of the Twilight series? Not likely; there's too much money to be made.

I don't read erotic fiction. I'm just not a fan. But that doesn't mean I want to see these titles banned or ignored by retailers. These writers work hard to create and market their stories to an ever-growing market. It's a shame to hear about this retailer or that one refusing to sell books, which more often than not, are written by indie authors.

The only form of censorship I can ever agree with is self-censorship. Allow me the chance to check myself. I don't need some politician or religious figure or business person to determine what words will come from my pen.

If you're a fan of erotic fiction written by indie authors, stand up for your rights and the rights of said authors. Let those retailers know you won't be doing business with them as long as they refuse to give you a choice in what you will or will not purchase and read.