Slavefic

Tropes and genres
Tropes and genres
Synonym(s)	slave!fic, servantfic, master/slave
Related tropes/genres	darkfic, non-con
See also	kink, BDSM, Petplay
	cover of Naked Times #11 (Star Trek: TOS)
	Related articles on Fanlore.
	Contents 1 Variations 1.1 M/s; 1.2 Servantfic; ; 2 Star Trek Slavefic; 3 Fan Perspectives; 4 Sample Fics; 5 Sample Fanart; 6 Related links; 7 Meta/Further Reading; 8 References;

Slavefic is a fanfiction genre in which one character is enslaved to another, or pretends to be a slave. It usually refers to stories in which slavery is used as narrative kink, rather than historical fiction dealing with slavery accurately. However some fans use the term slavefic for any and all fanfic or profic featuring slavery or indentured servitude, including stories intended to make moral points.

Some slavefics are set in an Alternate Universe where slavery is an accepted economic and cultural institution. Some stories treat this as a significant moral problem to be resisted and overthrown if possible; others treat slavery as an unchangeable institution. Many other slavefics are science fiction, fantasy, or historical fiction.

Slavefics range from stories suitable for children, to fics featuring graphic violence and explicit (sometimes non-consensual) sex scenes. Slavefics have a reputation for having romances between the slaves and owners, and while this is certainly a common storyline, there are plenty of gen slavefics as well. There are also many dark slavery stories, in which there is a relationship between master and slave but it is essentially rape and does not end in romance.

Variations

M/s

The term 'M/s' is sometimes used for stories which feature lifestyle BDSM, or stories in which characters consensually choose to act as master and slave. These stories are occasionally also labelled as slavefic. Some fans believe that if there is consensual sexual domination and submission in a story with no true slavery, then it should technically only be described as D/s or BDSM. However, other fans argue that 'slavefic' encompasses all fiction which involve terms such as 'slave' and 'master', even if the relationship is consensual and not legally slavery.^{[citation needed]}

Servantfic

A related type of story is servantfic, in which the main characters are a servant and his or her employer. Some servantfic (especially in Historical Fiction) involve indentured servitude, serfs, or vassals; thus the line between 'servant' and 'slave' is blurry. Regardless of legal status, these fic usually feature similar power dynamics to each other, and to slavefic as an overarching genre.

Star Trek Slavefic

Slavefics were fairly common in early Star Trek: TOS fiction. Some fans commented that they were too common. From a fan in 1982: "Too many writers are content to fall back on the familiar the themes Pon Farr, slavery, log-cabins, hurt/comfort, more slavery, A/U, (older Kirk, younger Spock etc.) more slavery...." ^[1]

One of the very first Kirk/Spock stories posted online was Beside the Wells (1996) by Susan Legge. It was written as responsefic to the plethora of stories in which Kirk is a slave to Spock in Ancient Vulcan.^[2]

from Kaliffee, artist is Deb Lewis (1990)

Some tropes and settings include:

Kirk is enslaved by Spock in Ancient Vulcan, or another setting. Most of these fics are sexual in nature. Some examples: The Lorath (1979), The Price and The Prize (1981), Break Thou My Sanctuary (1985) Eromenos (1986), Northern Star (1989), Wilder Shores (1994), Shadows (1995), Debriefing (2001)
Spock is enslaved by Kirk in an alternate universe or on another planet. These tend to be sexual in nature -- examples Love Slave's Song (181)
Kirk and/or Spock are enslaved by others -- some examples are Thy Gracious Dews of Solace (1978), The Price of Freedom (1986), Captives (1985), Private Possessions (1986), Chains (1990), Slaveworld (1994), To Catch a Unicorn (1998)
gen or het stories where the characters visit, or are kidnapped, and brought to a planet where they are enslaved -- some examples are Spock Enslaved! (1974), The Beast (1978), The Displaced (1978), Legend's End (1984), An Oath of Bondage (1988)
characters visit a planet where slavery is the norm and they take on roles in order to solve a problem or resolve a conflict; these may or may not be sexual in nature, many are het. Some of them portray a culture in which historical American Civil War era roles are reversed, and white people are slaves and black people are the owners -- some examples are Dark of the Moon (1977), The Ultimate Birthday Present (1977), My Dancing Day (1979), As New Wine (1979). Other examples are where females own males. An example is The Night of the Twin Moons (1976)
characters are enslaved by non-human entities, an example is "The Lost Colony" in Guardian #1 (1978)
McCoy, Uhura and other characters time-travel and end up in 1860s America during the Civil War, and experience slavery during that time; McCoy's Georgian background is utilized and these stories almost always take place in The South. These stories tend to be gen with occasional het.
variations on B/D themes that utilize slave and master -- some examples Quietly and Safely Insane (1986)
fiction that features the green-skinned Orion slave girl from the episode "" -- some examples are "Game If You Are " in R&R #9, "Birthday Boy" in R&R #11
humor and parody:

Fan Perspectives

As with many fannish tropes, there are various different perspectives on slavefic, from what the appeal is to whether anyone should be writing it at all.

One fan's perspective:

"Basically what I mean is…the use of tropes like a/b/o or slavery!fic without attention the very real and present potential for abuse, the possibility (even likelihood) of extremely dubious consent, and generally just a lack of sensitivity. Basically, if you’re not willing to deal with the crunchy possibly messy aspects of a trope that has an inherent, strong potential to create an abusive situation…I’m gonna at best be very wary.

Especially with slavery!fic, because much as people would maybe like to construct slavery as something that doesn’t happen in ~the modern era~ um well. So if you’re going to write a fic with it in it, okay, fine - but don’t just go merrily along your way assuming that your slavery!fic relationship is going to transfer neatly into sexytimes with no problems. If one person owns another person, whatever the situation, they have coercive power over that person and it’s important to remember that."^[3]
Part of a larger discussion by Lise about a fic she is writing deconstructing some elements of the slavefic trope.

Stitch writes a more critical perspective on Stitch's Media Mix:

"Others still talk about their own kink interest in non-con (rape) or power imbalances in these works in a way that makes it clear that any attempt to forge a discourse and talk about what it is about slavery in fiction that makes many Black fans uncomfortable is being seen as an attack against their own sexuality and right to sexual expression.

But what about Black readers and members of fandom who are deeply uncomfortable with the way these two spaces misrepresent something that is actually present in our histories? What about the sexuality of Black fans and how prevalent a major potential trigger for us is in fandom?"^[4]
What Fandom Racism Looks Like: (Not-So) Sexy Slavefic

Another fan explains why they find reading slavefic satisfying:

"The kinds of underpinnings I love in stories:

The nature of being human:Often as opposed to or highlighted by something supposedly "else" . What do we all share, what is essential to personhood. Aliens, androids, intelligent animals and slaves all poke at it from different directions.

With slave fic it makes it particularly interesting to explore the different ways the different characters view what makes for personhood and how it shifts in the course of a story. There can also be very interesting tension between what all of the characters think and what the reader thinks which is nicely illuminating.

Discovering the other: The other side of previous one. Finding out about the depth of difference and exploring complex reactions to it. The slave/master dichotomy highlights the "other" part of this equation and throws nice structural dilemmas and atypical opportunities for discovery."^[5]
lapillus on livejournal

Sample Fics

Examples Wanted: Editors are encouraged to add more examples or a wider variety of examples.

The Prize by Ray Newton: A Kirk/Spock fic where Kirk is a slave.
Forgotten by Trudy West (Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, Qui-Gon/Obi-Wan): A slave with memory loss is purchased by an owner with a hidden agenda.
Linnaeus Says So by halotolerant (Stargate Atlantis, 2007)
Collared by VelvetMace; a Sherlock (TV series) AU where slavery is normalized and John Watson is a resistance terrorist. (2012)
Poetic Justice by Limmet; Loki is sentenced to slavery with Tony Stark as his unwilling master. (2013)
Butterfly by EndlessStairway: Loki is sentenced to slavery for his crimes and ends up on Jotunheim, where he is made into the plaything of the king. Years pass and he bears him a daughter, Loki becomes resigned to his life and his fate, his only care is keeping his daughter safe. Until one day, Tony Stark arrives. The Jotun king, thinking to make a rich trade deal with this Midgardian, decides to give him a gift. Loki/Tony Stark (The Avengers Movieverse, 2018)
The Gift by Mastre: Imagine Loki finally being legitimate king of Asgard. A faraway realm with different traditions sends their envoys to discuss a treaty of sorts. Among the gifts they bring for the king is a pleasure slave. Loki (Marvel character)/OFC (The Avengers Movieverse, 2017–?)
Lust by Aimster: Taylor Hanson is kidnapped to become part of a sex trafficking ring that deals in sex slaves.