Slavefic

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. 
===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.
==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:
Stitch writes a more critical perspective on Stitch's Media Mix:
Another fan explains why they find reading slavefic satisfying:
==Sample Fics==
*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.
==Sample Fanart==
Image:BB AbodeBeast.jpg|Vincent in chains, cover of Abode of the Beast
Image:Spock Enslaved.jpg|cover of Spock Enslaved
Image:ST NakedTimes11.jpg|cover of Naked Times #11
Image:Black_rose_histoire_dobi_chainedlg.jpg|illustration for L'Histoire d'Obi (The Story of Obi) by Black Rose
File:SERVE.JPG|Serve, illustration for L'Histoire d'Obi (The Story of Obi) by Black Rose
File:Loki and tony in poetic justice.jpg|Art inspired by a scene in Limmet's fic Poetic Justice by LePeru, 2013
==Related links==
*Slavefic LJ Community
*LJ Community for Original Slave Fiction
*Resource page for locating powerfics, including slavefics
*Harry Potter slave!fics thematic list by painless_j
*Stargate Slavefics thematic list
*Boys in Chains. The site was a multifandom archive that specialized in slavefic. Last updated in 2002, accessed via wayback 18 October 2008.
*Master/Slave Slash stories by Mary Ellen - a list of existing print and online slave stories, compiled sometime in 2000
*Slavefic with "kind" owners rec list dated July 26, 2014reference link.
==Meta/Further Reading==
* For iulia_linnea, who was curious..., archive link; a meta by lapillus examining their personal enjoyment of slavefic (2007)
* What Fandom Racism Looks Like: (Not-So) Sexy Slavefic by Zina (2017)
Category:Glossary
==References==
Category:Sexual Tropes & Kinks