Reader’s Picks: Thestalus
I primarily enjoy MD/MF stories, though don’t mind FD/FF, particularly if it is MD and MD, especially those where the subject remains aware of what’s happening to them or where the reader gets to watch their state of mind gradually change. I tend not to enjoy stories where the protagonist immediately loses all personality or agency. While several of my favorites involve degradation or betrayal, that’s not really what draws me to them. What I enjoy most is watching believable psychological change unfold—the slow reshaping of a person’s identity, values, or sense of normality. That naturally lends itself to stories with dramatic power shifts. Those preferences aren’t political; they’re simply the kinds of dynamics I find most compelling in mind control fiction.
Bendomywill excels at betrayal and objectification, and Thing of It is, for me, the definitive “hypnotist betrays his subject” story on the site. The opening chapters are exceptional. Angela expects her boyfriend to come over for some playful hypnosis, while the reader is simultaneously let in on his plan to systematically destroy her life. The dramatic irony is wonderfully executed, and the transformation that follows feels earned rather than rushed.
Ashley’s Mistake — Pixie Isobella
Pixie Isobella is one of my favorite authors (and Peachtree Diaries is well worth reading as well). Ashley’s Mistake is more compact than some of her longer works, which can occasionally linger after the central power shift has already happened. Here, the pacing is excellent. It delivers the gradual loss of control and psychological change without overstaying its welcome, making every stage of the transformation satisfying.
The Baby Steps series is a fantastic example of slow, believable transformation. Like Pan, MindSpark has a gift for gradual conditioning, and Taming Tess is another favorite for similar reasons. Every step feels earned; the characters aren’t magically made compliant by a single suggestion, but instead slowly come to accept increasingly profound changes through careful reframing.
Friendship vs. Hypnosis — Julien Sorel
One of the joys of this story is Mimi’s unwavering insistence that she isn’t hypnotized, even as maintaining that belief becomes increasingly absurd. Because the story isn’t told from her perspective, the reader is left imagining the elaborate justifications she’s inventing for herself. Watching someone confidently insist that cleaning the house naked is perfectly normal because she’s “just helping” never stops being entertaining. Adventures of Rania and I Can’t Stop Myself are also great reads, although I think Adventures of Rania is at its strongest in the first few chapters.
Lesbian Inventor Learns a Lesson — Alecta’s Shadow
Alecta’s Shadow consistently writes compelling female-submission stories, often built around clashes between feminist ideals and patriarchal domination, making this a difficult choice. Lesbian Inventor Learns a Lesson stands out thanks to its excellent pacing, strong prose, and convincing transformation from proud, independent inventor to humiliated slave. The flaw in the “learning” device being twisted against the protagonist feels believable and earned.
Judas Goat / Over the Knee — Jay Inkwell
Jay Inkwell is another master of degradation and power imbalance. Judas Goat has an incredible final chapter, but Over the Knee is consistently excellent throughout, making it my overall recommendation. The themes are heavy, yet what makes these stories work is that the characters never stop feeling like thinking, rational people. Instead, they become trapped by the circumstances or the mind controller, leaving them unable to escape—or making the consequences of resistance simply too high.
Pan has written many outstanding stories, particularly the Limits series, but Tapes in the Attic is probably my favorite. Every chapter meaningfully advances the story, and the gradual erosion of the protagonists’ moral reservations is masterfully handled. They never set out intending to go as far as they eventually do, yet each step makes the next one easier until they begin escalating their own behavior.
Donna’s Trance Trigger — Sammynona
A wonderfully charming consensual mind control story with a clever premise. Donna has a hypnotic trigger that the protagonist accidentally says while referencing what is very obviously Dora the Explorer. Because he has no idea the trigger is genuine, he assumes Donna is simply playing along and gradually gives instructions that go much further than he ever intended.