BDSM - Fanlore

The TPM characters Qui-Gon and a submissive Obi-Wan in a drawing by Fuumin.

BDSM is an acronym standing for bondage & discipline, dominance & submission (D/s or d/s), sadism &/or masochism within consensual relationships. Some people also define the SM as Slave & Master. In fandom it is most often used in fic headers as a warning or as an indication of a story's content or genre. BDSM is used by fans as a general umbrella term for any fanwork which includes erotic power exchange, pain play, bondage, sensation play, other sexual kinks and occasionally for slavefic. The stories may be very sexually explicit, or may be more emotional or psychological in nature and contain little or no sexually explicit scenes.

Some writers try to portray BDSM elements in the story realistically, depicting it as Safe, Sane, and Consensual. Others, seeing their writing as fantasy, leave out elements that don't directly contribute to the kink or use their works to explore situations not possible outside of fiction. While fans may have strongly held opinions on the right way to do BDSM in fanfic^[1] there are works exploring the topic from many different perspectives.

Example Fanworks

Vincent from Beauty and the Beast bound in chains, cover of Abode of the Beast.

• Bound to Please, a Professionals BDSM zine
• Chains of Desire by Diana Williams, an X-Files story^[2]
• Coming Home by Xanthe, a Stargate Atlantis BDSM AU
• L'Histoire d'Obi by Lilith Sedai, a Star Wars: TPM slavefic novel
• a lieutenant colonel is being beaten by thingswithwings, a Stargate Atlantis vid^[3]
• A Kept Boy by poisontaster, a CWRPS WIP^[4]

Resources

The Boys in Chains archive was dedicated to BDSM slash fiction and The Titanium Whip Awards are designed to recognise the work of fanfic writers who write with a BDSM, kink or fetish theme. Many works featured in Kink Bingo have a BDSM theme. The Establishment is a multi-fandom RPG with kink and BDSM themes.

References

1. ↑ On BDSM, Part I by irana, accessed January 13, 2010
2. ↑ Chains of Desire Series by Diana Williams, accessed January 13, 2010
3. ↑ a lieutenant colonel is being beaten accessed January 13, 2010
4. ↑ A Kept Boy Masterpost, accessed January 13, 2010