This was a pretty remarkable contest! We broke the old record for sign-ups and set a new record for submissions. It was the second time we used tags/trigger warnings, but the first time these were entirely author-supplied. Good job on that: you guaranteed that your stories would be read and reviewed.

The first contest in the third year of Size Riot, this machine is starting to move under its own momentum. We’ve had some serious cheerleading for the contest, so it’s not just me drumming up hype: much thanks to JM Wilde, Chuck Murnoe, Elle Largesse, Wits Aimwell, and Giantess Tina, among others, for directing traffic to the fantastic selection of stories! The participants are at least as excited about the process as I am, generating a lot of positive energy toward creating fresh, new original work four times a year.

How does that feel, to sit back after the results and look at your hard drive and see a bunch of stories that didn’t exist a year ago? To watch your personal library steadily growing? Do you notice your skill increasing, your creativity strengthening? Cranking out a complete story in one month is no joke, and you people have done it over and over. Congrats to you, seriously. And great thanks to you valiant readers faced with several dozen works to absorb, think about, and report on. Believe me, we all appreciate it!

For brevity’s sake, I’m not listing every single nomination: entries with three or more votes are listed here. And with no further ado, let me break down how CruelJan19 shook out.

Which story hooked you immediately?

You can rely on the reader’s patience to give you a chance to build up steam and momentum. Or you can start right in the action, in media res, and whisk the reader away on the adventure before they know what’s going on. Or you can sculpt the perfect first line that seizes the reader around the throat and doesn’t let them turn away. What’s your technique, as a writer?

Let’s make no bones about it: far and away, “Queen of His Lies” dominated this. From the opening line, Taedis’s sensual tale held readers spellbound. This story owned over one-fifth of all votes. Tied for second are “House Crush Family Kill” by CrushedBoyWonder and “Out” by Miss Kaneda, with 0neGenericWord’s “A Boy Named Morgan” in fourth.

Whose main character did you like the best?

Plot’s important, of course, as are conflict and overcoming the same, but it’s hard to want to follow the action if we don’t care about the characters. Whether they’re people we’d like to have as friends, people we see ourselves in, or just fascinating people we like to watch, well-formed characters bring us into another world.

Tied for first with memorable characters are the sympathetic giant in “The Captive” by 2inchlich and the tragic, tiny hero of “Out.” Scidram’s “Going Dark,” AmWO’s “A Queen and Her Pawns,” and “Queen of His Lies” tied for third place.

Which story used size differences in an interesting way?

This category forced readers to examine their expectations and estimate the writers who pushed beyond them. In writing size fantasy, you can expect to see someone who comes up to your ankle or towers among the skyscrapers, but a clever writer takes the opportunity to play with this familiar element.

Narrowly edging out over “Self Harm” by Meyeel Sizechanger and TheMicroGiant’s “Why?”, tied for second, was SorenZer0’s technological nightmare: “Machina Ex Dea.” Readers often likened this tale to the popular dystopian social commentary Black Mirror. Even if that wasn’t his inspiration, that’s pretty good praise.

Which story surprised you with its interpretation of the theme?

One of my favorite aspects of these contests, and I’ve said this many times before, is the limitless capacity for writers to dream up new ways to play with the theme. Just when you think you’ve read everything, one of these writers gets that special spark in their head and explores the theme in a novel way.

PerspectiveShift took the lead here with “Satisfaction,” only just overtaking “His Terrible Games” by JM Wilde, “Machina Ex Dea,” and Njord’s “A New House” in second place. “Queen of His Lies” secured fifth place after all that.

Which story was the most tense or frightening?

It’s a contest of cruelty! Some of these stories are bound to be fucking frightening! This goes without saying!

“Queen of His Lies” resumed the lead in this category, with “Machina Ex Dea” in second and “House Crush Family Kill” in third. Honestly, nearly everyone received at least one vote in this category, which just proves there’s something for everyone in these contests.

Which story was the most arousing or sexiest?

Even in the midst of our terror, as the tension grows, there’s still opportunity for arousal. Maybe it’s a brief respite before the horror sets in, or maybe it’s witnessing a powerful, dangerous character in action, but there’s something that goes along with cruelty like chocolate and peanut butter and bladed objects.

“Leisure Time” by NSFW_alt swept this category with the most erotic fifth of all votes. “The Therapist Will See You Now” by Elle Largesse and Wits Aimwell’s “You Are Not Your Own” tied in second place.

Outside of the genre or theme, which story was the best-rendered?

This is a useful evaluation because it goes to the core of storytelling. In a way, it’s a summary of the above categories but also includes pace, tension, story arc, and many other categories we can sense as we take it in.

Nearly half of all votes went to “Queen of His Lies.” People really enjoyed this one, and Taedis should be proud of this accomplishment. In second place is “Out.”

Which story makes you want to read the writer’s other work?

Pay attention to this one! This is one of the main functions of the Size Riot contest: exposure to writers you might not be familiar with. Just think, your favorite author could be lurking right beneath your nose (or looming over the treetops), and now’s your chance to spot them and pursue all their work.

So read up on SorenZer0 and Taedis, because “Machina Ex Dea” and “Queen of His Lies” tied for first here, with “House Crush Family Kill” in third place.

And at last, here is the ultimate category for this contest. Because many of us have had trouble picking a favorite, this time you could select three three titles for this honor, and hopefully that took the edge off.

Which story was the cruelest?

Once again, and perhaps surprising no one at this point, “Queen of His Lies” stood out, taking 43% of this vote. “You Are Not Your Own” took second with eight votes, “Machina Ex Dea” with seven votes, and “His Terrible Games” and “Out” tied with six votes each.

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Reader Responses

All Love Lost

Tense/Frightening

This was a pretty brutal story, and the concept was able to keep the tension level raised.

This was the first story I read (I read them alphabetically by title), and I still can’t shake the tension of normal-sized Sarah taunting tiny Cara into killing her boyfriend by snapping apart and crushing her friends. Tense, frightening, and unforgettable.

General Comments

This was a fun story and I love the idea of a tiny, personal gladiatorial competition. 2000 words is not a lot, but i could have seen some more development on how Cara snapped and became as cruel with her friends as she did.

This was the first story on the list and set the bar high.

Strong opening! Immediately set the scene brilliantly; the make-shift weaponry is a nice touch reminiscent of the Dresden Files and the little folk. I’ll never get sick of the phrase ‘popped like a grape’ either; a personal favourite of mine. The betrayal! The callousness! The broken promises! I love it. Also, Sarah turns out to be a goth; didn’t get that impression from the start, but hoo boy do I love me some goths.

The setup was really well done; right into the action just the way I like it. Descriptors were also brilliant. The person who wrote this is a solid writer!

A Boy Named Morgan

Hooked Immediately

The narrative voice. This narrator knew that what Morgan was doing was evil and wrong, yet she was so intrigued by it. Came out clearly in the opening paragraphs.

The emotional appeal and vulnerability of Morgan.

The notion of someone following the narrator and trying to please her with his powers, instead of just arbitrarily using them for himself. There was a real sense that the couple was trying to please her.

Most Arousing

The total sense of control that Morgan had throughout the entire thing, and the immense influence the two characters had over each other. A singularly powerful being is great, but when the power is shared, it was almost multiplicative in effect, at least to me as a reader.

General Comments

This was an interesting read for me. Morgan seems like he could be a real person. It was interesting to see how someone with this power would struggle with bringing someone into his life without scaring them off.

Hot fucking damn; not gonna lie, it was a shaky start, but this one really pulled it together by the end. A couples story; a rarity. A GOOD couples story? Fucking brilliant. I love it and I want to subscribe to your news-letter. The multi-size stuff is always a nice touch too!

I appreciated the slice-of-life angle and the focus on how exciting doing forbidden things in public would feel.

The Business End of Maldona’s Heels

Hooked Immediately

It got straight to the point: an otherworldly being arrives and she just wants to use everyone for her own needs, unapologetically cruel. The author’s characterization of Maldona made her seem like an erotically charged Marvel supervillain.

Best Main Character

Her ruthless personality, and how her demands change as she grows more accustomed to using her human servants. I also like that she’s more of an alien goddess than a human on a power trip.

Most Arousing

Mostly because it centered around a very dominant woman and her feet, sort of a freebie because that is my favorite element of the GTS fetish.

More by This Author

A detail focused storyline involving a cruel and dominant woman enslaving others with her feet (fetishwise, this is a hole in one!)

General Comments

Interesting take on an invasion piece. I struggled with believability since 85 feet tall isn’t enough in my mind to fully oppress a population. That being said, I am not a mega or giga person myself. If she was conquering a small island it would be more believable.

If we weren’t in a Cruel January contest, I honestly wouldn’t have seen the ending coming. I did like the concept.

The Captive

Hooked Immediately

The story goes beyond physical pain, it’s all about the constant abuse, the feeling that a rich man has all the power over his giant captive. The story makes it clear how Sage, the giant, hates Mr. Right, and how he’s restraining himself. And, in the end, these actions have consequences.

Best Main Character

The giant’s personality and the way he was described were very attractive. However, I really didn’t like the idea of him after being tortured, but before being tortured, when he was gentle and caring. That and his physical features were great.

We were really allowed to get in the poor giant’s head. I was legitimately excited when the remote didn’t work.

I found it fascinating how easily I was able to identify with a monstrous giant captive.

Interesting Size Difference

It was refreshing to see size tropes upturned.

More by This Author

I’d like to read about the giant before he was tortured and became so brutal. I also thought that could have been a great opportunity to be sexy when the tiny came in intent to be sexual with the giant.

This story had the most compelling characters.

General Comments

This was my favorite of the entries. Solid storytelling and the characters were well-developed. Sage is a believable character and my heart broke for him. I would love to read more of this writer’s work.

I loved seeing the number of giant people put into submissive situations in this year’s contest. It as great seeing a M/m scene play out here.

External Stimuli

Best Main Character

His whole scientific/professional/cold demeanour that was really masking a passionate cruelty.

Male giants are not often seen and I loved the set up for the scenario. Replication seems to be a good subtheme of this contest. Also, the snippets into his thought processes were… *wipes forehead* Whew!

Most Arousing

The whole ‘indifferent giant’ thing done well. Because he really wasn’t indifferent despite his actions. The lazy, inevitable torture and the death toll from his ‘act’ at the finale. It was wonderfully cruel.

General Comments

I loved the sci-fi feel to this story. It wasn’t clear if these “samples” were this small relative to Tomas initially or if they were size modified in some way. Great execution of a giga story. I am not sure all of the references to Gulliver’s travels was needed, as it didn’t seem to flesh out a metaphor or otherwise aid in the narrative.

Great pun. And the justification for the shrinking (and attendant cruelty) was brilliant. It’s nice to see a little harder science fiction.

‘Gulliver Pod’ huh? Subtle. Lot of ‘giant male’ stories so-far; I wonder if that’s going to become a trend? In any case, this was an enjoyable romp through flagrant misuse of science; good job!

A Face to Fall Asleep To

Hooked Immediately

I had a good idea of where it was going and was happy to be along for the ride. It was engaging without being an info dump.

They had me with the title and held my attention as soon as I started reading. A wickedly cruel story with just enough information to make the story work yet leave me wanting more. Bravo.

Tense/Frightening

The giant character being so open and clear about where she was, and where the tiny people were. It was a bit of a slow-motion train wreck just appreciating that there was no way that the POV character would survive, but being on the edge of my seat wondering how it would happen.

General Comments

Oh my gosh, I love this concept! Here’s hoping for a future in tiny husband clones.

Really interesting premise, and I’m intrigued by how many previous clones of her husband she has taunted & killed … and how many more she will while she deals with whatever issue she’s dealing with

Wonderful notion; the ‘tiny clones of a loved one’ is something I’ve wanted to dabble with before, and you did it credit! Very enjoyable!

Fancy Footwear

Interesting Size Difference

I’m a pretty big footwear guy so the story had me hooked pretty immediately. Love the ending where the characters left their shoes behind as a sort of “remind.”

Unexpected

The story almost felt like a satire of size writing; starting off as typical kink-fare, then turning into full-blown mind-fuckery by the end.

General Comments

I love the themes here. Although I would develop the two main characters a bit more.

I love the idea – giant invaders from another land. The purpose of the footwear wasn’t clear and the story ended rather abruptly. Keep it up, but focus on the full story arc.

It was surprising to see the humans being just as cruel, if not more, as the giant attackers!

First Hand Pleasure

Interesting Size Difference

I liked that the cruel one was another tiny, who led her to be crushed by an unsuspecting giantess.

General Comments

This story was near the top of the list for me. I loved how one friend turned on the other to see a giant in action. It was so believable. It would have been sweeter still if the betrayer got what was coming to them at the end. The size ratio wasn’t my favorite, but if you like it, keep it up!

Well now, this one has layers of cruelty sprinkled throughout. Our main male character, who leads someone to a cruel fate, is one of the most despised characters I read about in the contest. Truly a dark and cruel entry!

A new level of cruelty: what if a tiny betrayed another one to see them get killed by an unaware person? That’s what this story is about. Hank proves to be a very cruel person for his size. Even if there’s a moment he might try to redeem himself, in the end he only wanted his friend Jess to be crushed under a giant’s foot. The description of Jess’s last moments is gruesome and detailed, making you feel her pain and despair.

Going Dark

Hooked Immediately

The protagonist trying to make sense of where she was made for some very gripping tension right from the start.

Best Main Character

“Going Dark” feels like the sort of thing one of my size-RPG games would be about; both the protag and the antag felt like realized characters and I was totally down for that.

She was real. I never saw her react in any way that implied that sexuality was anywhere on her mind, just survival plain and simple, which combined with the other parts of the story to make her shine.

Unexpected

I’m not sure I’ve ever read an interrogation shrinking scene, and it was done well.

Interesting Size Difference

The stubborn belief on the agent’s part in attributing certain aspects of their captivity to a frame of reference they could understand. Hands being cranes, the use of tape as bindings, and even just simple water cup being used for the interrogation just not in the way the agent expected.

Something as simple as the tape-measurement comparison was a good way to have the lead slowly come to an awareness of her own tininess that results in her slow mental breakdown that’s so fun to see.

Solid Writing

Questions set up in the early going get answered; the physical details of being shrunk are the best-chosen and -described of the whole lot of stories.

The irony of it. She wanted to be a heroine and save the day, but she ended up in the same situation as the rest of the victims. That, along with a wonderful writing style really set it apart.

More by This Author

The amazing detail – I’d be interested to see how the author deploys it in a non-cruel story

His Terrible Games

Interesting Size Difference

The idea of the cruelty being a tool, the larger having their power stripped away and given at the same time.

It’s not a super common trope to see a tiny controlling a Giant, and I loved how this was balanced. This is an excellent puzzle of a story, and I really appreciate that you trusted the protagonist and reader to figure it out.

Unexpected

The tiny ended up being both a sub and a dom in his own right towards the giant (though arguably more of a sub at the end).

Did not expect this to be a self punishing… thing?

Usually with this type of story, it is a giant/giantess being cruel to a tiny. This story turned the concept on it’s head as he forced his captive to grow, ending the story as she broke free to be cruel to him. Which is exactly what he wanted.

Seeing a man’s cruelty in turning a woman into the fetishized monster he dreamed of was a deep and fascinating journey.

Tense/Frightening

For a third-person narrative, all the torture the protagonist goes through is very real and well described. The pain and burning of the electrocution are here to stay. Interesting enough is how the stimuli of all that pain works and serves to a wicked goal.

Most Arousing

I don’t go in for torture, per se – what hooked me was the power games, “him” releasing his true motives and gradually handing control over to “her”, who absorbs his power until she’s overwhelmed by it.

The Homegrown Noose

Interesting Size Difference

I love mixing kinks and adding bondage, breath play, and shrinking is brilliant. Being turned into an accessory/piece of body art has been done before, but by using the tiny in a non-sexualized location makes his situation sexier.

General Comments

Hairplay is a rare and unappreciated niche in this kink, and you presented it very well! Made me feel sorry for the poor guy; LITERALLY his first customer. That stings.

Honestly, the transition from sunny optimism at the beginning to utter despair by the end would’ve been a little much for me, except the guy’s name was Capelli. A hair stylist named Capelli who’s doomed to being trapped in hair? The level of ironic hell smacked so much of Dante that it deserves to be recognized.

An odd story, in the good sense. A hairdresser being shrunk and forced to be one his client’s hair ornament. The most interesting here is the torture he’s going through, tied by a hair’s knot, suffering with every single movement. His despair is very vivid, and agonizing.

House Crush Family Kill

Hooked Immediately

The juxtaposition of young adults playing and the cruelty they caused.

I am very much into possession based stories. Particularly ones that turn control on its head. Seeing two teenage girls absolutely own and destroy a family who did nothing to them was amazing. I could read a whole story on this, learning the backstory to the teenagers, lengthening out the scene where they take possession of the family and then when they move on to the rest of the neighborhood. Good work.

The description of the principle characters.

It immediately establishes a sense of inevitable dread, then relentlessly follows through in both tone and execution. No twists, no turns, nothing fancy. Just two cruel giantesses.

Tense/Frightening

I hated this one so much. The brutality of how the family was murdered one at a time was disgusting and terrible and uncomfortable.

The first twin getting stomped. All bets were off there.

You did not know if the teens would stop.

Most Arousing

Just kinda my thing…

The casual, abject cruelty is so wonderfully dehumanizing. I’ve read this story multiple times now for its simple pleasures.

Solid Writing

First off, it made me want more. That is a hallmark of a great story. I wanted to stay in this world and join those teenagers on their rampage. They came to play with their dolls and really did. The imagery used – the opening the house like a doll house, stomping on the sons, forcing the husband to kiss the boot, reinforced the playfulness of these woman. The cruelty comes in the fact they are playing with people’s lives, not just hunks of plastic.

More by This Author

I have chosen this story in multiple categories, but I really do want to see more. Doll size is my favorite ratio and the imagery was spot on. Like I said above, I could see this expanded into a full novella. It reminds me a lot of a modern Gulliver’s travels where he doesn’t care about acting prim or worries about the authorities. He is going to have his fun.

The playfulness of the young adults.

Errrr… for research?

Housebound

Interesting Size Difference

The trapped woman was grown, which usually grants the person some power. She looked at herself as a trapped freak instead. Oh, and I love the boomerang ending with her being shrunk far beyond normal size.

A willingness to go through the whole spectrum of growth and shrinking, as well as making those features key plot points.

Unexpected

I think this was a very unique take on cruelty, and an interesting way to swap the expected roles of the two sizes. The twist was nice too!

The role reversal was a nice touch. The kind and withholding form of cruelty is more interesting than brute force too.

I think this was a very unique take on cruelty, and an interesting way to swap the expected roles of the two sizes. The twist was nice too!

The role reversal was a nice touch. The kind and withholding form of cruelty is more interesting than brute force too.

General Comments

You would think an overgrown woman could break free of her normal-sized captor, but I love how you made her so believably self-conscious about her freakish size that she’d submit until she was rewarded with a chance to shrunk to normal. And that ending? With her shrunk too far? Welcome to round two! Is there a sequel planned?

I appreciate the use of growth to trap someone. Making someone big enough to take away their mobility, but not big enough to muscle her way out of/through the walls is a great form of bondage. Well done.

Leisure Time

Best Main Character

Lady Ciruna was cruel, yet sensual, and her cruelty wasn’t on the scale of other characters; I still even kind of liked her. And Basil was likable as well, and quite cute.

I like the way that Lady Ciruna toys with Basil. She orders him closer, but presses him down with her foot. He can’t win with her.

Interesting Size Difference

That was an extremely creative use of fairy wings.

Most Arousing

Even though the story is as cruel as it can be, with the drow caring just enough for the fairy not to get him killed, it is more of an arousing tale. The descriptions of everything Ciruna and Basil do are well presented, to the point that they can turn you on. It doesn’t matter if Basil is going through a lot of pain, the drow’s satisfaction turns out to be the story’s biggest asset.

The fairy using his wings to pleasure the lady was very attractive, though not so much how tired the poor thing was getting.

Boy oh boy do I love smothering milfs casually fucking with innocent cutesy fairy boys.

This story was filled with sensuality, each detail perfectly captured and incredibly sexy.

Fairies! Drow elves! Butt-crush; oh my! 10/10 on all fronts.

I’m a foot guy, so having Basil trapped under her feet, and picked up with her toes was arousing. However, I was also aroused by the contrast of her cruelty and his delicate wings, and the way they provided her pleasure even as they were wrecked. Like a flower slowly being stepped on…

Drow got me into femdom before I knew what femdom was.

More by This Author

The slow, sensual nature of the story was agonizing, and imagining the pain and futility of the little fairy. It never felt gentle, but the teasing, knowing, controlling nature of the drow was alluring and dangerous at the same time.

Do I need to say it again? Fairies! Elves! Butt-crush, OH MY!

Machina Ex Dea

Interesting Size Difference

The concept of what the small characters were created to be and do was interesting. It had a very Black Mirror vibe.

This story was philosophically gripping. The existential crisis the protagonist goes through is worth exploring further.

In addition to the physical vulnerability of small size, the domination is reinforced with mental servitude. The designers of the process are beautiful geniuses, but the protagonist is going to be enslaved by the entire range of bestiality that humanity has to offer.

The fantasy of transporting consciousness to machines is a concept that seems reasonably possible, and seeing that turned into a horrifying nightmare was a special thrill.

Unexpected

It was interesting the way in which the tiny was cloned, and could experience servitude, pain, and death over and over. Those it was a robot, it was personal, and would be as that personality experienced the torture over and over.

I loved the idea of replicated personalities in a synthetic body. The implications are kind of scary; aside from this one instance how many other times has Sung repeated this process?

The multiple lifetimes was an angle that I did not expect. Billions of lifetimes would normally override a human frame of reference but by grounding it in a sentient android the pain was kept accessible to the character, but not without overriding its personality.

The fact that the protagonist would have to go through much more size related cruelty then I would ever even be able to expect, along with just a personal love for that philosophical question about how much are AI really people/sentient.

Tense/Frightening

The existential torture was really well described. I felt that horror. All those lives. The utter helpless hell. And you’re not even real.

Somebody had to be reading a lot of Black Mirror to evoke this level of existential dread.

Managed to tap existential dread, psychological anguish, and physical torture, and top it with a layer of plain ol’ fear. So good.

Most Arousing

Unabashed cruelty, humiliation, and crushing with expensive shoes.

I kinda have a thing for hive-mind concepts, sharing the experiences of many through a single consciousness. Weirdly specific perhaps, but this absolutely scratched that itch.

Solid Writing

It explored elements beyond simple kink that really, really appeal to me personally – it’s good science fiction that takes a solid idea of artificial sentience, and wraps it in sweet, sweet size-kink.

The theme, the writing, the set up. Its all very well thought out and makes sense for the story. Also appreciate that the writer didn’t dwell on the technology for too long. With these short stories its important to be concise and I think they nailed that sweet spot.

More by This Author

I mostly just enjoy the themes and cruelty. Not a big barefoot person and both stories contained a bit of action that is more in line with my own tastes. Plus, both were competently written.

A very original SciFi story. Consciousness in a machine isn’t new, but using it to create tiny robot clones? And the fact that the master copy will feel everything their clones experience? That is some great feature. Besides, the story makes it clear how, despite that and how it is said that they’ll help kind people, they can suffer all kinds of cruelty as well. Because, despite this great leap forward in technology, the protagonist is nothing but a gadget. Also, kudos for the several points of view in different places once it is revealed the protagonist can feel all of them.

Raw, sexy, dominant cruelty with a focus on gorgeous shoes, along with a tight, believable and captivating narrative.

A fascinating concept beautifully written. This could have easily gotten my vote in several other categories.

A very imaginative idea, executed with flair.

A New House

Hooked Immediately

It did a great job of establishing the “you, dear reader” vibe without overdoing it.

Interesting Size Difference

The giant woman was more of a force of nature than anything it felt like, and I massively appreciate the parable aspects to it in which the homeowner manages to out-think her. Not in a kink/sexual way, just in terms of a person out-thinking another.

Unexpected

The fact that the giantess’s cruelty was met with such comeuppance (did it also count as cruel? I don’t think so) was unique. Most authors seemed to let cruelty be the substance and the end of their story; this story had justice, which was both surprising and refreshing.

It was a little more fable-like than most stories, and even more unusual was the outcome. I don’t want to spoil anything for readers who haven’t read it yet, but it’s not the usual outcome for a giantess story.

The buildup and twist was very nicely delivered. Original and very much unexpected.

Solid Writing

The fairy tale-like aspects were entrancing. The mounting aspect and beauty to every house, along with the giantess’ destruction and her pleasure in it, were propelling the narrative forward to something promising and it was the ending that really tied it all together. A revenge-ending like that would not have felt nearly as satisfying had the rest of the story not being propping it up and up the whole time, and it felt like a swerve in expectations along with a natural conclusion to draw to. Fantastic job.

Out

Hooked Immediately

The intent and direction are all wrapped up in those first few lines. Beginning, “So it’s okay if I hurt him?” and the affirmative response left me wanting to know how he’d be hurt.

The dialogue was smart, which rewards close attention.

Best Main Character

He understood his purpose as a shrunken stress-relief toy for the girls in the dorm, yet he sought a way out… and almost found one. I admired his determination (even if you knew from the “Cruel” theme of the contest that he’d likely fail).

The scene relaying their feelings towards each user.

Their existence as an anomaly. The tragedy of their isolation and torturous dilemma. The intrigue and stoicism of how they handled and weathered such a horrifying situation, and yet retained compassion and care.

Interesting Size Difference

The entire concept was so original and unique, while showing us multiple characters ‘using’ him in different ways.

Solid Writing

It is an interesting tale of tinies being used by campus students, either as stress or sex toys or as some kind of gentle relief. The protagonist is sick of this life and wants a change. The story isn’t just cruel due to the descriptions of torture, but because of how the tiny feels betrayed by the student they wanted to keep them. Ironically, they meet their way out in a somewhat expected way, but at this point, and thanks to the description of their mental state, you end up sympathizing with the tiny, and wishing for this to end soon for them.

I liked that it was solidly written. Things built throughout to the climax. There was a juxtaposition of cruel and gentle, with the gentlest dealing the most crushing blow in the end. It was complex for such as short story, with elements from the beginning coming back to be important details in the end.

It had a fully realized beginning, middle and end. It was one i would recommend to someone that wasn’t in the giantess community. It also had one of the most satisfying endings.

More by This Author

This was really interesting. Honestly I would’ve loved to see what the author did with twice as large a word count to work with for this!

Playlist

Hooked Immediately

The narrator and character. The themes present weren’t my favorite but I was drawn in…

Setting up so fucking much with vagueries and underlying tension.

Most Arousing

Similar to “House Crush Family Kill,” this is another story where the main character completely owns the tiny. This power dynamic is intoxicating. It was amazing seeing a jealous woman literally stomp the life out of another for no other reason that she was better at dancing. That is cruelty at its finest.

More by This Author

It might be the typical fetish story, but the tried and true vengeful woman dominating another works. I like stories about feet. But unlike many others like it, it is well-written and uses good description.

General Comments

Beautiful story – how many dancers wouldn’t want to stomp out their competition. To do it so openly among her classmates shows a level of smug confidence that can’t be beat!

Ouch! I’ll admit that I’m not a big fan of crush, especially inside a shoe, but it was so well-described… and so wonderfully cruel that the tiny was reincarnated for every song in the rehearsal playlist.

Put Your Hand Inside the Puppet Head

Unexpected

I didn’t really expect to see a human sized robot. It reminded me of the scene in Men in Black where there were small aliens using human sized robots for transportation. I also didn’t expect someone that the tiny was interacting with him to turn on him so quickly. It was less believable than I liked and a bit out of the blue. There didn’t seem to be a motivation. So either he was bad at reading people, or she had some real issues that she hid well.

Ana’s control is a much more subtle form of domination and cruelty than what I was expecting from these stories. I also appreciate the use of numerous They Might Be Giants references.

Tense/Frightening

This is a particularly difficult decision in this contest, but I chose “Put Your Hand Inside the Puppet Head” because it evoked a real feeling of being abused when helpless, and the character’s psychopathic “care” was terrifying on the scale of Stephen King’s Misery.

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I love when size fiction is written so well you forget you’re reading size fiction. Original idea and well-executed.

General Comments

I liked the way in which Ana was so manipulative. It’s a totally different kind of cruel the way that she reduced people to depend on her. The best kind of giantess there could ever be!

So dark! I wish this was twenty pages long!

A Queen and Her Pawns

Hooked Immediately

I am a sucker for science and experimentation, and the ‘scoreboard’ element indicates this has been going on for quite some time. Gives the narrative a sense of scale.

The potential inherent to the situation.

Best Main Character

It took me by surprise to have a focal character averse to cruelty like that, given the chance. It was a good choice!

The staunch resolution to not compromise themselves in the face of the depravity and retrograde bedlam around them. The emotional and moral cruelty was far more evocative than the physical, which was still outstanding in my opinion.

Her empathy with the other subjects, and her trying to save them even when pressured to do the opposite. It made her struggle and eventual surrender all the more harrowing.

Interesting Size Difference

The trials were suspenseful and terrible, and very Black Mirror-esqe. The differences in size that continuously changed was an interesting factor.

I like the possibilities you get with multiple scales in general; the narrator’s dual role as giver and receiver of cruelty in the middle of the size hierarchy was an enjoyable mind—-.

Tense/Frightening

I truly wanted the main character to prevail in her moral championing. Survival at the cost of the loss of self doesn’t seem worth it, and I was fully prepared for the character to sacrifice themselves, for someone else to point out their foolishness with their refusal to bend their moral compass. The tenseness was definitely tied up when the challenge took center stage, and I truly didn’t know if they’d survive or not. Phase two was not a surprise to the reader, but it was to the character. It was a magnificent end.

I pick “Queen & Pawns” for tensest because of the stakes – the narrator’s soul.

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Multiple instances of cruelty, multiple shrinkings, and multiple sizes of characters.

Queen of His Lies

Hooked Immediately

It was a very sexy story and kept you reading. You knew it couldn’t stay so positive for long and there was an air of mystery with the introduction of Jillian, until the end is revealed and the cruel aspect arises.

The opening line was stellar honestly. It immediately drew me in, and the paragraph following kept me intrigued!

The prose and pacing were brisk yet compelling, drawing me into the story instantly.

Where do I begin? The opening drew me into a scene and emotion immediately. Something gentle, musical and beautiful.. I was curious also how cruelty would appear. I was not disappointed. What a wonderfully unique, stunning tale.

Where do I begin? The opening drew me into a scene and emotion immediately. Something gentle, musical and beautiful.. I was curious also how cruelty would appear. I was not disappointed. What a wonderfully unique, stunning tale.

”It was the first night of Ann’s fairytale; all it had cost her was five feet and three inches.” The setting, time; the beginning. The circumstance; she’s shrunk for some purpose (in a delightfully and efficiently expressed way that reveals her keenness to pay the price – a somewhat specific price). The curiosity; what fairytale? A very simple, tidy, elegant tug, that would return to weave its way through the story, punctuating the progress of a more than equally elegant story. NOTHING is wasted in this line, and nor was it for the rest of the tale. At the same time, it is more than a sum of its parts, contributing to an ongoing tone, mood and rhythm that’s almost lyrical; a true fairytale by every measure.

The way it was written was just, poetic to be honest? It seemed a step above what I was expecting for a fetish story competition.

The poetry and pacing drew me in immediately.

Best Main Character

The evolution of the character throughout. She goes from hopeful, to hopeless, to cruel herself.

I thought that Jillian’s inner world was the best developed from start to end, and her interactions with the other characters showed depth of personality. Not every character in stories like these gets the chance to demonstrate different attitudes to different people.

I loved how she gave herself into the fairy tale with such passion and enjoyment, it drew me in and made me feel the betrayal more acutely. Then I love her strength in betraying the others, even though it’s dark, it’s a justified cruelty.

Unexpected

The first half of the story was in the “Gentle” variety, and I really enjoyed it. When the reveal finally came, it wasn’t that the man was physically, emotionally, or even mentally cruel to her. He had sentenced her to a very cruel fate instead. It subverted my expectations of what cruelty could mean.

This story was, quite simply, fantastic. What a unique and original take on cruelty. The author here should be more than proud. And the twist was not at all what I was expecting.

Tense/Frightening

It felt like a fable, and I mean that in a good way. It was the tension of slow realization of one’s own inevitable doom in a cyclical way.

The transition from what seemed a sweet and pleasing environment to discomfort and horror was smooth and gradual, perfectly paced. I followed directly along with Ann’s experiences and enjoyed the tense journey.

I knew what was coming. The author seemed to foreshadow it well so the dread has time to build before the protagonist figured it out.

I had a sense that the story was building towards some horrible revelation. Things were going wrong in the little woman’s fairy tale. I wasn’t disappointed.

Most Arousing

So much of this story was sensual, poetic, and drew me in with description. The scene with the “salty geyser” of cum on the fourth night is delicious. Wonderful writing!

Solid Writing

The writing style, the twist. It weaved a web of lies that took the reader on a ride with her.

The entire plot was well thought out. There was more than the basics since the element of surprise at the end came with suspense in the middle and an unknown factor revealed. The cycle of the man’s discarding of women became apparent and horrifying.

Prose was sharp, pacing was brisk and compelling, the premise was solid, and the cruelty and terror were well-displayed.

The dialogue was economical, the descriptions were evocative, and the pacing was brisk and brutal. Most of all, we got the characters early and deep, and we understood the stakes. The payoff still smarts.

It was paced so well, and for 2000 words I’m amazed at the structure of the plot, the characters, and the depth of what the writer achieved. Very well done!

The chills of Get Out portrayed as size fiction.

It had a beginning, middle, and end. It managed to drop hints as to what was really going on without beating the reader over the head. There was tension and payoff.

Good pacing and suspense. Fleshed out characters. The fact that the twist wasn’t hard to predict takes nothing away from the punch. The fairy tale motif made the Grimm-style conclusion really pop.

It read like a really good Twilight Zone episode. Ann thought she was getting everything she ever wanted by being shrunk to 3″ by Ian, who treated her kindly and sexily. But there was an unexpected consequence. The reader knew something was coming, but when the reveal came that she’d age faster, it was of those “be careful what you wish for” endings. Even more heartbreaking was that it ending with him about to shrink a new girl. It had solid characters with clear objectives, a suspenseful plot that built well (and sexy stuff), and a killer climax and ending

For me this is one of the best-rendered stories (with “Isle for Two”) in the entire back-catalogue. It is absolutely immaculate in its storytelling as it ranges from the indulgence of an erotic fantasy, to the mystery of a dark fairytale, to the terror of a twisted anti-fable. It reads like a poem, and it rings like a fable as its mysteries unravel, but there is NOTHING to take away from it at the end, no lesson, no redemption, only cold infinite misery and cruelty, and that nihilistic bitterness worked very powerfully in the final twist of cruelty at the end . It was absolutely exquisitely written; the language, the descriptions the dialogue and the progression were all as surgically selective as they were imaginative. Altogether a near flawless work.

The author had a plan from the start – every bit of curious information from the opening paragraphs was building to the big reveal, and it was brought full circle. Excellent example of a solid beginning, middle, and end.

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The story felt like a thundercloud in my chest that wouldn’t go away until I got more and more and more of it, and if the rest of the authors stuff is half as good then my schedule has just been filled for the next long time!

Because I really love it! Original. Depth. Feeling.

Sharp prose, brisk yet compelling pacing, and sensual details were all wonderful. I’d love to read more works with all of these qualities.

Sensual, overwhelming, sticky M/f smut.

It was simply a very poetic and well-written story. I want more!

The combination of overall story structure and good characterization (what you want from any good story). I’m not even into M/f, but it was just so well-built and I’d love to see more.

Rabid Ramblings of a Sick and Sleep Deprived Mind

General Comments

I liked the fantasy imagery. Good execution of a giga story. She hated the king, did he do something to her family?

I LOVE circular stories. It ends as it begins, and the cycle begins anew; that was brilliant and tickled my fancy precisely. That sort of apocalyptic, grand storytelling is exactly my bag. Good stuff!

What a wonderfully deep and dark tale! Seeing such ruthless, vicious actions on such a grand scale is a truly rare and awe-inspiring thing.

I have a deep reverence for anyone who can take a strong approach to deep sci-fi world-building, and you very much do a good job at setting up all these proverbial bowling pins to be so utterly torn down in a biblical display of cosmic cruelty.

Satisfaction

Unexpected

The irony of having all the power, everyone is nothing but a speck… But there’s no joy in it. The protagonist, the witch Raurava, is overwhelmed by the fact their victims beg for her to be tortured and killed, while she only feels hatred and disgust. Soon it is revealed why this is so, which, like I said, is very ironic, and takes the usual cruelty to the next level.

There were a few stories where the giant winds up on the receiving end of the “cruelty” but this one was the cleverest – psychological, not physical.

I really liked how they turned the tables on the tormentor. Turning her own sadistic desires against her by denying her the feeling of satisfaction.

Disobedient tinies is one thing, tinies so obsessed with the act of worship that they piss off sadistic giants is another thing entirely.

Tense/Frightening

Touching on some of the dangers of permanence was a really interesting way to go about this theme; as someone who really loves the concept of immortality, this was an appropriately frightening concept!

I wouldn’t call it frightening, but it was tense. The way the tinies fought back, but then suddenly turned to asking for the pain. I wanted her to give it. But then it got even more tense as Raurava got angered and sought satisfaction with more desperation and cruelty. I looked forward to what she would do next.

Solid Writing

It’s an incredibly well rendered world with a tight, snappy premise and a hilarious twist that hits you in the gut just so incredibly well.

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At first, I thought this was going to be just a giantess-wreaks-havoc story, but I LOVED the twist that the witch who had shrunk the kingdom was cursed by a previous witch to not enjoy the conquest. That’s an amazing twist, and that author has great imagination and the writing ability to pull off the twist and feel the witch’s anguish

Saul’s Chips

General Comments

This guy is a total lunatic; a neat depiction of someone a few jokers short of a deck if you know what I mean. It’s like reading the kink version of someone going postal. ‘I turned that box of rocks into a pebble’ is also a brilliant line. A bizarre ride through the day of an absolute basket-case.

Simple and effective. A fun and hot time!

For the most part, the story was pretty solid. Once Saul gets into the cigar shop, things get really, really good. Creative way to dispatch his victims, and I loved his cold attitude throughout.

Yeah! This story exists. And from what bits I read of it, good work! … Good on you for making me read like, two paragraphs total to be honest, god damn that’s some squick stuff you’ve written.

Self Harm

Best Main Character

The character is believable. Also, someone who cuts has a very small self-love. It was perfect that this self-love was manifested by a tiny version of herself. That self-love was able to sacrifice herself for the person she loves. Perfect.

Interesting Size Difference

The use of a tiny to harm opposed to self harming.

The use of a miniature doppelganger (to go along with the wordplay of the title) was very clever. The use of a doppelganger also allowed for an immediately interesting interaction with the main character.

The concept was very dark, very sinister, very cruel and very disturbing. The fact it could easily have been Erica’s imagination or a conflict in her mind left it feeling surreal and layered, and the factor of her knowing her own mind was also a novel and chilling tool to play with.

One’s self-image being represented as a miniature doppelganger was a fantastic concept that took me completely by surprise. I found myself wondering if Erica was particularly cruel to the victim BECAUSE it was technically herself. It made the cruelty less about an enjoyment for inflicting pain and more about wanting to transfer it to someone else to be free of it. I could go on for hours trying to analyze the psychological themes behind this one – “Self Harm” just blew my frickin’ mind.

Unexpected

Bring in an imagined clone.

The therapeutic motif reminded me of Harlan Ellison’s “Shatterday.” There’s room for infinite cruelty within a single soul.

The therapeutic motif reminded me of Harlan Ellison’s “Shatterday.” There’s room for infinite cruelty within a single soul.

Tense/Frightening

The sheer intimidation factor, and the psychological horror of knowing one’s own twisted mind also added another dimension of fear and cruelty, as did the looming prospect of Giant Erica going to town on tiny Erica with a razor blade, which kept the tension extremely high and chilling, even though it never needed to happen. The dialogue between the two was very dark, and even Tiny Erica had a moment where it looked like she might be the crueler of the two. It was sinister and scary all round.

Solid Writing

The twist in who the mini was.

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I’m still reeling from Self Harm. Psychologically, there’s so much to dig into here. I’m curious to find out more!

She, Overwhelming, Is Always…

Hooked Immediately

The opening section was a nice detailed lead-in to the rest of the story, and after that the reveal of the “twist” really caught my attention. It helped that the rest of the story followed through on the premise.

Best Main Character

Samantha plays out like the femme fatale in the best noir tradition. The fact that she has layers beyond that trope only add more to the story.

Twisted enough to be really cruel, yet the motivations are clear – when the villain is too psycho or omnipotent, they might as well be a force of nature. Samantha is formidable yet still comprehensible.

Tense/Frightening

Rape and revenge are uncomfortable subjects to begin with, and the story did a good job of conveying the humiliation at every step. I found it very unsettling.

General Comments

Excellent story weaving. The resolution at the end was powerful. He wanted sex, that is what he got. However, not in the way he intended. Excellent crafting.

Extremely sharp prose, excellent pacing, and a great tension in such a short length. Quite good!

She Who Spoke

Unexpected

I am become cruelty. ‘Nuff said.

General Comments

It makes me wonder if a deity could ever really understand humans. Interesting setting and outcome. The cruelty comes through the misunderstanding.

A beautiful story. I’ve read a lot of size fiction with goddesses, but this is the first one I’ve read where the goddess seems properly divine. In cruelty, but divine.

Good story! You built it up well and I enjoyed the pacing of it. I’m not the best equipped to discuss just how well your work on cruelty was, but that Phoebe started off seemingly doing the cruelty on accident, then further on to enjoy it was a nice touch for the story. I also really enjoyed your use of language for comparisons, the one sticking out to me as a comparison to a crushing a pack of berries.

Something Deeper

Best Main Character

Because we all like to believe we don’t have someone that evil inside us.

Tense/Frightening

Since it was in 1st person and it had many graphic and gory details, it had a very serial killer-vibe to it. Could you imagine? A giant serial killer? Terrifying.

Solid Writing

This felt like a very honest story. In a lot of ways it reflected my tastes in regard to size stuff, and perhaps some of the concerns too.

General Comments

Interesting story of self-reflection. I would suggest going for shorter paragraphs and sentences. It came across a bit “head-y” but it kinda works since we are inside the titan’s head.

It’s always encouraging seeing people using the written word to find themselves through this medium. I feel this story in my bones.

Utterly sadistic! For the theme of cruelty, this one wins a crown jewel. The character in this one evokes the gleeful, murderous capture of a film like Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer

Testing

Tense/Frightening

The protagonist being unable to express his pain vocally despite feeling everything done to him really raised the tension. It was clear from the get-go that his captor was looking to absolutely torment him, leaving him to ponder just to what lengths.

Anton’s clinical curiosity combined with his utter indifference to Louis’s humanity.

General Comments

Not gonna lie; I have a phobia of blades, so this one made me more than a little squeamish. However, you certainly nailed the subject matter. Good work!

The clinical almost surgical procedures that Anton inflicted on Louis is quite jarring. There’s something about how removed Anton seems from the situation that gives it an air of disturbing callousness. Great read, had me hooked from start to finish!

Good work! The story flows naturally, going from beat to beat without missing any steps. The cruelty itself isn’t my main squeeze, so I’d rather not talk about something as I’m so out of my depth. But the structure of the story was sound, and the bones of it formed something good! The blood and guts aspects of the story made my skin crawl, so good work on that as well!

The Therapist Will See You Now

Best Main Character

Dr. Rodriguez was well-developed. Her smallest reactions spoke volumes about her personality, which was both intimidating and attractive. I would love to see more of her in action.

Dr. Rodriguez had such a strong and commanding personality. Very good and dominant.

Interesting Size Difference

it was a great use of unaware and micro scenarios. The dominant giantess was not even aware of the tiny, nor would she seem to care if she knew. The tiny was truly insignificant to the others.

Most Arousing

A story that manages to be playful, in-your-face, and casual in its sexiness.

Being lost in the folds of a submissive woman’s labia, her domme lover not believing any part of this “shrinking friend” story. Then the discipline starts. Hot damn, that’s hot.

A domme using a strap-on on your girlfriend while you’re trapped at ground zero? Speaks for itself.

The entire setup was just so sexy. I loved the unaware aspect. The desperate shrinking. Really well done.

Solid Writing

The characters were dynamic. It was sexy. The set up was unique.

More by This Author

Such a strong solid take on extreme sizes with immediately grabbing and developed characters.

General Comments

If I could commission an image to be made from a single scene from any of the stories in this entire contest, it would be the silhouette of Mark looking out from Beth’s labia up at the smirking scrutiny of Dr. Rodriguez.

You get the specialest of props for incorporating actual BDSM themes into size works, extra special for combining them with a tight cast of extremely colorful interesting characters. Also, hot giga epic cruelty. A+.

Training Wheels

Unexpected

The author turned this story into a high fantasy concept – and it worked, I was also very fascinated by the final creature transformation at the end of it. There was a hefty amount of world-building that just breezed by in the short piece.

Solid Writing

It felt like a fun world with enjoyable dialog.

The brief foray into this world of magic and exotic creatures makes it not only a satisfying non-fetish read but also teases of other possible stories in this world.

General Comments

I love stories about the fae and fantasy; this feels like it could be spun out into an entire series. Good stuff!

There’s nothing quite as fun as nigh omnipotent kinda-gods bantering between each other. While I wouldn’t rank this high as far as “cruel size” goes, this is pretty close to the top of “stories I had a ton of fun reading” and huge props for pulling that off.

Tyrant

Tense/Frightening

This one was exceptionally difficult for me because I do not find “cruelty” in the sense to be scary. I did however think the themes of “Tyrant” fit this bill. A ruler with great power acquiring even greater power and then completely and utterly abusing it.

General Comments

I liked this story. There is not much pure giant/female content around. It was a good story.

What can I say? Hail to the king.

A very gruesome and cruel story, indeed. Lumera is a tyrant in the very sense of the word, their power going beyond limits —god-like, indeed— and who their divinity gives them that confidence and abuse. Also, you feel bad for the rebels, as they struggle with no chance of survival, so confident and then reduced to nothing but toys, or bugs, or snacks. The story makes you sympathize with them, and the horror of what Lumera does to them is amplified by this.

Ah, the ol “sadistic giant demolishing his dominion for fun and questionable profit” line. It’s always so fun to see pulled off so well like it is here. I think there could be some work done with the size ratios near the end (they get a little wonky), but it fits with the weird reality bending scale we’re dealing with here. All in all a great time.

Why?

Best Main Character

Her desire to exploit an opportunity to get even.

Interesting Size Difference

The twist on this story was amazing. I fully could believe that the man bought his wife the pills so that he could dominate her in a fight. Clearly she has repressed a lot of anger towards him. I doubt he expected he would be the one destroyed in the end.

Willingly allowing your own size to be determined by the emotional state of another? Brilliant. Especially when the protag is a complete fucking moron.

The story puts the size difference in every moment with the right comparisons. You can read how the narrator keeps comparing themselves with Veronica, how slowly you also feel smaller and smaller as Veronica’s—righteous—fury increases.

Made the size a function of the relationship. Super clever.

Unexpected

The suddenness and unexplained origin of the cruelty really hit hard. It felt like a kick to the stomach while reading it.

Tense/Frightening

It did a good job of getting you into the head of the protagonist. His shock is palpable.

Most Arousing

The total control she displayed.

Betrayal and insertion are just a few of my buttons. How unprepared the main character was for how far south the plan went was just hot.

More by This Author

Honestly just to dig for more smut.

The good descriptions.

Worth Every Penny

Best Main Character

Clara makes for a great size enthusiast, dom and giantess. She is powerful, and her dialogue is full of such energy. The fact her sub has to close his eyes for the whole experience, and how he won’t disobey is just another way to tell you how much she’s in control and enjoying it. You go through all she feels, her growing sprouts and how she enjoys every single moment of torture and orgasm. Besides, the ending only helps in growing her own legend.

Tense/Frightening

I’m sure there were scarier stories, but I didn’t read most because of the tags. I chose this one because the author didn’t tag death or vore and I had a bad reaction to it.

Most Arousing

Growing woman; enough said.

The simple fact that the man was NOT allowed to see the woman grow, even though he paid for the giantess experience. Withholding the pleasure led to a strong build up of tension inside me, which was quite effective.

General Comments

Thank you for the grin I got after Clara entered her own review. Working in a retail environment just makes that moment all too real.

A story of greed and power. Clara makes for a great size enthusiast, dom and giantess. She is powerful, and her dialogue is full of such energy. The fact her sub has to close his eyes for the whole experience, and how he won’t disobey is just another way to tell you how much she’s in control and enjoying it. You go through all she feels, her growing sprouts and how she enjoys every single moment of torture and orgasm. Besides, the ending only helps in growing her own legend.

You Are Not Your Own

Hooked Immediately

The strong narration and tone of voice for the lead character.

Best Main Character

She’s hilarious and sadistic, relatable and inhuman, beautiful and terrible all the fucking same. First person giant narratives are truly, truly #epicforthewin.

Most Arousing

The emotional cruelty, but the character doing it wasn’t a cartoon villain or some such thing. She knew what she wanted, she worked for it. And that’s pretty hot tbh.

The scenario in general was hot, as was the fact that Paige was in one sense totally dispassionate and disinterested in Jessica even as she dominated, used and abused her; there was a mere perfunctory nature to the act of degrading Jessica. Yet also, she found herself to delight in certain aspects in a very capricious sense. I found the combination of that tone very appealing, and the way Paige teased, toyed with and taunted Jessica was all the hotter for it.

The complete control that the captor had over her victim, marveling at her reactions to being shrunken and used, while at the same time empathizing with how it must make her feel.

Solid writing with good narration. This is probably one…

General Comments

That was some cold-blooded shit.

This story balances a couple things really well–the protagonist’s awareness of her twisted, unfair behavior, and her enjoyment of that same behavior. It’s unusual to find a character doing things like this with full awareness of how awful it is… I liked how you balanced the awareness with a who-gives-a-fuck attitude and a real genuine pleasure in it. It carried me along in the sadism in the same way. I enjoyed it a lot more than I would have if she’d tried to justify her sadism, or if she’d been in denial about it.