Human Dollification: Boy in a Dolls’ House by Sheralyn

Regular benders of the bookshelf will remember very well the week we dedicated to female masking not so long ago. It was a ton of fun, with some great reads that really opened my eyes to a new facet of transgender expression. It's also a sub-genre of transgender fiction that introduced me to a more fetish-oriented offshoot, that of human dollification.

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We wrap up human dollification week with a story that was actually recommended to me by one of our female masking guests, sort of bringing us full-circle on our journey.

I have to admit, while this came highly recommended to me by one of our featured female masking authors, Sheralyn and I got off to a rocky start. The truth is, the book could use one more round of editing to deal with the spelling errors, misplaced words, and repeated sentence fragments. Fortunately, I was able to look past them, and I must say the overall story is more than enjoyable enough to warrant the extra effort.

Boy in a Dolls' House is the story of a rude, lazy, young man. He has no friends, no job, and (once his mother passes away), no life outside his Aunt’s home. He’s cold and abrupt to the woman who so graciously took him in, has no respect for her or her doll collection, and refuses to do anything to help out around the house or the museum. If there’s ever been a boy in need of correction, this is it, but it’s not until he breaks an irreplaceable doll that his Aunt comes up with a suitable punishment. With the help of some drugs she’s developed as part of her work researching suspended animation, Richard is going to become a living doll.

As much as I disliked Richard, I appreciated the way Sheralyn slowly established his love for all things frilly and feminine. He denies it, even to himself, but his erections keep giving him away. Forcing him to become a doll is an exquisite punishment, as it leaves him immobile and unable to speak, yet incredibly sensitive to the feel of panties, petticoats, and dresses. He may not be able to move, but his erection can, leaving him not just tormented by the public humiliation, but eternally sexually frustrated.

Sheralyn develops the story nicely, with Richard’s Aunt and lesbian lover conspiring to take his inheritance and keep him as a featured doll in their museum. We see how he succumbs to the thoughts and feelings of being a girly doll, and how hard he fights against those sensations. Trapped in a box, restrained by the same plastic ties as a real doll, he can only stand there and accept it as visitors increase his humiliation with every comment. I think what I appreciated most about it is that Sheralyn never relents, never steps back from the concept, and never gives in to allow him a moment of release. It’s humiliating, frustrating, and extraordinarily erotic.

Reviewed by Sally