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Docile
Docile | K.M. Szpara
24 posts | 21 read | 19 to read
There is no consent under capitalism Docile is a science fiction parable about love and sex, wealth and debt, abuse and power, a challenging tour de force that at turns seduces and startles. To be a Docile is to be kept, body and soul, for the uses of the owner of your contract. To be a Docile is to forget, to disappear, to hide inside your body from the horrors of your service. To be a Docile is to sell yourself to pay your parents' debts and buy your children's future. Elisha Wilders family has been ruined by debt, handed down to them from previous generations. His mother never recovered from the Dociline she took during her term as a Docile, so when Elisha decides to try and erase the familys debt himself, he swears he will never take the drug that took his mother from him. Too bad his contract has been purchased by Alexander Bishop III, whose ultra-rich family is the brains (and money) behind Dociline and the entire Office of Debt Resolution. When Elisha refuses Dociline, Alex refuses to believe that his familys crowning achievement could have any negative side effectsand is determined to turn Elisha into the perfect Docile without it.
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ImperfectCJ
Docile | K.M. Szpara
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1) I've probably read worse books, but leaving out those that are essentially unreadable because of major editing/organization flaws, the tagged is certainly near the top of the list (or the bottom, depending on perspective). The more recent Manhunt is also a contender.

2) Anything 50 Shades or Jodi Picoult.

#ihavequestions @RaeLovesToRead

RaeLovesToRead Oh wow, I'm not sure if Docile sounds intriguing or awful 😆 2y
ImperfectCJ @RaeLovesToRead It's an intriguing idea but the writing is crappy, in my opinion, and some of the scenes (one in particular that I wish I could forget) made me feel physically ill, which is rare for me (unless I'm, like, reading about autopsies while trying to eat lunch or something, but that's my fault). 2y
TheBookHippie Omg Jodi 🤢🤢🤢 agreed. 2y
42 likes3 comments
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Kenyazero
Docile | K.M. Szpara
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Every week, I highlight #LGBTQAuthors as part of #TheRainbowShelf ?️‍? Meet K.M. Szpara, a Baltimore-bases author. His work has been nominated for Hugo and Nebula awards. His debut novel, Docile, published in 2020 and is described as "a science fiction parable about love and sex, wealth and debt, abuse and power." #LGBTQ #LGBTQAuthors #QueerBooks #QueerAuthors

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Twainy
Docile | K.M. Szpara
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🎧 Do NOT read this book .. at work. I‘d like to slap an X rating on it! I‘d compare this book to The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty! It‘s NAUGHTY! READ THE REVIEWS!

Debtors have the option of jail or indentured servitude with a drug that makes you docile, forgetful & may include way more kink than you think. Elisha enters into a lifetime contract w/Alex. Both guys change, engage in a LOT of umm extracurricular activities & solve a mystery ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Reggie Thank you for that first sentence. When I read one of my first romances I started it at work at lunch. And by chapter 2 the bow chic a bow wow music turned on and I had to close the book while coworkers sat next to me lol. Super awkward. 4y
Twainy @reggie after I listened I thought ... WHAT is with the books this year! This one appears to be a mostly love it/hate it based on the reviews I read & I can‘t add much to what they said. I was intrigued. I saw it as more of a bizarre sci-fi novel set in a semi-dystopian future world. I‘d have to say other than the plethora of TW it was infinitely better than the last 2 books I‘ve read. 😆 4y
Twainy I just pulled it up on Audible ... they categorize it as - LGBTQ+, Literature & Fiction ... and they have a warning I don‘t think the library had ... “Content warning: Docile contains forthright depictions and discussions of rape and sexual abuse.” Just an FYI 4y
19 likes2 stack adds3 comments
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Well-ReadNeck
Docile | K.M. Szpara
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Pickpick

Definitely not for every reader (trigger warnings for mental, physical, and sexual assault). But I found this to be incredibly provocative and I was thinking about the issues that this book addresses well past the last page. Amazing sci Fi debut. #Edelweiss

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CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian
Docile | K.M. Szpara
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Bailedbailed

Bland characters, underdeveloped world, obvious patching of plot holes, plus it made me feel icky. (Note: I hadn't even gotten to a scene with dubious sexual consent yet). Apparently there is an actual (mostly fanfic) subgenre called "slavefic." Docile is a published version. Ew. From reviews I've read it does not appear Docile interrogates racism or the history of slavery, nor does it actually meaningfully critique capitalism or sexual assault.

ImperfectCJ "Icky" is a good word for the feeling this book inspires. There was one scene in particular that literally nauseated me, and I can't recall having had such a visceral, physical reaction to any other book. 4y
CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian @ImperfectCJ This makes me feel good about my decision to not finish it! 4y
35 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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ImperfectCJ
Docile | K.M. Szpara
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Bailedbailed

I gave this one a solid attempt because I thought there had to be more to it than just dystopian erotica, but 333 pages in I finally figured out it wasn't getting better. The characters are empty, inconsistent, and largely interchangeable, and the plot is convoluted. This is the first #gettbr recommendation I've completely disliked.

TheAromaofBooks Oh dear, 333 pages is a lot of time! 4y
ImperfectCJ @TheAromaofBooks Luckily it was pretty quick reading (especially when I started skimming the graphic bits. There are a lot of graphic bits). 4y
48 likes2 comments
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ImperfectCJ
Docile | K.M. Szpara
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"After today, I will have seven rights."

#FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl

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ImperfectCJ
Docile | K.M. Szpara
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...but I have promises to keep. And miles to go before I sleep.

(Don't worry, there's coffee in there. I just drank half the cup before I thought about taking a picture.)

ravenlee I love your mug. 5y
ImperfectCJ @ravenlee Thanks. It's from Obvious State. I ordered some postcards from them, got a Jane Austen mug for my sister-in-law, and intended to keep this mug on hand for a future gift with no one specific in mind, but after several months I decided to keep it for myself because I love this poem. 5y
46 likes2 comments
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DoonTheGoon
Docile | K.M. Szpara
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Pickpick

This was a really compelling book... cerebral even. Dealing with matters of consent, social issues, and consumerism is no small feat. I found the latter half of the book to be a little less enjoyable due to some "convenient" plot points - but this is still a must-read!!!

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Branwen
Docile | K.M. Szpara
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This book is up next! 💕📚 And my sweet boys are just as excited! 😸 #catsoflitsy #littenkitten #roxas #chaplin

wanderinglynn ❤️🐱❤️🐱 too cute! 5y
Leftcoastzen 😂😻😻 5y
magyklyXdelish Ooh that‘s on my TBR. Looking forward to see if u like it 🤞🏼 5y
Branwen @magyklyXdelish Awesome! I've heard lots of good things about it so I'm looking forward to diving in! 5y
63 likes4 comments
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DoonTheGoon
Docile | K.M. Szpara
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This book is riveting... as someone who is both a survivor or sexual assault and also someone who actively incorporates dominance/submission into my sex life, this is a challenging and thought-provoking read. I'm excited to see how it concludes.

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ImperfectCJ
Docile | K.M. Szpara
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Hooray for Book Riot Tailored Book Recommendations! Now, do I (a) change my May reading plans to accommodate these, (b) hold these until June, or (c) just scrap the May plan and read them anyway? I like to think I'm the kind of person who does a or b, but my money's on c.

Or there's the Wild Card option: Clear my schedule and binge read these before May 1. This might have worked in 2019, but I doubt my 2020 attention span is up to it.

PurpleTulipGirl All plans are tentative, aren't they? 5y
ImperfectCJ @PurpleTulipGirl Made to be broken, maybe, like rules. 5y
51 likes1 stack add2 comments
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DoonTheGoon
Docile | K.M. Szpara
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Bedtime = book time.

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DoonTheGoon
Docile | K.M. Szpara
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I am ridiculously excited about this book.

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mdemanatee
Docile | K.M. Szpara
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Pickpick

Definitely not going to be for everyone. Major trigger warnings. If you spend a lot of time on archive of our own you‘re probably prepared though.

catiewithac You had me with AO3! I've been addicted to Snowbaz fanfic since September 😍 5y
mdemanatee @catiewithac these are fanfic narrative tropes I‘ve seen across many fandoms but don‘t know I‘ve seen seen in Snowbaz fandoms, but as long as you‘re prepared for it to be darker 👌 5y
catiewithac @mdemanatee gurl, I'm ready! I rush ordered this book! 😎 5y
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mdemanatee @catiewithac 🙌🏻🙌🏻 5y
Susannah Yes, exactly! I‘m three quarters of the way through this book and am thinking it may be the best fanfic I‘ve ever read. I think it‘s going to be a 👍 for me, but that doesn‘t mean I‘m not a little bit surprised to see it published as a print book. 5y
mdemanatee @Susannah I actually gifted it to a friend and we had an hour or so FaceTime about it. I think it gives a lot to dig in to. I think this would be a great book club book for book clubs that could handle it. 5y
13 likes6 comments
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khooliha
Docile | K.M. Szpara
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TracyReadsBooks
Docile | K.M. Szpara
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Pickpick

In the near future Elisha becomes a Docile selling himself into lifelong servitude to pay off his family‘s debt.

One of the most compulsively readable books I‘ve read in a long time—one dealing with some big topics—consent, class, privilege, debt, abuse, survivorship, medical ethics—in provocative & thought-provoking ways. Still, it could have benefitted from better contextualization, more about how & why society reached this point.⬇️

TracyReadsBooks Based on other reviews I‘ve seen this is very much a love it or hate it book—there really seems to be little middle ground. The narrative doesn‘t entirely work but ultimately I appreciate the author‘s attempt to deal with some big societal and structural questions. (edited) 5y
Geenie Nice 👍 review 💖 5y
17 likes1 stack add2 comments
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TracyReadsBooks
Docile | K.M. Szpara
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Charlie Jane Anders raved about this book ages ago so when I saw the author was going to be at #c2e2, I made sure to attend his panel (John Scalzi was on the same panel and yes, it was as entertaining as you might expect). After the panel, my husband stood in line to get it signed for me. 😍 I started reading it last night and stayed up way past my bedtime because I could not put it down. I expect tonight will be more of the same!

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TracyReadsBooks
Docile | K.M. Szpara
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#friYAYintro

Thanks for the tag @Nute and I‘m sorry I‘m so late in posting!

1. Absolutely—although an ugly cover won‘t stop me from buying a book. That said, I definitely appreciate a well-designed cover
2. Bought the tagged book together with The Rise of Skywalker yesterday
3. All over the place—always multiple sources
4. Wake up immediately, often without an alarm. I‘m a morning person
5. 👋👋👋

@4thhouseontheleft @howjessreads

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TracyReadsBooks
Docile | K.M. Szpara
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Day 2 at #c2e2 was a quieter book day but still pretty awesome. Attended a Tor panel on science fiction and speculative fiction. Szpara was one of the authors and was, I have to say, very entertaining. Thrilled to get my hands on this book—it‘s been on my radar since Charlie Jane Anders raved about it. (Best of all my husband and son stood in line to get it signed for me while I was waiting with my daughter for the Arrow panel!)

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rachelsbrittain
Docile | K.M. Szpara
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Pickpick

In a future where debt has exploded and the solution is selling yourself for your debt as a "docile," Elisha becomes the docile for not just any trillonaire , but the trillionaire heir to the drug empire whose drug Dociline permanently disabled his mother after her time as a docile. Consent issues, debt and capitalism. A heavy, impactful read. Mind the trigger warnings.

TW: nonconsensual sex, indentured servitude, debt issues, abuse, etc.

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rachelsbrittain
Docile | K.M. Szpara
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1. A Princess in Theory, Autononous, and Docile

2. Docile was the first book I started in 2020. Elma a Bear's Life was the first I finished.

3. Get through more of my physical tbr

#weekendreads

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akaGingerK
Docile | K.M. Szpara
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Pickpick

“There is no consent under capitalism.” The tagline is the clue to how disturbing the book‘s near future world is. Genuinely creepy, in a starts bad, gets worse way. I‘m not sure who to recommend this to - contains financial, sexual, & physical abuse, for those who benefit from warnings #ARC

akaGingerK Also, unlike other scifi I‘ve read lately, while there are characters of various races, this one doesn‘t acknowledge/explore the way this society‘s debt reduction method of servitude would impact people differently on that axis. It‘s very much trillionaires vs anyone else. I really don‘t know that I‘d have noticed if not for my other recent reading (edited) 5y
4 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Liberty
Docile | K.M. Szpara
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"From reading too much, and sleeping too little, his brain dried up on him and he lost his judgment." - Cervantes ?
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This checks out. ? Happy Sunday, meeps! What are you reading??

AutumnRLS Just finished Gideon the Ninth(!!!!) and am now reading The Tokyo Zodiac Murders. Thinking about picking up The Secret History next. :) 5y
Dorianna I just finished The Testaments and am continuing European Travel for the Monstrous Gentlewoman. 5y
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Aloisi_tribe Just finished The Body in Question and started 5y
tapgurl High Achiever! I can‘t put it down! 5y
HerDarkHuntress1 I love your skeletons! Where did you find them!? 5y
Liberty @HerDarkHuntress1 Craft stores. 5y
HerDarkHuntress1 @Liberty I absolutely love them all! 5y
110 likes1 stack add8 comments