In Docile, K.M. Szpara imagines a not-too-distant America in which income inequality is so rampant that while trillionaires live lifestyles of luxury, many less fortunate souls are forced to pay off crushing debt by selling themselves to rich patrons as Dociles, to do with as they please. While most Dociles take the drug Dociline to dull their minds for the duration of their service, when Elisha Wilder signs his life away to one of the most powerful men in Baltimore he chooses to decline the drug. While Elisha is determined to retain his sense of self, his patron Alex – the CEO of the very company which manufactures Dociline – sets out to make Elisha into the perfect Docile even so.
Elisha and Alex are about as far apart in social standing and mindset as they could be, but both come into this story with clear motivations only to quickly find their expectations confounded. Elisha is sacrificing himself to try and save his family, knowing that he’s likely signing up to a lifetime of misery, probably including sexual slavery, even though he can’t possibly truly understand what he’s getting himself in for. To Alex, who’s driven to prove himself to his family and company and maintain his social standing, Elisha’s refusal to take Dociline is a complication he doesn’t need, but for Elisha it’s about making sure he doesn’t end up like his mother, who even years after coming off the drug has yet to regain her humanity. In theory Alex holds all the power, and he swiftly sets out to demonstrate as much, but without the numbing effects of Dociline the Patron/Docile relationship becomes very complicated indeed.
In many ways this is a difficult book to read, as it unflinchingly portrays complex themes of consent, power, authority, sex and love through the lens of a deeply, deeply toxic relationship. It’s deliberately uncomfortable and provocative, but at the same time it’s written beautifully and is far more than just a book about gay sex and BDSM – it does feature both of those, but really it’s about exploring the political, economic and ethical implications of rampant capitalism while taking two wildly differing characters and demonstrating how they change each other over time. There are moments where Alex’s physical and psychological abuse of Elisha are genuinely disturbing, but while Szpara doesn’t shy away from showing those moments they’re never there just for the sake of showing something shocking, and they’re never less than thought-provoking.
For all that it’s often challenging, discomfiting and graphic, it’s also deeply fascinating, remarkably sexy (although it’s hard to know how to process some of the sex scenes) and even – eventually – heartwarming…in a way. If at first it feels daunting, the idea that Elisha has sold himself for life, Szpara’s choice of pacing avoids dwelling for too long on any particular moment of misery and maintains a sense of momentum which provides landmarks for the plot and opportunities to see the way that both Elisha and Alex are changing. This won’t be for everyone, but if you’re looking for a book that pushes you to think about what you’re reading and what you’re comfortable with, and which tackles some timely and relevant questions, then this should be high up on your list. It’s incredibly dark, but utterly brilliant.
Many thanks to KM Szpara and Tor.com for sending me a copy of Docile in return for this honest review.
Click here to buy Docile, or here for the audiobook edition.