Elements of the nerd transformation can include changes in interests and hobbies (card games, board games, and computer games are quite common, as well as interest in Star Wars and Star Trek), changes in appearance (alteration of clothing, makeup, hair, and hygiene are possible), changes in personality (becoming more introverted and shy), changes in habits (such as laughing with a snort or becoming more sloppy), changes preferred foods (enjoying junk food more often), and changes in overall life goals (greater interest in nerdy pursuits, less interest in social status, fitness, ect).

Similar to the weight gain transformation, the nerd transformation is about social class. Also similar to the weight gain transformation, the status of that social class is in flux in the real world. On the weight gain side, new social movements and 'real beauty' campaigns are helping re-define the social stigma of obesity while also celebrating women of all shapes and sizes. On the nerd side of things, people with expertise in computers have now become some of the wealthiest people on the planet. So it's no surprise that the social stigma is starting to shift a bit - so much so that T shirts proclaiming that "nerd is the new black" or "I (heart) nerds" can even be seen as fashionable.

Even with this shift, being perceived as a nerd is still a negative. America has a long history of anti-intellectual culture, and this has by no means abated. And therein lies part of the appeal in the transformation - the chance to pull a switcheroo on bullies, to turn them into the people they once tormented. Once again, the usual suspects and the motives that make the transformation appealing are similar to weight gain stories, and weight gain is often a corollary transformation.

Matt L. is probably the king of these types of stories, he's written dozens and dozens of versions of this tale. My favorite one which features a strong nerd element is probably "The Cheerleader," though you'll find plenty others on the forums.  

Those transformed into nerds need not be former bullies - take a look at Theo Winter's story "Up and Down", which is a variation on the old 'be careful what you wish for' idea. 

Age regression transformation stories mean different things to different people. In this respect, the genre is similar to its cousin,  Age Progression. 

Some age regression stores are purely mental. That is, the person's mental state to change, while their physical body remains the same, like in my recent story Mother of Invention. Others contain a physical change that does not correspond with a mental change, while still others have both mental and physical changes. The most common transformation catalyst is psychological conditioning or hypnosis, though magical wishes and science fiction type tech are frequent as well.

Age regression stories have further divides. How young is the person becoming? Are they simply becoming youthful, or regressing into adolescence, or even further into infancy? Is the Age Regression occurring as part of an identity swap, or is a single person or group of people changing in one direction only? Does the regression prevent them from having adult relationships, or does it help them achieve far more satisfying ones? 

The first age regression stories I read and enjoyed were written by Homer Vargas. My favorite of his was "Ruth's Big Baby" which had a big influence on me. It's a tale of a therapist who regresses a male patient and assumes a relationship with him which is at once sexual and maternal. That theme is present in several of my own stories, most noticeably in one of my personal favorites, Relationship Realignment. 

Age regression is one of the few genres in which the male is often the target of the transformation (it happens maybe about half the time in the stories I've read, whereas I'd say over 90% of age progression or weight gain targets women.)  Age Regressing a man (or a woman) allows them to serve in a more submissive role in a relationship, which is something I'm definitely partial to on occasion. In this sense, my interest in Age Regression is similar to my interest in age progression: it helps tilt the balance of power and changes the dynamics of relationships. They're both different paths to a very similar goal. I explicitly focus on the changing dynamics of "man getting younger, woman getting older" in my ebook Trophy Cougar Wife.

What about you? If you enjoy age regression, what are your favorite stories online? If you'd like to see more Age Regression on this blog, let me know which of my three Age Regression stories you liked the best.

Age Progression is my second most requested transformation, after Weight Gain. Of course, weight gain is often part of age progression - so I don't know how fair it is to separate the two.

Like weight gain, age progression is taboo because it involves attaching an erotic element to something our society is hell-bent on avoiding. This taboo is part of the allure in many stories.

Age progression typically involves an acceleration of the aging process, by magical, scientific, or unexplained methods. This results in graying hair, wrinkles, weight gain, fat distribution around the body, and more. 

Like weight gain and nerd transformations, age progression can be part of a punishment/humiliation story. It can also be about beautification and empowerment, depending on the perspective of the writer. Or it may simply happen, independent of any overarching reason.

The story that introduced me to the genre is "Spider Bites" by greinskyn, and it has some great visuals and a fascinating set up. Generally I'll prefer a fantastic concept told adequately to an adequate concept told fantastically, and this story is certainly the former.

Ones of my personal favorite age progression stories is "Graduate to Maturity" by Kronostar. This story is about empowerment and, in a rare twist, is a voluntary transformation. The voluntary change motif is one that I enjoy in part because I feel it makes a change more consequential if it is something chosen, rather than merely received.

I'd say the biggest dividing line in age progression stories is how old the person usually gets. My unscientific observations suggest that about two thirds of those interested prefer to see characters reach ages of around 40-60, in other words, middle aged, while the rest want characters to become very elderly, usually the older the better. My interest lies with the first camp. 

One aspect of age progression that I enjoy in particular I feel has been generally neglected - the ability of age progression to imbalance the power dynamic between men and women. A woman who suddenly becomes an older woman might be economically more successful, have more sexual experience, more confidence in what she wants, or many other traits which are traditionally associated with dominance in a relationship.

You can check out Older and Wiser as a good example of my female age progression; for male age progression, read The New Neighbor.