Transformation Story Archive

The Transformation Story Archive (TSA) is a website that archives stories that feature a personal physical transformation, or feature its aftermath. It is the nucleus of a small community of amateur writers and fans of transformation stories. The website was founded in 1995 by Thomas Hassan of Austria, who has since passed on the duties of maintenance to others, including JT Skunk, Jon Sleeper and XoYo.

Due to the prevalent plot device, most of the stories are science fiction or fantasy. The stories are categorized by the type of transformation, sometimes by the method of transformation:


 * Animals
 * Mythical Beasts (unicorns, mermaids, etc.)
 * Furry Creatures (werewolves, anthropomorphic animals)
 * The Other Sex (transgender)
 * Strange Changes (plushies, cars, misc.)
 * Worlds (shared universes)

Though there aren't enough for their own category, some age regression or progression stories are also archived. Sometimes they are lumped with other categories, such as the transformation of a middle-aged man into an equine foal.

One may distinguish two broad patterns in the role transformation or shapeshifting plays in the stories in the archive. In some, an unexpected but welcome transformation (especially various forms of lycanthropy) plays a thematic role similar to the plot device of the protagonist being a commoner who finds out they are actually royal, or have unsuspected magical talent, or have some other wonderful secret destiny. In others, a transformation imposed from without by a hostile entity is a challenge to be overcome; the protagonist seeks a way to reverse the transformation and regain their original form. In many such stories, the final resolution involves the unwillingly transformed protagonist coming to terms with his or her new shape and turning it to their advantage rather than finding a way to return to "normal".

Most of the stories are written in either first person or third person limited omniscient.

The archive has a high proportion of transgender and furry wish-fulfillment stories because they were the most numerous at the time of its creation. Its stated goal is to become the premier Internet archive of transformation-themed fiction, and a showcase for amateur authors. It does not accept fanfiction.

At one point, the TSA accounted for a significant portion of the Internet traffic of Austria. The main server has been moved to the United States, and there are now mirror servers in Australia, and Europe.

Spawned from and by the members (and run by Kristina Tracer and Jessie Tracer) is TFNet, an IRC network for chat and story discussion. It is a counterpart to TSA-Talk, the long-running TSA mailing list.

While not actually a part of the Transformation Story Archive, an annual get-together of visitors of the TSA, members of TFNet, and other individuals interested in transformations was formed in 1998. The TSA-Bash began in the home of Phil Geusz, but quickly grew out of the home and started bouncing around North America. In 2008, it will be in Oakland, CA.

JT Skunk had apparently vanished from the site, taking the password for the tsa-submissions e-mail account with him. According to the front page of the TSA website, it has not been updated since the 15th of July, 2003.