Inside the Mind of Thomas Grande: Author of Diminished
We sat down with Thomas Grande, the creator of Diminished—the world’s first full-length gay macrophilia novel—for an intimate chat about kink, power, and what it takes to shrink 100 men down to an inch tall.
Q: For those who haven’t heard of it yet—what is Diminished about, and how would you describe the experience of reading it?
Thomas: Diminished draws on my deepest fantasy around size fetish. It’s something I’ve been fascinated with since I was a teenager. I wanted to write a long-form story that gay men with these fantasies could really delve into—something with structure, tension, pacing, and a sci-fi thriller tone, but also packed with the kinky, naughty elements we so rarely get in this genre. Shrinking and growing are common themes in sci-fi, but they almost never cross into the sexual or explicit. And when they do, it’s rarely for a gay audience. Diminished changes that.
Q: What inspired you to take the leap and write this as a full-length novel, rather than a short story or audio series like you’ve done before?
Thomas: The Shrink Files will always be the bread and butter of ShrinkingMen.com, but I also have experience writing novels, and I wanted to bring that form to this topic. Since the site has grown in popularity, I’ve been able to carve out more time to work on the book. It’s been a work in progress for over a year, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed exploring the characters, their arcs, and how to integrate those sexual elements for maximum effect.
Q: Let’s talk about Dylan, your protagonist. He’s a former bodybuilder with some complicated fantasies. What drew you to him?
Thomas: Dylan is a gay man with a lifelong yearning to be made small—to be dominated, diminished. And while that’s not my personal side of the fetish (I prefer to be the giant in control), many of our site visitors identify strongly with that submissive shrinking fantasy. So in that way, Dylan became a kind of mirror character—someone through whom I could explore the psychology of being the one who shrinks.
Q: And you’ve built that experience into the very structure of the game in the novel, right?
Thomas: Exactly. When Dylan enters the Diminished game show, it’s revealed there are four stages of reduction: from six feet tall to three feet, then one foot, then four inches, and finally just one inch. That setup allowed me to cater both to readers who enjoy plausible, gradual size difference and to those who love the extreme end of the fantasy. Each stage ups the tension, both erotically and psychologically.
Q: Alexei Kaine—the man running the show—is dark, powerful, and more than a little sadistic. What inspired his character?
Thomas: Without giving too much away, there’s a little easter egg there. Readers who’ve checked out the Shrink Files issue called God of Size will recognise Alexei Kaine from that story. Let’s just say he’s a very prominent figure there, and Diminished lets us see another side of him.
Q: The novel strikes a balance between erotic tension, emotional depth, and genuine darkness. Was it hard to get that mix right?
Thomas: It’s the style I’m used to after writing 40+ issues of Shrink Files. What was more challenging was sustaining the pacing over a 60,000-word novel. A single Shrink File might be 5,000 to 18,000 words, but this needed a bigger structure. The concept of staged shrinking really helped carry the rhythm and stakes all the way through.
Q: And now that it’s out—what’s the response been like so far?
Thomas: It’s still early days, but I’ve already had some great feedback. People are enjoying it, which is really rewarding after putting so much into it.
Q: Was there a favourite scene for you to write? One that thrilled you the most creatively or erotically?
Thomas: There were a lot I really enjoyed, but the most satisfying had to be the ending. There’s a big twist—no spoilers!—but I think readers will find it really rewarding. It flips everything on its head.
Q: With the novel released, what’s next? More Diminished? Or something new?
Thomas: It’s not quite over yet! The audio series version is still being released weekly. We're currently on Part 3, and I expect it will be eight or nine parts in total. It’s a great way to experience the story if you’re not a big reader. The narration is soothing and immersive—perfect for listening in bed or on the sofa. Just make sure you’ve got some tissues handy.
As for the future? That depends on how well Diminished does. It’s available in Kindle format from Amazon, and as a PDF from shrinkingmen.com. If the support continues, I’d love to do another novel—maybe a sequel, maybe something new. But in the meantime, we’re still going strong with monthly Shrink Files releases, fetish audios, and our infamous art packs.
Q: Final question—for someone who’s never explored size-related fetish content before, why should they give Diminished a try?
Thomas: If you enjoy fast-paced thrillers like those by Dan Brown, I think you’ll enjoy Diminished. And if you’re a gay man, you might just be on the verge of discovering a new kink that could change your life. So get ready... to get Diminished.
