If you loved
Dorian
Will Self · Book · 2007
If Dorian hooked you, it is because you are fascinated by the intersection of extreme vanity, moral decay, and the high-stakes performance of identity.
Start with the source
Adaptation
Phantom of the Paradise
Brian De Palma · Film · 1974
Adaptation
Dorian Gray
Film · 2009
Films on the same thread
Maurice
James Ivory · Film · 1987
Explores: homosexuality in Edwardian England, social repression, self-discovery.
Like Dorian, this film explores the stifling tension between private desire and public expectation, capturing the internal struggle of living authentically within a restrictive and judgmental society.
Saltburn
Emerald Fennell · Film · 2023
Shares a thread with Dorian: Moral Decay.
This film mirrors the obsession with social status and hedonistic excess found in Dorian, focusing on how privilege and desire can lead to a dark, manipulative undoing.
The Substance
Coralie Fargeat · Film · 2024
Explores: Identity Crisis, Obsession, Body Image.
This body horror piece acts as a visceral companion to Dorian, dramatizing the destructive lengths to which one will go to maintain an idealized, youthful appearance at any cost.
Se7en
David Fincher · Film · 1995
Shares a thread with Dorian: Moral Decay.
The gritty, atmospheric examination of moral decay in this film echoes the dark, nihilistic tone of Dorian, framing urban life as a stage for inevitable, grotesque human failure.
Series on the same thread
Sherlock
Mark Gatiss · Series · 2010
Explores: Genius detective, High-functioning sociopath, Unconventional crime solving.
Much like the protagonist in Dorian, this version of the detective navigates London as a high-functioning outlier whose detachment from conventional morality creates a cold, brilliant, and aestheticized existence.
Queer As Folk
Daniel Lipman · Series · 2000
Explores: Gay Culture, Urban Life, Friendship.
This series captures the unapologetic pursuit of pleasure and identity within a specific subculture, reflecting the same vibrant, hedonistic energy that defines the world of Dorian.
Penny Dreadful
John Logan · Series · 2014
Explores: Monsters, Moral Ambiguity, Loss of Innocence.
This show shares the gothic sensibilities of Dorian, weaving the infamous character into a dark tapestry of Victorian misery where moral ambiguity and supernatural horror collide.
POSE
Brad Falchuk · Series · 2018
Explores: Ball Culture, Gender Identity, Social Class.
This musical drama captures the same 1980s urban intensity found in Dorian, exploring how marginalized individuals construct elaborate personas to survive in a harsh and superficial society.
Podcasts on the same thread
We Can Do Hard Things
Treat Media and Glennon Doyle · Podcast · 2026
Explores: Vulnerability, Personal growth, Emotional support.
While Dorian examines the performance of the self through artifice and decay, this podcast offers a raw, vulnerable counterpoint focused on the pursuit of genuine, internal human authenticity.
The Realignment
The Realignment · Podcast · 2026
Explores: institutional change, populism, technological disruption.
This podcast explores the shifting foundations of our modern era, providing a structural analysis of the same systemic instability that underpins the societal decline portrayed in Dorian.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Dorian by Will Self a direct sequel to The Picture of Dorian Gray?
No, Dorian is not a sequel. It is a reimagining of Oscar Wilde's 1908 novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray. Will Self updates the narrative to the London art scene of the early 1980s, framing the story within the specific social context of that era.
Should I read The Picture of Dorian Gray before reading Dorian?
Reading The Picture of Dorian Gray first is helpful for understanding the source material that Will Self is imitating. While Dorian functions as a standalone reimagining set in the 1980s, familiarity with Wilde's original text provides necessary context for how Self adapts the classic themes of decadence and appearance.
Does Dorian relate to the 2009 movie Dorian Gray?
Both Dorian by Will Self and the 2009 film Dorian Gray are adaptations or reimagining of the same source material, Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray. They are independent projects that interpret the original novel through different artistic lenses and time periods rather than being directly connected.
Is Dorian set during the AIDS epidemic?
Dorian is set in the early 1980s London art scene. The narrative captures a golden era of decadence, sex, and drugs that preceded the widespread impact of the AIDS epidemic, which began to strike the community later in that decade.