Dahmer stated in an interview with Stone Phillips, "The only motive that there ever was to completely control a person, a person I found physically attractive, and keep them with me as long as possible, even if it meant keeping a part of them."[1]
Plot
The protagonist, Quentin P, seeks to create a zombie out of an unsuspecting young man. He intends to find a perfect young male companion and re-wire his brain, thereby turning the victim into a mindless sex slave.[2] His several attempts at creating a zombie, by doing improvised surgery on the victim's brain, all end in failure, however, as the men he abducts, rapes and tortures all die at his hands. By the end of the novel, he has begun to enjoy killing for its own sake.
Adding to his frustrations is his increasingly suspicious family, particularly his father.
The play adaptation starring Bill Connington and directed by Tom Caruso won awards, including the FringeNYC Overall Excellence Award for Outstanding Solo Show.[4]
Play Adaptation
The solo play was first performed at the New York International Fringe Festival, and then opened at the Studio Theatre on Theater Row, on West 42nd Street in New York City.[5] The play was later produced live at John Jay College in New York City. The play starred Bill Connington as Quentin P., and was directed by Thomas Caruso. Joyce Carole Oates was present for a pre-show panel discussion alongside forensic psychologists and serial killer experts from John Jay College. She signed copies of her novel Zombie and A Fair Maiden.[6] The play was also performed at Burien Actors Theatre outside of Seattle via a live Zoom performance.[7] The play was also adapted into a short film.[8] All of the versions were performed by Bill Connington.
^Johnson, Greg (1998). Invisible Writer: A Biography of Joyce Carol Oates. New York City: Dutton. p. 201.
^"Archived copy". Archived from the original on November 10, 2006. Retrieved October 23, 2006.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) Boston Book Review's Fisk Fiction Prize
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