Gay Subculture, AIDS, and Neo-Decadence: 1980s in Will Self’s Dorian: An Imitation (2002)

Will Self’s Dorian: An Imitation (2002) provides a glimpse to the gay subculture of 1980s’ London and New York, contextualizes issues like AIDS epidemic liberation movement. The shown attributes including queer fashion trends, drug consumptions, unprotected sex even at risk HIV transmission parallel hedonistic counter-normative ‘decadent’ aspects Oscar Wilde’s source–text, Picture Dorian Gray (1890). Cathode Narcissus, video installation capturing naked male beauty, makes ‘dis-embodied’ model/emblem for pride in digital era marks posthumanist shift new form decadence or neo-decadence. This paper, with respect Imitation, would engage explore how urban rapid among gays come under paradigm neo-decadence fin de siècle (meaning, “end century”) twentieth century.