Self was originally asked to adapt the 1890 Wilde novel into a film screenplay, but this project did not come to fruition.

Instead, Self took this uncompleted screenplay and re-worked it into a novel, which he described as "an imitation - and a homage" to the Wilde original.

[2][3] The novel adheres closely to Wilde's original in its overall plot, with retaining the names of the key characters Dorian Gray, Henry Wootton, and Basil Hallward (with Hallward receiving the short nickname 'Baz').

[4] Updates in Self's novel compared to the Wilde original include the following: Upon release, Dorian was generally well-received among British press.

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