When dealing with subjects so heavily covered by the media and sensationalised (and monetised) to no end, the importance of critical thinking cannot be overstated. Admittedly, I have probably only scratched the surface when it comes to written publications and documentaries regarding Dahmer. There. is. just. so. much. content. Ideally, I will be able to add on this list as time goes by but for now, these are the sources I find most credible:
When it comes to a written, fairly objective account of what was happening, you cannot miss with The Shrine of Jeffrey Dahmer by Brian Masters. It's probably the most detailed and factual book dealing with Jeffrey Dahmer's life and trial you can get your hands on. It's also the most readily available for a cheap price. You can find it on basically every bookseller's website.
As far as personal accounts go, A Father's Story by Lionel Dahmer is an invaluable hub of information. It's also the most emotional of the bunch, as expected. Like with all personal accounts, this book must be approached with caution - being involved in the story makes you an unreliable narrator. Thankfully it doesn't go deep into the intricacies of the crimes and trial, but the way Lionel Dahmer perceived his son is not necessarily the way his son perceived himself. In their joint interview with Stone Philips, Jeffrey Dahmer noted that he wasn't as incredibly shy and introverted as his father portrays him in his books (something, I believe, is supported by Dahmer's depiction in Derf Backderf's novel). True or not, it is the way his father saw him, and that is valuable too. As we know, Jeffrey Dahmer was a master manipulator and seeing the discrepancies between how Jeffrey truly was and the way his family saw him is incredible. A Father's Story isn't a super common find in bookstores so I suggest you look in the used books section on Amazon. I've also seen a digital copy floating around (mainly on tumblr but I'm sure it's available elsewhere).
As mentioned above, My Friend Dahmer by Derf Backderf gives us a look into Dahmer's teenage years right up until his first murder a few weeks after graduation. It's probably one of the most known books about Dahmer by someone who knew him, recently being adapted as a movie starring Ross Lynch (I haven't watched it because I tend to avoid non documentary films about real serial killers, but apparently parts of it were filmed inside Dahmer's childhood home). The graphic novel (you heard that right!) is an amazing peek at Dahmer's pre-murder years and when you see all the red flags - MANY red flags - and how they went by unnoticed (or rather ignored), it will send chills down your spine. The novel is available for purchase at most bookstores (being a fairly recent and popular release). I'd also recommend you check out the author's blog at http://derfcity.blogspot.com. In some of his earlier posts, he publishes unseen doodles from high school featuring the Dahmer fanclub (as they called themselves).
Moving from Dahmer's pre-murder years to his inevitable capture, The Dahmer Detective by Patrick Kennedy is a true gem. The incredibly likable detective spins an incredibly captivating narrative. The book starts when he first meets Dahmer on the night of the arrest and carries us through the whole investigation process right up until the sentencing. Sadly the physical copy has been sold out and is now being resold for OBSCENE prices so hopefully, we'll get a reprint soon.
During his short-lived stay in prison, Dahmer re-discovered faith. For a deeper look into this aspect of him, I'd recommend Dark Journey Deep Grace by Roy Ratcliff. Ratcliff is the minister who baptised Dahmer in prison and who, not soon after, helped organise his funeral. It's an interesting look into how religion shaped Dahmer's later days. We also get some insight into the funeral and some small details about Jeffrey's relationship (or non-relationship) with his brother David. The book is actually quite well written and I never got a sense of the author trying to inflate or distort anything in order to get his book sold. It is, of course, heavily religious so if that bother's you perhaps pass on it. It is written by a minister after all. The book is also available for a rather low price on Amazon so I think it's worth a read.
TBA? In 2022 one of Dahmer's attorneys Wendy Patrickus is releasing a book titled Defending the Devil. The title seems a bit...suspiciously out there, but I have high hopes for the book considering the author was so deeply involved in the trial. We'll see.
The honorable mentions for this category are:
Across The Hall by Vernell Bass. This is a self-published book and I needs to be read with some reservations. Putting some grammatical errors aside, this book does offer a nice glimpse into what Vernell's and Pam's lives were like being neighbours with Dahmer. At times, it does read a bit as a sensational novel, but some parts are really really interesting. I wouldn't recommend this as the definitive source on what was happening, but if you're already knowledgeable and want to branch out a bit, definitiely give it a go. It is readily available on Amazon.
I Have Lived in the Monster by Robert K. Ressler and Tom Shachtman. This is more of an all around serial killer book, but it does contain a part of a transcript and some descriptions of Ressler's interview with Dahmer. Ressler did testify at his trial as a psychologist. He's also the man who coined the term "serial killer" so I think he's a pretty reliable source. The book is available on Amazon.
As for the books I've read and recommend you'd avoid:
- The Jeffrey Dahmer Story by Don Davis first reads like a reliable book, but as soon as you approach it with prior knowledge, it falls apart on some factual levels. Sometimes some information or timings just don't add up and it does rely on sensationalism quite often. It's not TERRIBLE but you're much better off reading The Shrine of Jeffrey Dahmer.
- Serial Killer's Soul by Herman Martin has a little bit of a god complex. Martin was a prisoner at Columbia Correctional Institution and was in the cell next to Dahmer's. He does provide a partial scan of a letter Dahmer sent him so we can believe they did actually talk/write to each other. The book's redeeming quality is the way the author describes prison and the way the other prisoners anticipated Dahmer's incarceration in their midst. Everything else is very very sensational. If you thought Ratcliff's book was heavily religious... Martin seems to adopt a saviour complex as he writes about how he believes he was put next to Dahmer with a purpose to "save him". His decriptions of how Dahmer behaved are also very out of line with how other prison staff and authority figures described him. Honestly? I do believe that Dahmer might have yelled out racist shit just to provoke other inmates and try to get killed, but even that is kinda far fetched. Read it and draw your own conclusions, but I would take everything with a grain of salt.
- The Last Victim by Jason Moss. It's been ageees since I read this book but I do remember that not a lot of it is about Dahmer and the parts that are just very bizarre. I think this book is more about the state of mind Moss was (not good) and is really not a reliable source. As far as we know, Dahmer and Moss did correspond and you can read those letters online. And honestly? If you read those letters you have done more than enough research into what Moss' experience with Dahmer was.
I've since ordered Dahmer's biography by Dr. Joel Norris and it'll take a while to arrive. I'll make sure to write about it if it proves to be either really good or really bad.
Any other reading suggestions are very welcome.
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