Why do women turn serial killers into wistful lovers? Bizarre fanfiction stories about sick killers, often written by FEMALE authors, may be motivated by a desire to “save” monstrous men, a psychologist claims
The well-documented stories of dangerous serial killers remain largely unchallenged as the world remains shocked by their monstrous crimes.
But for a small online community, the personal stories of such violent criminals are open to interpretation – and in many cases, the inspiration for romantic storylines.
A community of amateur true crime fanatics writes true fiction (aka fanfiction) about mass murderers, including Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, and the Columbine shooters.
The disturbing stories concocted by the writers, many of whom are women, include X-rated sex scenes between Bundy and Dahmer, as well as Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold who murdered 13 of their classmates in 1999 before turning the guns on themselves. Other disturbing clips, seen by FEMAIL, reimagine some of Ted Bundy’s heinous crimes.
Toby Ingham, UKCP registered psychotherapist and author of Retroactive Jealousy, has explained why amateur writers are attracted to such dangerous criminals as subjects – and suggested that women in particular may be motivated by a desire to ‘rescue’ the monstrous men.
Real person fiction (or fan fiction) is a phenomenon where amateur writers create stories about people who exist or have existed in real life. FEMAIL delves into the dark side of the online trend where serial killers and violent criminals become the subject of twisted love stories as Ted Bundy (left) and Jeffrey Dahmer (right) form an illicit romance
Real Person Fiction is a phenomenon where fans write fictional stories about public figures – often targeting their favorite celebrities.
Examples of themes that have been deeply explored by fans include romances between band members such as Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson in One Direction, when the boy band were still together.
However, stories written by amateurs on online forums also explore much darker themes, with a particular focus on serial killers who have gone down in history for the most sickening crimes on record.
Toby explained that the obsession with violent criminals is not unusual, as many people are “drawn into darkness and taboo.”
He said, “For an author, the killer’s mind becomes a place where we can project all kinds of ideas, fantasies and thoughts.
“As we do that, they become more attractive and more attractive to some. The killer’s power, his ability to manipulate and deceive, to act where ordinary citizens would not, is an irresistible subject.’
As for the female obsession with such dark subjects, he said it could be motivated by “vicarious power by association.”
He explained, “The murderer as a subject, perhaps seen as someone who can go beyond the ordinary moral codes that the rest of us live by, and their ability to do so is attractive.” They are a kind of dark superhero, an irresistible partner.
“There can be a kind of tantalizing satisfaction in these themes.”
A notorious criminal who has been the subject of hundreds of fanfiction stories is Ted Bundy, the murderer, rapist, and necrophile believed to have killed more than 30 female victims.
Another interesting criminal, with dozens of fanfiction stories written about him, is serial killer and sex offender Jeffrey Dahmer, who murdered and dismembered at least 17 men over more than a decade until he was finally caught in 1991.
Elliot Rodger, who killed six people and wounded 14 in 2014 by shooting, stabbing and running over them, is depicted as a lonely boy struggling with his sexuality
Ted Bundy, who kidnapped, raped and murdered women between 1974 and 1978 and killed at least 30, is portrayed as a lovesick puppy in some disturbing works of fiction
Between the two monstrous criminals exists a specific genre of fanfiction called ‘Teffrey’ – which explores a sexual relationship between the pair as they secretly pursue a romantic relationship.
The disturbing depiction of the relationship shows Dahmer falling for Bundy by looking into his blue eyes and imagining what it would be like to kill him in a twisted sexual fantasy.
Another theme addressed in the bizarre stories is a close friendship between Jeffrey Dahmer and British serial killer Denis Nilsen, who both ate their victims after killing them.
One story delves into the twisted friendship between the serial killers as they bond over their violent crimes and disgusting desires, in what is insensitively called “cannibroism.”
In a particularly bizarre and offensive theme known as “cannibroism,” Jeffrey Dahmer and Dennis Nilsen, serial killers who both ate their victims, form a friendship over their shared sick interest
Elsewhere, there is a theme of empathy for Ted Bundy, who raped and brutally murdered more than 30 women and girls between 1974 and 1978, and is believed to have killed more than he admitted.
Fanfiction stories explore his childhood through a lens of understanding, showing scenarios where he could have been bullied at school while wanting to be loved – while other sickening stories suggest scenarios where he falls in love with some of his victims.
Elliot Rodger, the so-called “incel” who killed six people and wounded 14 others by shooting, stabbing and running over them in an attack driven by misogynistic motives, is portrayed as a closeted gay man struggling with his sexuality in several of the stories about him.
Dozens of fanfiction stories explore Rodger, who committed suicide after his 2014 murder spree, as a troubled young man who wants to be loved, in a twisted reimagining of the heinous crimes he committed.
Toby said the empathy approach to dealing with such monstrous killers is undoubtedly “creepy,” but it also “liberates” the story of people who have been incarcerated.
He argued that it was a kind of “savior complex” in which “the writer is able to nurture and bend the killer.”
“Writing allows them to express a need to help, heal or save the damaged men and toy with the pathological idea of empathizing with the killer,” he said.