The first season of Dexter is based on a book.
Believe it or not, the creation of a lovable, serial killing psychopath with a moral code wasn't just plucked out of thin air. In fact, the show's first season is based off the book, "Darkly Dreaming Dexter" by author Jeff Lindsay, which was published back in 2004. The book is part of a novel series based on the life of Dexter Morgan, which screenwriter James Manos, Jr. eventually adapted to the small screen. However, subsequent seasons have strayed vastly from the book series and followed original plot lines.
