Zack Busner is a recurring character in the fiction of Will Self

Will Self

William Woodard "Will" Self is an English novelist and short story writer. His fictional style is known for being satirical, grotesque, and fantastical. He is a prolific commentator on contemporary British life, with regular appearances on Newsnight and Question Time...

, appearing in the short story collections The Quantity Theory of Insanity

The Quantity Theory of Insanity

The Quantity Theory of Insanity is a collection of short stories by Will Self, it won the Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize in 1993.-Publishing Details:...

, Grey Area

Grey Area (book)

-Publishing Details:The collection was first published in 1994. It comprises some of Self's commissioned work as well as a number of stories written specially for the anthology...

, Dr. Mukti and Other Tales of Woe

Dr. Mukti and Other Tales of Woe

-Overview:"Dr. Mukti and Other Tales of Woe" is the sixth collection of short stories by Will Self.The Guardian newspaper said of the collection..."Like most of Self's work, these stories detail a massive loss, a misplacement, of humanity...

, and in the novels Great Apes

Great Apes (novel)

-Plot synopsis:After a night of drug use, Simon Dykes wakes up in a world where chimpanzees have evolved to be the dominant species with self-awareness, while humans are the equivalent of chimps in our world.-Reviews:...

and The Book of Dave

The Book of Dave

- Content :The Book of Dave tells the story of an angry and mentally-ill London taxi driver named Dave Rudman, who writes and has printed on metal a book of his rantings against women and thoughts on custody rights for fathers. These stem from his anger with his ex-wife, Michelle, who he believes...

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Appearances

As one can never tell if Self intends there to be a coherent storyline, piecing together a backstory for Dr. Busner can be exceedingly difficult. In the story "Inclusion", he is seemingly absorbed by the character Simon Dykes. While some might consider this the end of Busner, he reappears in Great Apes.

Employment and Characteristics

He apparently holds an institutional position in the stories "Dr. Mukti" and "Ward 9". Because his previous work is referenced throughout the latter, it can be safely assumed that these events take place after "The Quantity Theory of Insanity".

Busner has also lectured for the Royal Society of Ephemera and has written numerous pieces for their British Journal of Ephemera. It was in this publication that "The Quantity Theory of Insanity" was first published.

Despite his age and failing health in "Dr. Mukti" he still provides a formidable opponent to the eponymous character. He is shown to be able to not only accurately predict peoples behaviour but to use this along with manipulation to ensure his preferred outcome.

Inspiration

Busner is a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst practicing in London, and is prone to self-promotion at the expense of his patients. He is often the antagonist of the stories he appears in, although not always with villainous intent. It has been suggested that the character is based on the psychiatrist R. D. Laing and the neurologist Oliver Sacks

Oliver Sacks

Oliver Wolf Sacks, CBE , is a British neurologist and psychologist residing in New York City. He is a professor of neurology and psychiatry at Columbia University, where he also holds the position of Columbia Artist...