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The Devil Owns Primetime
Josiah Tucker is the richest televangelist in East Texas, whose fame and fortune seemingly skyrocketed overnight. He is the charismatic face of the Last Chance for Faith megachurch and the voice of every late-night Southern Gospel radio station. Even more excitingly, he has taken his sermons to the television screen, preaching the word of the Lord live several times a week at primetime.
There are very few who see the man he is when he steps down from the pulpit. In a fast-moving, free-spending world of sex and drugs, Josiah is a cold narcissist who never stops listening to his own sermons. He keeps a secret boyfriend hidden from his congregation while stringing along his dutiful secretary after (and during) church office hours.
But like the walls of Jericho, Josiah’s world is about to come tumbling down. He will find out that success has come at the price of his immortal soul, and the ink is still wet on the infernal deal he struck six years ago at his most desperate hour. Now the devil is tired of waiting for his due and will take everything Josiah has until the debt is paid. And there is truth in the the higher they are, the harder they fall.
There are very few who see the man he is when he steps down from the pulpit. In a fast-moving, free-spending world of sex and drugs, Josiah is a cold narcissist who never stops listening to his own sermons. He keeps a secret boyfriend hidden from his congregation while stringing along his dutiful secretary after (and during) church office hours.
But like the walls of Jericho, Josiah’s world is about to come tumbling down. He will find out that success has come at the price of his immortal soul, and the ink is still wet on the infernal deal he struck six years ago at his most desperate hour. Now the devil is tired of waiting for his due and will take everything Josiah has until the debt is paid. And there is truth in the the higher they are, the harder they fall.
- GenresHorror
121 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 10, 2024
48 people want to read
About the author
Sirius .
26 books49 followersSirius is a lover of glory, gore, and monsters. They are a queer, nonbinary artist living in the hot and bothered South; currently residing in a little spot that has been dubbed ‘Halloweentown’, North Carolina. They are the writer of The Draonir Saga, The Gentlemen Demon Series, and The Dread South Series.
When they are not writing, they work as a professional drag performer, weaving the characters from their stories into visual art for the stage.
When they are not writing, they work as a professional drag performer, weaving the characters from their stories into visual art for the stage.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
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November 13, 2025rtc
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November 28, 2025I read this novella for the indie novella competition, SFINCS. The following review is my own personal opinion as a judge and does not reflect the views of the team as a whole.
The Devil Owns Primetime by Sirius is a discomforting, visceral queer horror, a nightmare of a story that strongly advises you to stay away from making deals with the devil, although we should really know by now, shouldn’t we? The novella focuses on the character of Reverend Josiah Tucker, who is a rich televangelist, a popular face in both his megachurch and on the TV screen preaching the word of the Lord with fervor. Of course, things are rarely what they seem, and we can quickly get acquainted with the true charater of Josiah as he finally faces the consequences of the secret he’s been keeping for years. Because the devil is back for him, herding Josiah towards his unavoidable fate in return of the money and success he’s been given.
Reading Josiah’s story was an intense and uncomfortable experience. He is not a nice or kind man, quite narcissistic, in fact, and the way he uses and disregards people is often despicable. At the same time, it was really hard for me to truly hate him or cheer for his demise. He is a character of contradictions. On one hand, he is the perfect example of your typical greedy, hypocritical preacher personality who is only holy on the podium, spouting nonsense that causes real damage in the world, while being someone he might define as a sinner in life. Just a worst kind of stuff that organized religion can obscure, a cynical, cruel profiteer with a penchant for overindulgence and hiding his emotions, unable to be vulnerable not just with his boyfriend but even himself. On the other hand, behind all this, he is also a wounded person who I kinda imagine maybe hadn’t even been that opposed to God and his commandments once upon a time, and only wanted to be seen and recognized. Case in point, he is a trans man who could only transition using the money he’d gotten through his Faustian deal, and this is a strong drive which I cannot at all condemn. But hiding his sexuality, identity, his true self is still a part of his life as this successful preacher which, I felt like, caused an irreversible twisting of what remains of any goodwill or hope inside him. And as we watch him interact with side characters, such as disregard his hurt, depressed boyfriend or use his young, attractive assistant as a cover but also for his satisfaction, right from the start, we understand there won’t be a happy ending here. Josiah tries to go about his life as always, but the devil is calling out for him, through technology, through shady bartenders in even shadier bars, to pay his debt in a peculiar and devastating manner, and the trainwreck doesn’t stop until it rushes into a quite upsetting ending.
The prose is excellent, both regarding characterisation (mostly of Josiah, but I also got a strong picture of the boyfriend, and, unfortunately, the devil himself) and description of messy, depressing, terrifying, and truly violent events, creating a peculiar atmosphere that gripped me and didn’t let go until the end. The novella sets out to do something, and it has every tool in its repertoir to accomplish it. You will probably know right from the first scene whether it is your thing, and it only becomes weirder and darker from there. Towards the ending, I felt like it was maybe a tad too much (definitely for my taste, but perhaps even considering its promise), just an unrelenting siege of horror and sexual violence, however, again, that is what it sets out to do, and it will damn well do it.
I recommend this well-written, dreadful novella to lovers of queer and religious horror, and devil- and devilish man-enjoyers who do not balk at graphic scenes and love some complex characterization.
The Devil Owns Primetime by Sirius is a discomforting, visceral queer horror, a nightmare of a story that strongly advises you to stay away from making deals with the devil, although we should really know by now, shouldn’t we? The novella focuses on the character of Reverend Josiah Tucker, who is a rich televangelist, a popular face in both his megachurch and on the TV screen preaching the word of the Lord with fervor. Of course, things are rarely what they seem, and we can quickly get acquainted with the true charater of Josiah as he finally faces the consequences of the secret he’s been keeping for years. Because the devil is back for him, herding Josiah towards his unavoidable fate in return of the money and success he’s been given.
Reading Josiah’s story was an intense and uncomfortable experience. He is not a nice or kind man, quite narcissistic, in fact, and the way he uses and disregards people is often despicable. At the same time, it was really hard for me to truly hate him or cheer for his demise. He is a character of contradictions. On one hand, he is the perfect example of your typical greedy, hypocritical preacher personality who is only holy on the podium, spouting nonsense that causes real damage in the world, while being someone he might define as a sinner in life. Just a worst kind of stuff that organized religion can obscure, a cynical, cruel profiteer with a penchant for overindulgence and hiding his emotions, unable to be vulnerable not just with his boyfriend but even himself. On the other hand, behind all this, he is also a wounded person who I kinda imagine maybe hadn’t even been that opposed to God and his commandments once upon a time, and only wanted to be seen and recognized. Case in point, he is a trans man who could only transition using the money he’d gotten through his Faustian deal, and this is a strong drive which I cannot at all condemn. But hiding his sexuality, identity, his true self is still a part of his life as this successful preacher which, I felt like, caused an irreversible twisting of what remains of any goodwill or hope inside him. And as we watch him interact with side characters, such as disregard his hurt, depressed boyfriend or use his young, attractive assistant as a cover but also for his satisfaction, right from the start, we understand there won’t be a happy ending here. Josiah tries to go about his life as always, but the devil is calling out for him, through technology, through shady bartenders in even shadier bars, to pay his debt in a peculiar and devastating manner, and the trainwreck doesn’t stop until it rushes into a quite upsetting ending.
The prose is excellent, both regarding characterisation (mostly of Josiah, but I also got a strong picture of the boyfriend, and, unfortunately, the devil himself) and description of messy, depressing, terrifying, and truly violent events, creating a peculiar atmosphere that gripped me and didn’t let go until the end. The novella sets out to do something, and it has every tool in its repertoir to accomplish it. You will probably know right from the first scene whether it is your thing, and it only becomes weirder and darker from there. Towards the ending, I felt like it was maybe a tad too much (definitely for my taste, but perhaps even considering its promise), just an unrelenting siege of horror and sexual violence, however, again, that is what it sets out to do, and it will damn well do it.
I recommend this well-written, dreadful novella to lovers of queer and religious horror, and devil- and devilish man-enjoyers who do not balk at graphic scenes and love some complex characterization.
December 10, 2024
Sirius writes the most horrible little men... Narcissus has nothing on Josiah.
I'm so glad I tuned in to this grimy televangelist. Josiah may have sympathetic roots, but his core is rotten. He's willing to use and abuse until his vices outweigh his blessings. I love the irony of a prosperity preacher amassing an unpayable debt. I recommend checking out this lovely little queer sacrilege.
I'd like to give thanks for the chance to check this ARC out for free. I'm leaving this review of my own accord.
I'm so glad I tuned in to this grimy televangelist. Josiah may have sympathetic roots, but his core is rotten. He's willing to use and abuse until his vices outweigh his blessings. I love the irony of a prosperity preacher amassing an unpayable debt. I recommend checking out this lovely little queer sacrilege.
I'd like to give thanks for the chance to check this ARC out for free. I'm leaving this review of my own accord.
December 11, 2024
Sirius is becoming one of my new favourite authors.
September 17, 2025
4.5/5 Stars- Rounded up here
Sirius’ works in The Dread South are like walking around in the most twisted version of a memory. That's the best way I can think to describe how familiar and yet wholly unsettled that it feels. They're shorter bites of horror, unapologetically queer, and quickly becoming a favorite to read whenever I need something spooky.
Josiah has been playing the charismatic televangelist in front of the camera, the kind you'd see on PBS in the wee hours, shouting about fire and brimstone. When the studio lights dim however, he's a disaster- fueled by drugs, narcissistic fervor and overindulgence. He's a nasty little man, and I say that in the most affectionate way.
We get swept into the storm growing around him as Josiah runs from the consequences of his own choices. It's messy, chaotic and viscerally descriptive at times-- and I am obsessed.
Sirius’ works in The Dread South are like walking around in the most twisted version of a memory. That's the best way I can think to describe how familiar and yet wholly unsettled that it feels. They're shorter bites of horror, unapologetically queer, and quickly becoming a favorite to read whenever I need something spooky.
Josiah has been playing the charismatic televangelist in front of the camera, the kind you'd see on PBS in the wee hours, shouting about fire and brimstone. When the studio lights dim however, he's a disaster- fueled by drugs, narcissistic fervor and overindulgence. He's a nasty little man, and I say that in the most affectionate way.
We get swept into the storm growing around him as Josiah runs from the consequences of his own choices. It's messy, chaotic and viscerally descriptive at times-- and I am obsessed.
November 23, 2024
Not me over here shooketh to my core with that ending because I’m feeling all the existential things.
Note to self that I shall carry with me for eternity: DO NOT MAKE DEALS WITH CROSSROAD DEMONS. You WILL get everything your heart desires & then end up with a microphone up your ãss. Unfortunately, I don’t make the rules.
Read this book. You’ll learn an entirely new definition of “go fvck yourself”.
Note to self that I shall carry with me for eternity: DO NOT MAKE DEALS WITH CROSSROAD DEMONS. You WILL get everything your heart desires & then end up with a microphone up your ãss. Unfortunately, I don’t make the rules.
Read this book. You’ll learn an entirely new definition of “go fvck yourself”.
February 6, 2025
Another reviewer wrote that Sirius writes the most horrible little men and that’s honestly so true and I can’t get enough of them. They’re just so human and flawed but Reverend Josiah Tucker is awful all the way down to his toes. There isn’t much to redeem but he does get his comeuppance and hot damn if it ain’t what our Preach deserves. Honorable mention to Bee because I love that devil and his cameo had me giggling.
November 17, 2024
This novella is a bit out of my usual reads. I tend to not read novellas because I am a “spare no detail” kind of reader and this book left me with more questions than answers. I wonder about the smaller aspects of the lives of Josiah, Theo, Polly, and the Devil. This being said, I want to know more instead of setting it aside and not thinking about it again.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews