Carnality: Sebastian Phoenix and the Dark Star

by Josiah Hesse

Part historical fiction, part psychological horror, Carnality: Sebastian Phoenix and the Dark Star is the second installment in a series revealing the corruption, greed and sexual repression of Evangelical Christian culture.

After escaping a life of harsh labor and religious fundamentalism on his father's farm, Jacob is discovered by an ambitious youth pastor who turns him into a teenage evangelical pop star, where he warns the youth of America that Hell awaits those who succumb to drugs and "same-sex attraction." But when the incessant throb of Jacob's own body betrays the chastity and sobriety of his ministry, his fear of eternal damnation is eclipsed by carnal desires for another man - driving him ever deeper into supernatural madness.

349 pages, Paperback

First published August 15, 2018

About the author

Josiah is a freelance journalist in Denver, Colorado. He writes about politics, marijuana and evangelical culture and theology, and is a regular contributor to the Guardian and Vice. He’s also had bylines in Esquire, Politico, High Times, and The Denver Post, and is the senior editor of the Denver arts and literature magazine Suspect Press.

An Iowa native and leading authority on 90s Christian rock, Josiah released his debut novel Carnality: Dancing On Red Lake in 2015. A psychological horror about growing up in an isolated farming community fueled by pentecostal Christianity and methamphetamine, the book was hailed as “one of the finest novels to come out of Denver’s burgeoning arts scene.”

Josiah just released his second book in the Carnality series, Carnality: Sebastian Phoenix and the Dark Star, which was written in part at Owl Farm in Woody Creek, Colorado – the longtime home of Hunter S. Thompson.

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

OK i finished the second one.... my god these books are so insane. I relayed the entire plot to my housemates who were losing their shit the entire time. One of them said "the last time I heard a story this fucked up was when I watched Salo". So that may give you an idea of what we are dealing with here. The other one was like this is outsider art but a book. And they were very impressed when I explained that the whole book references back to Patti Smith's land with lines from the song dispersed throughout. Everyone has been wanting to know what happens next, I feel like I'm in some old timey world where oral tradition reigns and I have to update them on the next installment in the story as I read.

I felt similarly toward this one as the last one, where I learned more than I expected to, typos abound, unable to stop reading, etc. I learned more about music in this one. I always hear about how black music specifically gospel created the foundation of rock and roll but there was a section in the book that laid it out really well and also explained the ways in which sexuality is wrapped up in both christian music and secular music. This time around I was more careful to listen to all the songs mentioned to get the full experience, including the christian ones. My youtube algorithm is pretty messed up now but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ .

However I will say that the violence and abuse in this one got to be.... pornographic. Hence the Salo comparisons lol. I mean it was really outlandish by the end. I will say (spoilers) I was a bit dissappointed with the fact that Tyler was the main villain. I'm unsure still how I feel about the ultimate goals of the Phoenix family being a fictional native american tribe wanting revenge. I am also confused why they only slaughtered the red lake citizens, wouldn't they have wanted as large of an audience as possible? I thought the haunted house portion was simply taking things too far, but then after I finished reading I looked it up and found out that these Hell Houses are actually a real thing that some evangelical churches do, and they are actually that traumatizing! (minus the very end portion ofc)

I also looked up the DC talk band and saw that one of the members is part of the #exvangelical movement.

I still have so many questions like what the mom's role was and what the ultimate plan was etc, and I need the update on the phoenix family + some more of their backstory, so I hope the other installments are eventually written.

I looked up the author and this book is published thru the publisher he works for and it is definitely semi-autobiographical in terms of his parents being hippies turned jesus freaks and also dealing with his own queerness in the context of an evangelical upbringing. It is so random that I found this book and read both of them I feel like i stumbled upon a very personal project someone made

Anyway yeah this one became almost a bit too much in terms of depravity but I guess what else did I really think I was getting into? more of a 3.5

[Brian Polk · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the second book of the Carnality series, author Josiah Hesse expounds on the exploits of the main character, Jacob, who leaves his childhood farm and becomes a famous pop star on the evangelical entertainment circuit. The trappings of celebrity force the character to confront the fact that he has real human urges, which of course goes against the very strict Christian teachings that created the culture that made him famous. As an ex-evangelical himself, Hesse writes from the perspective of someone intimately familiar with this particular sect of Christianity. His prose is haunting in its portrayal of the unpleasantness of reality that self-appointed authorities of morality attempt to protect us from. Highly recommended.

[Nicole Paige · Rating 5 out of 5]

These books were nuts. Couldn’t peel my eyes away from this batshit crazy story and loved every second. I came across these books accidentally looking at another book of the same title but omg I’m so happy I chose to click on it. Big thanks to the disturbing religious imagery cover for drawing me in lol. LOADED w typos being my only complaint, still deserves a 5 star review. And the “historical” parts were awesome, I learned so much about so much music spanning decades, the evangelical movement of the 90s, and the Bible that I never knew before.

[Cassandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrifying, sexual, religious, thrilling, homoerotic, compelling. I couldn’t put it down and I’m desperately waiting for the next book. A must read for anyone who grew up with religious doctrine pushed on them.

[Lisa Stevens · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 bc of the dog.

[Brice Maiurro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Josiah Hesse wears a lot of hats; Exvangelist, journalist, community organizer, editor, music enthusiast, writer, voyeur and probably most of all, critical thinker. The Carnality series is what happens when Josiah puts on all of these hats at once and somehow balances them all in the start of bingeworthy books. Pay attention to Carnality. There's still a long way to go in this series.