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Holy Wood (book)
Encyclopedia
Holy Wood is an unpublished novel by Marilyn Manson
, written between 1999 and 2000 (although Manson has claimed to have been writing selections since 1995). Initially envisioned as a companion piece to the album Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death)
, it remained unreleased after a series of delays, alleged by Manson to have been caused by a "publishing war".
was in Paradise
before they fall from grace. And seeing something like Hollywood, which I used as a metaphor to represent what people think is the perfect world, and it's about wanting — your whole life — to fit into this world that doesn't think you belong, that doesn't like you, that beats you down every step of the way, fighting and fighting and fighting, and finally getting there, everyone around you are the same people who kept you down in the first place. So you automatically hate everyone around you. You resent them for making you become part of this game you don't realize you were buying into. You trade one prison cell for another in some ways. That becomes the revolution, to be idealistic enough that you think you can change the world, and what you find is you can't change anything but yourself."
Manson has also stated that there is a character "that's very much a take on Walt Disney
," who was a big inspiration in the writing of both the book and its accompanying album. In describing the setting, he compared Holy Wood, the place, to Disney World: "I thought of how interesting it would be if we created an entire city that was an amusement park, and the thing we were being amused by was violence and sex and everything that people really want to see."
had approved Holy Wood and that Manson was writing the script with the help of writer Robert Pargi. At the 1999 MTV Europe Music Awards in Dublin, Ireland, on November 11, where the band was slated to perform, Manson revealed to MTV
News
' John Norris the title of his then-unrevealed film project and his hopes for it "[to] go into production sometime in the next year." Manson also met with Chilean
avant-garde
filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky
at the event to discuss the possibility of working on the film. However, no final decision was made. Central to the idea was a starring role for Manson's then-fiancée Rose McGowan
.
By February 29, 2000, however, the project was postponed as Manson feared the film had been tweaked in ways that would have ruined his artistic vision. Plans were made to first release the album in the autumn and to follow it in 2001 with the novel which Manson called "graphic and phantasmagoric," stemming back to an idea he first began to draft in 1995. The book was a novelized adaptation of the script intended to be released shortly after the record by HarperCollins
division ReganBooks
. The style was modeled on and inspired by the authors William S. Burroughs
, Kurt Vonnegut
, Aldous Huxley
and Philip K. Dick
. The third and final part of the plan was a coffee table book
of images related to the novel and the album by Manson and longtime art collaborator P.R. Brown.
mid 2000, several secret sister websites were launched containing audio from the album with accompanying images. TheLoveSong.com was one of the first sites to be found and contained a clip of the song "The Love Song
" with an image of what looked like the cover of the book. On February 14, 2001, Manson posted a message on his official Bulletin Board System
called "They'd Remember 'This As Valentine's Day'". It contained a link which led to an image of Time Magazine dated February 14, 1964; it featured a picture of Marina Oswald on the cover. In the image, a hyperlink on her brooch
led to Chapter 10 of the book. This was the only extract of the book released.
Although praised by critics, when the Holy Wood album was finally released it was met with disappointing sales in comparison to Manson's previous albums, taking almost a year to reach gold certification
in the US. Talk of the aforementioned film and novel slowly died down in the press.
as Manson, who previously attended meetings but was unimpressed, had drawn upon the story of Jack Parsons and the novel Sex and Rockets for the book.
Manson last commented on the novel in November 2005 saying that he would like to release it as either a graphic novel or narrative video game. Chuck Palahniuk
has partially read the novel and describes it as "a magical, surreal, poetic story, crammed with detail and cut loose from traditional boring fiction." Magician and friend of Manson, Rudy Coby
, revealed in an interview in October 2010 he has made it "one of [his] missions in life to make sure that Holy Wood is released".
Marilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson may refer to:* Marilyn Manson , an American rock musician* Marilyn Manson , the American rock band led by the singer of the same name...
, written between 1999 and 2000 (although Manson has claimed to have been writing selections since 1995). Initially envisioned as a companion piece to the album Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death)
Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death)
Holy Wood is the fourth studio album by American rock band Marilyn Manson, released in November 2000 through Nothing and Interscope Records. The album marked a return to the industrial and alternative metal style of the band's earlier efforts, after the modernized glam rock sound of Mechanical...
, it remained unreleased after a series of delays, alleged by Manson to have been caused by a "publishing war".
Plot
Describing the plot of the novel itself, Manson said: "The whole story, if you take it from the beginning, is parallel to my own, but just told in metaphors and different symbols that I thought other people could draw from. It's about being innocent and naive, much like AdamAdam
Adam is a figure in the Book of Genesis. According to the creation myth of Abrahamic religions, he is the first human. In the Genesis creation narratives, he was created by Yahweh-Elohim , and the first woman, Eve was formed from his rib...
was in Paradise
Paradise
Paradise is a place in which existence is positive, harmonious and timeless. It is conceptually a counter-image of the miseries of human civilization, and in paradise there is only peace, prosperity, and happiness. Paradise is a place of contentment, but it is not necessarily a land of luxury and...
before they fall from grace. And seeing something like Hollywood, which I used as a metaphor to represent what people think is the perfect world, and it's about wanting — your whole life — to fit into this world that doesn't think you belong, that doesn't like you, that beats you down every step of the way, fighting and fighting and fighting, and finally getting there, everyone around you are the same people who kept you down in the first place. So you automatically hate everyone around you. You resent them for making you become part of this game you don't realize you were buying into. You trade one prison cell for another in some ways. That becomes the revolution, to be idealistic enough that you think you can change the world, and what you find is you can't change anything but yourself."
Manson has also stated that there is a character "that's very much a take on Walt Disney
Walt Disney
Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...
," who was a big inspiration in the writing of both the book and its accompanying album. In describing the setting, he compared Holy Wood, the place, to Disney World: "I thought of how interesting it would be if we created an entire city that was an amusement park, and the thing we were being amused by was violence and sex and everything that people really want to see."
Early talk of the book and film project
In early June 1999 Manson stated at the MTV Movie Awards that he was writing a film script but refused to be drawn into discussion over its contents. By the next month however it became known that New Line CinemaNew Line Cinema
New Line Cinema, often simply referred to as New Line, is an American film studio. It was founded in 1967 by Robert Shaye and Michael Lynne as a film distributor, later becoming an independent film studio. It became a subsidiary of Time Warner in 1996 and was merged with larger sister studio Warner...
had approved Holy Wood and that Manson was writing the script with the help of writer Robert Pargi. At the 1999 MTV Europe Music Awards in Dublin, Ireland, on November 11, where the band was slated to perform, Manson revealed to MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
News
MTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
' John Norris the title of his then-unrevealed film project and his hopes for it "[to] go into production sometime in the next year." Manson also met with Chilean
Chilean people
Chilean people, or simply Chileans, are the native citizens and long-term immigrants of Chile. Chileans are mainly of Spanish and Amerindian descent, with small but significant traces of 19th and 20th century European immigrant origin...
avant-garde
Avant-garde
Avant-garde means "advance guard" or "vanguard". The adjective form is used in English to refer to people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics....
filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky
Alejandro Jodorowsky
Alejandro Jodorowsky Prullansky, known as Alejandro Jodorowsky, is a Chilean filmmaker, playwright, actor, author, comic book writer and spiritual guru...
at the event to discuss the possibility of working on the film. However, no final decision was made. Central to the idea was a starring role for Manson's then-fiancée Rose McGowan
Rose McGowan
Rose Arianna McGowan is an actress and singer. She is known for her role as Paige Matthews in The WB Television Network supernatural drama series Charmed. She played Ann-Margret alongside Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Elvis Presley in the CBS mini-series Elvis...
.
By February 29, 2000, however, the project was postponed as Manson feared the film had been tweaked in ways that would have ruined his artistic vision. Plans were made to first release the album in the autumn and to follow it in 2001 with the novel which Manson called "graphic and phantasmagoric," stemming back to an idea he first began to draft in 1995. The book was a novelized adaptation of the script intended to be released shortly after the record by HarperCollins
HarperCollins
HarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...
division ReganBooks
ReganBooks
ReganBooks was an American bestselling imprint or division of HarperCollins book publishing house , headed by editor and publisher Judith Regan, started in 1994 and ended in late 2006. During its existence, Regan was called, by LA Weekly, "the world's most successful publisher". The division...
. The style was modeled on and inspired by the authors William S. Burroughs
William S. Burroughs
William Seward Burroughs II was an American novelist, poet, essayist and spoken word performer. A primary figure of the Beat Generation and a major postmodernist author, he is considered to be "one of the most politically trenchant, culturally influential, and innovative artists of the 20th...
, Kurt Vonnegut
Kurt Vonnegut
Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. was a 20th century American writer. His works such as Cat's Cradle , Slaughterhouse-Five and Breakfast of Champions blend satire, gallows humor and science fiction. He was known for his humanist beliefs and was honorary president of the American Humanist Association.-Early...
, Aldous Huxley
Aldous Huxley
Aldous Leonard Huxley was an English writer and one of the most prominent members of the famous Huxley family. Best known for his novels including Brave New World and a wide-ranging output of essays, Huxley also edited the magazine Oxford Poetry, and published short stories, poetry, travel...
and Philip K. Dick
Philip K. Dick
Philip Kindred Dick was an American novelist, short story writer and essayist whose published work is almost entirely in the science fiction genre. Dick explored sociological, political and metaphysical themes in novels dominated by monopolistic corporations, authoritarian governments and altered...
. The third and final part of the plan was a coffee table book
Coffee table book
A coffee table book is a hardcover book that is intended to sit on a coffee table or similar surface in an area where guests sit and are entertained, thus inspiring conversation or alleviating boredom. They tend to be oversized and of heavy construction, since there is no pressing need for...
of images related to the novel and the album by Manson and longtime art collaborator P.R. Brown.
Cover art and Chapter 10
During the promotion of the album Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death)Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death)
Holy Wood is the fourth studio album by American rock band Marilyn Manson, released in November 2000 through Nothing and Interscope Records. The album marked a return to the industrial and alternative metal style of the band's earlier efforts, after the modernized glam rock sound of Mechanical...
mid 2000, several secret sister websites were launched containing audio from the album with accompanying images. TheLoveSong.com was one of the first sites to be found and contained a clip of the song "The Love Song
Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death)
Holy Wood is the fourth studio album by American rock band Marilyn Manson, released in November 2000 through Nothing and Interscope Records. The album marked a return to the industrial and alternative metal style of the band's earlier efforts, after the modernized glam rock sound of Mechanical...
" with an image of what looked like the cover of the book. On February 14, 2001, Manson posted a message on his official Bulletin Board System
Bulletin board system
A Bulletin Board System, or BBS, is a computer system running software that allows users to connect and log in to the system using a terminal program. Once logged in, a user can perform functions such as uploading and downloading software and data, reading news and bulletins, and exchanging...
called "They'd Remember 'This As Valentine's Day'". It contained a link which led to an image of Time Magazine dated February 14, 1964; it featured a picture of Marina Oswald on the cover. In the image, a hyperlink on her brooch
Brooch
A brooch ; also known in ancient times as a fibula; is a decorative jewelry item designed to be attached to garments. It is usually made of metal, often silver or gold but sometimes bronze or some other material...
led to Chapter 10 of the book. This was the only extract of the book released.
Although praised by critics, when the Holy Wood album was finally released it was met with disappointing sales in comparison to Manson's previous albums, taking almost a year to reach gold certification
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
in the US. Talk of the aforementioned film and novel slowly died down in the press.
After Holy Wood
In spring 2002 Manson began to again mention the novel in various online journal posts; a release date had been set and that the delay was allegedly due to a certain religion's "way". Many assumed this to be about Christianity but in an interview with The Official PlayStation Magazine to promote his appearance as Edgar in Area 51, and other later statements, it became clear the objection most likely originated from the Church of ScientologyChurch of Scientology
The Church of Scientology is an organization devoted to the practice and the promotion of the Scientology belief system. The Church of Scientology International is the Church of Scientology's parent organization, and is responsible for the overall ecclesiastical management, dissemination and...
as Manson, who previously attended meetings but was unimpressed, had drawn upon the story of Jack Parsons and the novel Sex and Rockets for the book.
Manson last commented on the novel in November 2005 saying that he would like to release it as either a graphic novel or narrative video game. Chuck Palahniuk
Chuck Palahniuk
Charles Michael "Chuck" Palahniuk is an American transgressional fiction novelist and freelance journalist. He is best known for the award-winning novel Fight Club, which was later made into a film directed by David Fincher and starring Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, and Helena Bonham Carter...
has partially read the novel and describes it as "a magical, surreal, poetic story, crammed with detail and cut loose from traditional boring fiction." Magician and friend of Manson, Rudy Coby
Rudy Coby
Rudy Coby, also known as "Labman", is an American comedic magician. He is a member of the Magic Castle in Los Angeles. In the early 1990s, Coby appeared in several small theatrical live shows, and on broadcast television. He is known for delivering eclectic and original comedic performances, of...
, revealed in an interview in October 2010 he has made it "one of [his] missions in life to make sure that Holy Wood is released".