The Priest by Thomas M. Disch is a provocative and chilling horror novel that dives headfirst into the darkest corners of faith, guilt, and corruption. Set in present-day Minneapolis, the story follows Father Patrick Bryce, a Catholic priest recently returned from a church-run rehabilitation centre for pedophiles. Though deemed “reformed,” Father Pat is still a predator—only more cunning at hiding his sins. When a series of increasingly bizarre and escalating blackmail demands descend on him—from his own bishop and others—Father Pat finds himself forced into grotesque acts of penance, including heading a militant anti-abortion campaign and enduring extreme personal humiliation.
But his torment isn’t confined to the present. Plagued by vivid, terrifying visions, Father Pat begins to experience life through the eyes of a 13th-century bishop, Silvanus de Roquefort. As the narrative toggles between centuries, the line between dream and reality blurs, revealing a grotesque tapestry of corruption, spiritual decay, and institutional rot that spans the ages. With sharp wit and macabre imagination, Disch crafts a gothic tale that is both psychologically intense and darkly satirical.
Described as “fiendishly comic” and “hypnotically disturbing,” The Priest is a uniquely unsettling novel—a scathing indictment of religious hypocrisy wrapped in horror fiction at its most inventive. Perfect for readers who appreciate literary horror with psychological depth and sociopolitical edge.
