Semester of Graduation

Spring 2026

Degree

Master of Fine Arts (MFA)

Department

Department Of English

Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

Crown of Love: Part One is the first half of a literary horror novel about a dating show run by a down-and-out Satanic cult. Recently, the cult has come under new leadership, and in an attempt to raise the funds required to rebuild it and recruit new members, Honza, the deacon, decides to start a paid membership on the darknet. By purchasing a subscription, viewers can watch the cult perform their Satanic rituals. Honza wants the cult to be the first to summon and video record Satan , which requires an elaborate ritual and sixteen female sacrifices. In order to perform the ritual, the cult lures women to their castle in the Northern Czech Republic under the guise of filming a reality dating show called Crown of Love. Here, the women compete for an engagement to Lord Dvořák, a shapeshifting demon. As the weeks progress, and the veil between the human and spirit realms thins, it becomes clear that Crown of Love is less dating show than snuff film. Ultimately, the novel aims to draw a connection between reality television and religious cults, as threats to personal autonomy, while emphasizing how women’s suffering is commodified on-screen.

Date

3-25-2026

Committee Chair

Joshua Wheeler

LSU Acknowledgement

1

LSU Accessibility Acknowledgment

1

Download

Available for download on Wednesday, March 23, 2033

Included in

Fiction Commons

Share

COinS