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".

"[3] 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.

[4] 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.

[9] 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.

In spring 2002 Manson began again to 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 Official U.S. 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 Scientology 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.

[10] 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.

"[11] 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".