
Messiah
by Gore Vidal
- First published
- 1965
- Reading level
- Plain English
- Price
- Free
About the book
"Messiah" by Gore Vidal is a satirical novel published in 1954. In this darkly prophetic tale, an American undertaker named John Cave founds a new religion that teaches followers to embrace death rather than fear it. As Cavism spreads across America, it systematically displaces Christianity, erasing cathedrals and rewriting history. The story unfolds through the memoir of Eugene Luther, one of Cave's earliest disciples, who witnesses how the movement's leaders betray their founder and transform his teachings into something far more sinister than he ever imagined.
- Science fiction
- Satire
- Cults
- Suicide
Updated September 2026. Public domain in the USA. Text and summary from Project Gutenberg eBook #73527. Messiah on Wikipedia.

