He is the one with all the bad ideas, that sound hilarious to the yet fully formed brain. Sawyer is a teenage trouble maker who unofficially leads this group of trouble makers. The story is set up with a perfect misdirection, I didn’t even read the back cover so I was totally like clay that SGJ molded into thinking I was reading something else.

A group of rural teens who are super recognizable to this former small-town trouble maker.

The set-up is there paying off the title. So Stephen Graham Jones wrote a new novella and thought he’d play a fun prank on us, and now most of my expectations are dead and I’m starting to feel kind of jealous about it all. “So Shanna got a new job at the movie theatre, we thought we’d play a fun prank on her, and now most of us are dead, and I’m really starting to feel kind of guilty about it all.” STOP RIGHT here so you will not be spoiled and enjoy it. Very Lansdale-like in the ability to use subtle moments to make you smile or feel uncomfortable.Īt this point I want you to know that this novella has a Splatterpunk meets Lansdale and you should read it. The characters leaped off the page and was smile-inducing in the subtle comic observations. As gut-wrenching experience as it was I not alone in saying that the first act was the most entertaining style of the three. The Only Good Indian was structured so each act had a different style of prose. At the same time, he writes beautiful prose, understands his teenage characters, and in this short book subverts expectations. He wants to get to the slasher and most violent stuff when he watches a horror movie. Stephen told me in the interview that he hates slow-burn horror movies. When I say the interview taught me about this book that is what I mean. NOM is the tongue in cheek teen horror that comes very much from a singular voice. A violent prank by an author who is so good that he writes the most artistic of horror fiction while being one of those fans who hates slow-burn arthouse horror. This short book is about teenage pranksters and in a sense, the story itself is a prank. The strength of NOM comes in the playful, sarcastic tone.

Stephen Graham Jones with the back to back of Mongrels and The Only Good Indian cemented himself as an author I will follow to anything he puts between a cover. Here is the thing I am going to state clearly and upfront. I admit my experience of Night of the Mannequins was absolutely influenced by my interview with Stephen early this year on the podcast that shares the name with this blog. Long time fan of Stephen Graham Jones and since my experience reading The Only Good Indian which I have not been shy of spoiling my best of the year list as my favorite novel of the year.

The night of the mannequins