Synopsis:
The Buffalo Hunter Hunter is a chilling historical horror novel set in the American west in 1912 following a Lutheran priest who transcribes the life of a vampire who haunts the fields of the Blackfeet reservation looking for justice.
A diary, written in 1912 by a Lutheran pastor is discovered within a wall. What it unveils is a slow massacre, a chain of events that go back to 217 Blackfeet dead in the snow. Told in transcribed interviews by a Blackfeet named Good Stab, who shares the narrative of his peculiar life over a series of confessional visits. This is an American Indian revenge story written by one of the new masters of horror, Stephen Graham Jones.
Other SGJ Titles I’ve Reviewed
My Edition:
E-ARC provided by Net Galley
My Thoughts:
The Buffalo Hunter Hunter is another shining example of the caliber of writing that Stephen Graham Jones is capable of. The story is told in competing POVs, which could have gotten messy, but most assuredly did not. There is the conversation between the Luthern priest and a Blackfeet man called Good Stab, journal entries by the priest, and also through the POV and journal entries of the priest’s descendant Etsy (living more or less in modern day). This all pans out simultaneously throughout The Buffalo Hunter Hunter in an easy to follow and incredibly engaging way. I know some people feel that SGJ’s work can take some easing into, but as per usual I was hooked by the end of the first paragraph.
Like his other works, this isn’t the type of book you’re going to fly through or read in your spare time. It’s fairly lengthy, and it is crushingly heavy. But once again, it’s worth the pain. The story itself is beautifully told. There are all the themes you might now expect from Jones: you’re going to have to contend with the horrors of the colonization of so-called “early America,” the near extinction level brutal killing of buffalo, racism, genocide, vengeance, vigilante justice, and the like. If you’re familiar with SGJ’s Earthdivers comics, the vibes are not dissimilar. You get to see a little bit of justice served on super shitty people perpetrating unfathomably shitty crimes on indigenous people.
“What started 143 years ago ends today, one way or another.”
I loved every single word on all 448 pages. I cried. A lot. And I felt so, so angry. But there’s some catharsis in seeing vengeance visited down upon the people responsible for “settling” (I can’t roll my eyes hard enough) this land. And I say that as someone likely descended from some of those same people – I don’t know, really, and I’ll be damned if I’m selling my DNA to a private corporation in the interest of finding out I’m descended from human garbage. Thanks, but no thanks.
Even those of us who aren’t willing to admit it (*ahem* because it’s not politically expedient, I imagine) know that trauma leaves a long and lasting legacy [ALLITERATION FUCKING KILL ME]. I think that not only is The Buffalo Hunter Hunter outwardly addressing that, but it feels to me that all SGJ’s work attempts to address and possibly redress it – even if only in a fictional sense. So don’t worry, you’re not reading about the dark and terrible history of early America just to grind yourself down. You might learn something. About history, about indigenous people, or maybe even about yourself. Or maybe you won’t. I’m not here to tell you what to take away from this or any other media. But I will tell you that I come away from every one of Jones’ novels feeling like I’ve added a little richness to my worldview.
On a lighter note that probably feels completely out of pocket after that, The Buffalo Hunter Hunter gives a really interesting take on vampire lore that is somewhat different than I am used to, and I like to think I’m pretty well versed in vampire business. So that’s also a huge point in its favor. Some of it is stuff I’ve seen used before, but not this well, while other bits I’m not sure I’ve ever encountered elsewhere. So, good times.
Rating:
This one didn’t require a break like The Only Good Indians where I had to just sit with myself for a while and let some of that crushing tension dissipate, but it was a damned good story that I tried really hard not to get specific with because I REALLY want everyone to get to experience the particulars themselves.
The Buffalo Hunter Hunter
By Stephen Graham Jones
Saga Press
ISBN: 9781668075081
Published: March 18, 2025
Hardcover, Paperback, E-book, Audio
448 Pages
