Horror Annotation

 

Title: The Only Good Indians

Author: Stephen Graham Jones

Publication Date: 2020

Genre: Horror

Number of Pages: 305

Geographical Setting: North Dakota, Montana

Time Period: approximately current day 

Series: none/standalone 

Plot Summary: Ten years ago, four Blackfeet men went on a hunt. Something happened on that hunt, something bad. Something that none of them wants to talk about or even think about. But their actions on that fateful trip are about to have devastating consequences, because now something is hunting them. Part supernatural slasher gore-fest, part slow burn commentary on Native life both on and off reservations, The Only Good Indians is broken into parts to tell the stories of Ricky, Cass, Lewis, and Gabe as they each try to navigate a violent past and a bleak future. 

Subject Headings: Indian men -- Fiction.

Revenge -- Fiction.

Survival -- Fiction.

Appeal:

• A nightmare tone: All of the emotional beats for a classic horror novel are here: "dread and chill, a sense of menace, a feeling of terror" (Wyatt & Saricks, 2019, p. 239). There are plenty of non-horrific moments in the book, pages and pages where nothing scary is happening. But it starts on a violent note and the reader is aware that something very bad is about to happen to these characters. We don't exactly know what and we don't exactly know when, but that makes the dread build even higher in periods of relative peace. 
• Haunted protagonists: Some of the characters feel the impact of their actions on the hunting trip more than others, but they're all broken somehow - by reservation life, by leaving or staying, by disappointing family members, by the violent deaths of loved ones. 
• Supernatural framing, human story line: Not to give too much away, but the Big Bad of the novel is decisively supernatural, and heavily inspired by Blackfeet mythology. It also happens to fall into my favorite horror trope of all time, something my husband and I lovingly refer to as "weird deer." This book is part ghost story, part revenge slasher, and very monster-heavy. However, like Wyatt & Saricks mention, "[u]nderneath the details and blueprint of Horror are stories of deep-seated anxieties about human nature" (p. 240). The characters openly reflect on what it means to be a good man, a good Blackfoot, a good father or son or husband. And the penalties for failing to measure up to that goodness are dire, punishments outweighing crimes by a wide margin. 
• Creative styling and jumpy pacing: By dividing the novel up into sections, focusing on each character in turn, Graham Jones really ratchets up the terror. We move through one person's entire, awful experience, reaching a bloody conclusion...and then we turn the page and find ourselves with a new, innocent protagonist who has absolutely no idea they're next. "Pacing in this genre is erratic, to better match the unpredictable flow of the story" (Wyatt & Saricks, 2019, p. 243). Some parts of the novel are slow, slow burns, embodying the storyteller approach to horror. And other parts are visceral, action-packed, non-stop adrenaline fuel. When you turn to a new character's section, you really don't know what you're going to get. 

Terms that best describe this book: Brutal, violent, engaging 

Relevant Fiction Works and Authors: 

• There, There by Tommy Orange: For readers more interested in the idea of exploring reservation life and Native communities by following multiple characters, and less interested in vengeful spirits wreaking havoc, this book would be a good way of exploring the same themes present in The Only Good Indians without the horror trappings. 
• White Horse by Erika T. Wurth: Both novels are noted for their "menacing" and "creepy" tones, both deal with Indigenous characters reckoning with a past mistake or incident, and the language/writing style of both novels is "sparse prose." 
• Bad Cree by Jessica Johns: A Cree woman who left her family and reservation must return to grapple with her sister's death and confront her nightmares in this magical realism horror novel. A different country and a different tribe might interest readers who enjoyed the reservation setting of The Only Good Indians. 

Relevant Non-Fiction Works and Authors: 

• Blackfeet Indian Stories by George Bird Grinnell: Considered to be a faithful collection and translation of traditional Blackfeet stories, published in the 19th century. this book might help readers contextualize the characters of The Only Good Indians, as we can imagine these are the stories they grew up on. 
• The Sun Came Down: The History of the World as My Blackfeet Elders Told It by Percy Bullchild: For nonfiction readers who appreciated the "own voices" tone of The Only Good Indians and want to read more about the history and culture of the Blackfeet tribe. 
• Women of Myth: From Deer Woman and Mami Wata to Amaterasu and Athena, Your Guide to the Amazing and Diverse Women from World Mythology by Jenny Williamson and Genn McMenemy: The monster from the novel was created by Graham Jones, but she's based on a real mythological figure from Native American lore. For information about the deer woman, and to read more about figures of mythology beyond the most well-known, there are many options - including this beautifully illustrated one. 

Relevant Multimedia tie-ins: 

• Lore (podcast): The premise of this podcast is simple but effective - each bi-weekly episode goes into depth about a bit of folklore. The tone is often creepy, and listeners get to learn a bit of history and culture while also getting goosebumps. Episode 61 is actually about the Deer Woman, so start there for an extra tie-in. 
• The Forest (video game): This is a survival horror video game where you control a plane crash survivor, exploring the vast woods where you've landed. During the day, you collect materials and build shelter, waiting to be rescued. During the night...the monsters come out. For readers who liked the tense, hide-and-seek chase at the end of the novel, this might pump your heartrate up in the same way. 
• Basketball or Nothing (TV series - Netflix): Basketball is a huge theme in The Only Good Indians - generations of characters bond over the sport, and it's often seen as a way out, a way to a better life. Basketball plays a major role in Lewis and Gabe's stories in particular. This documentary show follows students at Chinle High School on the Navajo reservation through the lens of basketball. 
• Spirit Island (board game): Maybe you found yourself sympathizing a little bit with the antagonist of the novel. In that case, you might be interested in Spirit Island, a cooperative board game where players take on the roles of terrifying nature spirits, like "Serpent Slumbering Beneath the Island" or "Shadows Flicker Like Flame", as they use their powerful elemental magics to remove settlers and invaders from their lands. 
• The Ritual (movie) - Four friends go into the ancient Swedish forest to bond and deal with the trauma and grief of losing one of their loved ones, but when something in the woods starts to hunt them, their ties of friendship begin to fray. Despite being a British film set in mainland Europe, this movie has a ton in common with The Only Good Indians, up to and including a terrifying "weird deer" monster.