The Only Good Indians

Reviews

"This story of young Blackfeet Indian men who believe they are being tormented by the spirit of a pregnant elk they killed is destined to be a classic in the miniscule genre of Native American horror fiction. The frightening tone of the audiobook is enhanced by the narration of Shaun Taylor–Corbett, who, like the author, is Native American. His flat, unemotional recitation of the horrible events makes them even more intense. As the story marries authentic Native American life with what is either a vengeful spirit or a psychotic breakdown, Taylor–Corbett gives nothing away. The protagonist learned long ago that killing is a part of life, but killing an elk in a sacred place has shattered his beliefs, causing him to spiral into madness—or to become a victim of the supernatural." “Thrilling, literate, scary, immersive. Bonus: The most terrifying one-on-one basketball contest ever. Makes that kid and the devil fighting for a golden fiddle look tame.”—Stephen King , #1 New York Times Bestselling Author “The Only Good Indians is scary good. Stephen Graham Jones is one of our most talented and prolific living writers. The book is full of humor and bone chilling images. It’s got love and revenge, blood and basketball. More than I could have asked for in a novel. It also both reveals and subverts ideas about contemporary Native life and identity. Novels can do some much to render actual and possible lives lived. Stephen Graham Jones truly knows how to do this, and how to move us through a story at breakneck (literally) speed. I’ll never see an elk or hunting, or what a horror novel can do the same way again.”

—Tommy Orange, Pulitzer Prize finalist of There There "I like stories where nobody escapes their pasts because it's what I fear most."—Terese Marie Mailhot, New York Times bestselling author of Heart Berries “A heartbreakingly beautiful story about hope and survival, grappling with themes of cultural identity, family, and traditions.” —Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW “This novel works both as a terrifying chiller and as biting commentary on the existential crisis of indigenous peoples adapting to a culture that is bent on eradicating theirs.” —Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW “Subtly funny and wry at turns, this novel will give you nightmares. The good kind, of course.”—Buzzfeed "The best yet from one of the best in the business. An emotional depth that staggers, built on guilt, identity, one's place in the world, what's right and what's wrong. The Only Good Indians has it all: style, elevation, reality, the unreal, revenge, warmth, freezing cold, and even some slashing. In other words, the book is made up of everything Stephen Graham Jones seemingly explores and, in turn, everything the rest of us want to explore with him." 

—Josh Malerman, New York Times bestselling author of Bird Box and A House at the Bottom of a Lake.  "How long must we pay for our mistakes, for our sins? Does a thoughtless act doom us for eternity? This is a novel of profound insight and horror, rich with humor and intelligence. The Only Good Indians is a triumph; somehow it’s a great story and also a meditation on stories. I've wondered who would write a worthy heir to Peter Straub's Ghost Story. Now I know the answer: Stephen Graham Jones."

—Victor LaValle, author of The Ballad of Black Tom and The Changeling Expand reviews