Not Your Typical Horror Novel

by Skylar Edwards

Looking for a horror novel that’s more than just jump scares and gore? Stephen Graham Jones’ The Only Good Indians is a horror novel that blends supernatural horror with cultural reckoning. Centered on four Native American friends, the novel explores the gruesome repercussions of breaking tradition and the price that comes with it.

From the very first chapter, Jones wastes no time. The novel opens with a brutal act of violence typical of a horror novel. What’s most notable, though, is how Jones shifts between different modes of horror: gruesome body horror, creeping psychological dread, and even moments of classic slasher suspense. At first, the changes in style might feel jarring, but they serve a purpose. Each shift reflects how the antagonist interacts with each character. Jones’ choice makes the story unpredictable and keeps readers on edge.

The Only Good Indians follows four Blackfeet men, who, as teenagers, trespassed onto forbidden hunting land and slaughtered a herd of elk. Among their kills was a pregnant cow elk. That act of disrespect sets off a chain of consequences none of them can escape. Years later, each man is forced to face the aftermath of that day as a vengeful elk spirit returns for revenge.

The narrative unfolds through four different perspectives, one for each friend, which allows us to understand the effects of their mistake from multiple angles. Ricky appears first, and though his section is brief, his violent end sets the tone of the novel. Lewis, who has moved off the reservation and built a life with his wife, carries the heaviest guilt from their hunt; his paranoia pulls the book into psychological horror. Gabe, still on the reservation and struggling as a father, embodies the way that the past bleeds into the next generation through his daughter, Deborah. Cass is rooted in community traditions and seems grounded, but allows anger and suspicion to twist his choices.

By the time the story reaches the reservation, it almost feels like you’re reading a new book. The voices of each narrator allow readers access to their unique fears and regrets which turn this into a personal horror. This style not only builds suspense but also forces readers to sit with the characters’ humanity.

At its heart, The Only Good Indians isn’t just horror; within it is an important message. It is a commentary on identity and generational responsibility. Jones expands this idea by showing how the younger generation inherit wounds that aren’t their own.

Another strength of Jones’ writing is his ability to balance horror with tenderness. Amid the tension, there are moments of love, humor, and hope. These flashes of humanity develop the horror because it seems like something real and fragile is being disrupted.

What makes The Only Good Indians stand out isn’t just the scares (though there are plenty of those), it’s the way Jones writes with total freedom, unafraid to break the so-called “rules” of horror fiction. His combination of ordinary characters, genre-shifting, and cultural commentary lends itself to the novel feeling raw and original.. This book will feel like a shock to the system in the best way possible.

In the end, The Only Good Indians is more than just a horror story; it’s a novel about memory, guilt, and what happens when traditions are ignored. Readers will find the blood, suspense, and unease they expect, but they’ll also leave with something deeper: the lingering question of how the past continues to hunt us. It’s a novel that unsettles us not just because of what’s on the page, but because of what it forces us to consider about ourselves, our histories, and the debts we can never quite pay off.