I just finished devouring this new book by Stephen Graham Jones. Despite having just about everybody I respect in the book world (and horror world) talk about this book, I was so excited and delighted to find that it wasn’t just hype - this book truly is incredible.
** Review below has spoilers. Readers beware. **
The Only Good Indians takes its reader on a journey from start to finish, and while not necessarily fitting the typical formula for a horror story, still chilled me to my very core. The creep factor is off the charts. Constantly I was unsettled, made to feel uncomfortable with the surroundings and situations characters were finding themselves in. I had so many of those “something doesn’t feel right” moments, where you want to yell and tell that character to stop, or turn around, or just get the fuck out of there now.
I never would have considered an animal haunting a person to be scary, much less an elk. I grew up in a place where deer roamed free, and they’re just…there. I don’t have a connection with them. I mean, I’m also not Native American. I’ve never had to rely on them for food. But this elk… holy shit. I’ll never look at a deer/elk the same way ever again. I mean, they’re herbivores - we hunt them. But knowing there’s an Elk Head Woman creeping up your stairs, or staring at your between the gaps in the passing train… it gives me shivers. It’s just, if not more, terrifying than any ghost or spirit or ghoul that’s usually haunting me.
Going back to the elk, though. This book was so deep and rich in Native American culture and history. I was so fascinated to learn so much, to have this second-hand experience through these characters. The constant references back to the Indians of the past versus the Indians of the present, and how, despite the changing times and landscapes and technologies, nothing has changed at all. It was upsetting to think about, but also so deeply appreciated as a reader. I was raised in rural England before coming to America at 18, and Native Americans weren’t even mentioned in my education - they were like mythical beings that are too far away from our own middle-of-nowhere to even realize these were real people, not until I was old enough to know that other people actually existed outside of the Shire, despite being biracial myself. This book gave such a bold, unflinching reminder that Native Americans do exist, and have always existed. People living in this country need a reminder of that more than anyone. I mean, Lewis’ name is a beautiful example of that, along with the constant references to Custer and what it means to be a “good Indian” (I had chills when I learned the answer to this). And yet, this book wasn’t necessarily a story of “white vs. minority”, “good vs. evil”. It had more depth than that, underneath the “man vs. nature” that I assume is a part of the American Indian culture (I don’t know enough to know). Their fight, of hunter and elk, went back hundreds of years, if not thousands, and, ultimately, it’s what everything boiled down to. Just a man (or girl) and an elk.
I learned so much from this book, on top of being entertained, which is so valuable. I learned about their connection to the elk and their dependence on them for food. I learned about sweat lodges. I learned about the reality of life on the res. I learned about basketball.
The basketball. I mean, wow. I am not a basketball fan - I don’t like watching, playing, talking, thinking basketball. It’s not my thing, even a bit. And yet, these basketball scenes… I never wanted them to end. They were gripping, heart-pounding, adrenaline-inducing. So many fantasy novels have those long fight scenes, with all this intense, detailed description of a weapons display or magic-wielding or, like prodigal fighting choreography. But this book had basketball, and I loved it. The action, the fighting, it all took place with basketball. The detailed description of every little movement was so fantastic and vivid. I don’t know any basketball terms, but I loved reading these details so I could picture every single motion of Lewis and Shaney and Denorah, not wanting to miss a single moment of what was being unsaid on that court.
On top of that, the running motif throughout the book of newspaper headlines was genius. We see it with Ricky’s newspaper headline telling us how he’s going to end up, with a newspaper snippet giving us hints about Denorah, and Lewis’ habit of writing his own mental headlines. Even Gabe and Cass think about the newspapers, especially with what happened to Ricky and Lewis. These headlines that are constantly reappearing throughout the book remind us that those headlines are all we think about sometimes - what are people going to be saying about us? - and they’re also the main thing we believe when thinking about others. When it comes to an entire race of people, it’s easier to believe the headlines and think everything’s fine than actually think about their quality of life and face some of the guilt as a result. We believe the headlines and the stereotypes and blanket lies. We can’t escape them any more than we can escape Elk Head Woman.
Needless to say, I adored reading this book from beginning to end. I loved that Lewis was a total book nerd. I loved picturing Gabe’s smile. I loved thinking about Denorah on that court, her fist in the air. Stephen Graham Jones, thank you so much for this book.
**If it wasn’t clear, I know minimal-to-nothing about Native American culture and history. Anything I stated/claimed is opinion-based.**