Book Review: The Buffalo Hunter Hunter

This year, I'm keeping track of what I read. Whether I enjoy the book or not, I'll post a blurb and brief review. Most will be speculative fiction in some form—genres I gravitate toward in my own writing. Today, it's the historical horror novel The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones.

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.

This is my first encounter with Jones's work, and I've got to say, his wordsmithing is something special. I was impressed by the distinctive voices of his characters, and how well he adapted the writing style to fit different time periods; seriously, the prose was a joy to read. Even so, this is a bloody disgusting book filled with self-loathing, psychological torture, and revisionist history. Compelling? Heck yes, as long as you don't mind Interview with a Vampire in the Montana Territory or the shark-jumping at the end. (I'm looking at you, giant prairie dog.) 4 out of 5 stars for keeping me reading this long-winded tragedy, and for making me feel every single punch to the gut.