Book Review by Andrew Evans aka the Pickleball Librarian
Stephen Graham Jones is one of the most prolific modern horror writers. I enjoy his unique stories and many of them have a Native American theme. In “The Buffalo Hunter Hunter,” you have a vampire going after Buffalo hunters in the 19th century. Back then, our country decided the best way to destroy the hunter gatherer’s way of life is to eliminate their food supply. Wipe out the buffalo! Tens of millions of buffalo were killed and just exterminated.
Destroying their way of life would force the indigenous population to live sedentary lifestyles and retreat to reservations. I categorize this book as historical fiction horror. Jones educates the reader about history as he scares the shit out of them!
Jones’s writing is often like reading fine literature because he has a smooth writing style, but this novel is different. He uses three different perspectives: a woman who is struggling in academia trying to get tenure and finds a journal written by an ancestor with the potential to change her career for the better; a Lutheran minister who’s escaping his past involvement in the Marias Massacre; and Good Stab, a member of the Blackfeet tribe called Good Stab (very interesting story) before becoming a vampire.
One criticism I have is how Good Stab often refers to animals based on their characteristics. This was common for Indigenous people during those times. For example, buffaloes are referred to as “blackhorns” and dogs are “wags-his-tails.” I wish there was a glossary to help me understand what exactly Good Slab was referring to. However, doing this added authenticity and helped me internalize the character more.
Unlike much of Jones‘s other works, the reader has to read a little slower and more carefully. Parts of this read more like a history book than a novel. Parts of the story that take place over 100 years ago really have a Gothic feel to it. Jones did a lot of research, and he listed several pages of sources and acknowledgements after the story.
A lot of the horror exists in the retelling of history. 217 black feet laid dead in the snow, and most of them were women, children, and the elderly. This is often a story all society wants to sweep under the rug and try to forget about. I feel knowing about the past, especially our dark past, helps us prevent those atrocities. It helps us see parallels in our current events.
Many vampire stories exist. This one is very unique because of the Native American history involved and how the vampire changes based on diet. The title of the book itself lets you know this is a cool supernatural Native American revenge stoty. Getting a history lesson is a bonus. Enjoy this one!
