Stephen Graham Jones, author of The Only Good Indians and My Heart is a Chainsaw
About Stephen: Stephen Graham Jones was born in Midland, Texas on January 22nd, 1972. He is currently an English professor at the University of Colorado and an enrolled member of the Blackfeet Tribe of Montana. His writing debut was in the year 2000 with The Fast Red Road and his most recent work was The Angel of Indian Lake in 2024. His works tend to combine his history and experiences as a native American with his preferred genre of horror.
The Only Good Indians: The Only Good Indians was published in 2020 to critical acclaim. The book follows several Blackfeet men haunted by a nature spirit that seems to be seeking revenge over their shared past. The book seems to combine the classic revenge-haunting story with traditional Blackfeet folklore, successfully bringing frontier horror to a modern setting. The book seems to discuss traditions, why we keep them, and the consequences of breaking them.
My Heart is a Chainsaw: My Heart is a Chainsaw was published in 2021 to great anticipation after the reception of The Only Good Indians. The book follows a struggling high school senior and fan of slasher movies who tries to catch a local murderer by using the genre's tropes. The book most prominently displays a discussion of mental health and the catharsis of violent justice, and Jones has admitted to wanting to deconstruct slashers to examine these themes.
Jones in his office at the university of Colorado, date unknown.
The Washington Post's review of The Only Good Indians: The Washington Post describes The Only Good Indians' core theme as "fate vs. human will"(2). This conclusion is supported by the books inciting incident, which sets up a "natural" force that seeks revenge for human intervention. The topic of fate is one that seems to regularly reemerge in the native American experience. Preserving the balance between man and nature is a prevalent issue in native spiritualism, but the fated dogma of manifest destiny sacrificed native homeland to a similar "balance". Human will can be personified as greed both historically and within the novel, as shown by Jones' "exploring Native American deer and elk mythology and delving into the importance of elk ivory. Mature elks have two ivory canines — prized by Native American jewelers as well as collectors"(2). All in all The Only Good Indians seems to be a fascinating look into what humanity can and should take from the world.
NPR's review of My Heart is a Chainsaw: At a surface level, My Heart is a Chainsaw could be described as, "a beautiful love letter to horror movies"(3). But beyond the litany of slasher references and pop culture icons lies something far more intellectually toothsome. NPR describes Jones' novels as "literary cakes that lure readers with their frosting of blood and chaos and then surprise them with the smart, soulful goodness lying underneath"(3), a description exemplified by this book. At it's core, My heart is a Chainsaw is about abuse and how we cope with it, exploring how many use the horror of fiction to avoid real-life issues.
Personal Reflections: As a fan of horror as a genre, Jones' work pulled me in almost immediately. The Only Good Indians tickles a less intellectual side of me, as it seems appealing more due to it's style of horror than any deeper meanings. My Heart is a Chainsaw however, surprised me. Jones seems to have made the typically low-brow slasher genre into a philosophical discussion on the ethics of violence. I've always been perplexed by how the bloodlust of an individual is criminal while the sadism of a mob is justice. Jones even seems to warn the reader against using the slapdash morality of slashers for catharsis, lest it corrupt your judgement.
(1) “Stephen Graham Jones.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 8 Mar. 2024, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Graham_Jones.
(2) Toll, Martha Anne. “‘the Only Good Indians,’ by Stephen Graham Jones Book Review - ...” The Washington Post, 16 July 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/in-stephen-graham-joness-riveting-the-only-good-indians-old-friends-try-to-outrun-a-past-mistake/2020/07/15/3c16f220-c6ba-11ea-b037-f9711f89ee46_story.html.
(3) Iglesias, Gabino. “Slasher Films Provide the Lens That Frames This Horror Story.” NPR, NPR, 1 Sept. 2021, www.npr.org/2021/09/01/1031875240/my-heart-is-a-chainsaw-stephen-graham-jones review.
Both of these novels seem very interesting! The NPR review definitely stood out to me the most when they mentioned that My Heart is a Chainsaw is a "beautiful love letter to horror movies." I would have never guessed something lovely could be connected to horror, so I would love to see how this author explores these genres in this novel.
ReplyDeleteI think it is very interesting how Stephen Jones is an active member of a tribe. It certainly allows him to add interesting perspectives to his stories, which already sound fascinating. The horror aspect creates interesting storylines, which makes me intrigued to read. Great work.
ReplyDeleteI find the way you lay out the information here extremely engaging. You mention Jones' Blackfeet Tribe membership in the biographical section, and tie it into his writing throughout the rest of the blog. You also perfectly balanced information about the novels, not giving too much away, but giving succinct summaries of the works' setups and importance ideas. The reviews you included also give more weight to reading the novels, informing the reader on how the works rise above generic horror writing.
ReplyDeleteBoth of these novels seem very interesting to read. I also find interesting that Stephen Jones is into horror, which I feel like makes me even more interested to read. Overall I think you did a very good job.
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