Could Stephen Graham Jones be theJordan Peeleof horror literature?
This exclusive first look at his next novel indicates he just might be.
Thats one way to say it.
Credit: Gallery/Saga Press
Ricky had hired on with a drilling crew over in North Dakota.
Because he was the only Indian, he was Chief.
It was just a running reminder how shit the reservation was, how boring, how nothing.
It meant they might not slip off in winter.
He also didnt say that, first paycheck, he was gone to Minneapolis, bye.
This had been happening more and more to him the last few months.
Ricky wondered how the funeral had gone.
He wondered what that big mulie saw, really.
If it was just waiting all of these two-leggers out.
Cheeto would have thought it was a pretty deer, Ricky figured.
His orange hair put enough of a bullseye on his back, though.
Eating rabbit food would have just gotmore dumb Indians lining up to put him down.
Sure, he could be this crews chain monkey for a week or two.
Whatever the bow and arrow version of a chain monkey was, thatd be Ricky Boss Ribss station.
What had it felt like, bringing meat to the whole tribe.
All he was going to hunt in Minneapolis was tacos, and a bed.
But, until then, this beer would work.
The bar was all roughnecks, wall to wall.
No fights yet, but give it time.
There was another Indian, Dakota probably, nursing a bottle in a corner by the pool tables.
More important, there was a blond waitress balancing a tray of empties between and among.
Fifty sets of eyes were tracking her, easy.
Ricky lifted his bottle in greeting, across all the miles.
Four beers and nine country songs later, he was standing in line for the urinal.
At the exit the bouncer opened his meaty hand against Rickys chest, warned him about leaving.
Something about the headcount and the fire marshal.
It was the queue Ricky would have to mill around in to wait his turn to get back in.
But it was starting to not really be his decision anymore, right?
He could stand in a thirty-minute line to eyeball that blond waitress some more, sure.
**
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