The Buffalo Hunter HunterThe Buffalo Hunter Hunter
What it's about
In 1912, a Lutheran pastor in Montana records the confessions of a Blackfeet man named Good Stab, who comes to his church week after week to tell a long, strange story. It reaches back to a massacre of Blackfeet people by the U.S. Army decades before, and to a hunger and a vengeance that are not entirely human. A century later, the pastor's descendant finds his journal.
Why it's worth reading
It won the Nebula Award and was a Goodreads Choice finalist for horror. Stephen Graham Jones mixes history and horror into a powerful story about violence and survival in the American West.
You'll love it if you liked
Good to know
It's bloody and graphic. It's told mostly through the pastor's journal, which builds slowly.
By the numbers
- Readers26 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics54 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller37 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz72 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #28 of the 86 horror books we rank
- #74 of the 116 historical novels we rank
- #230 of the 481 new books we rank
- #1290 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Gripping, Dark
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Quick answers
Is The Buffalo Hunter Hunter worth reading?
Yes. It won the Nebula Award and was a Goodreads Choice finalist for horror. It ranks #1,290 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 70.0 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Buffalo Hunter Hunter about?
In 1912, a Lutheran pastor in Montana records the confessions of a Blackfeet man named Good Stab, who comes to his church week after week to tell a long, strange story. It reaches back to a massacre of Blackfeet people by the U.S. Army decades before, and to a hunger and a vengeance that are not entirely human. A century later, the pastor's descendant finds his journal.
How long does it take to read The Buffalo Hunter Hunter?
About 11 hours (444 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has The Buffalo Hunter Hunter won?
Nebula Award winner (2025).
What should I read after The Buffalo Hunter Hunter?
If you liked it, try Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy or The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich.