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Book Club: Let's Talk About 'The Buffalo Hunter Hunter'

Oct 31, 2025

Gilbert Cruz, the Editor of the New York Times Book Review, teams up with critic Joumana Khatib to delve into Stephen Graham Jones's "The Buffalo Hunter Hunter." They explore the intertwining narratives of a modern worker discovering a historical journal and an Indigenous vampire seeking revenge. The discussion highlights the metaphor of vampirism in relation to colonial violence, emotional themes of alienation, and the unique twist on vampire lore. They also debate the graphic violence and symbolic implications of character transformations, igniting a captivating conversation.

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INSIGHT

Accessible Yet Rich Horror

The panel chose The Buffalo Hunter Hunter because it balances accessible horror with deep themes.
The novel works for both genre fans and newcomers by layering history and scares.

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ANECDOTE

Three-Layered Story Structure

Joumana summarizes the nested narratives and introduces Etsy, Bokarn and Goodstab.
She highlights Goodstab's confession as the central device driving the historical storyline.

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INSIGHT

Vampire As Avenging Metaphor

Gilbert argues the vampire functions as a metaphor for avenging Indigenous resistance.
The creature channels both fantasy retribution and commentary on settler violence.

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What is The Buffalo Hunter Hunter about?

03:03 • 2min

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Initial impressions and whether panelists liked the book

05:08 • 2min

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Vampire as metaphor and historical revenge

06:48 • 1min

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Emotional core: alienation and hunger in Goodstab

07:58 • 2min

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How Jones reworks vampire lore

10:03 • 3min

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Memorable imagery and cinematic horror scenes

12:33 • 6min

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Reader reactions and debates about violence

Spoiler alert: major plot developments

22:54 • 2min

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How Goodstab defeats Catman

24:40 • 46sec

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Etsy's discovery and the prairie dog twist

25:26 • 2min

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Reactions to the animal-transform ending

27:00 • 4min

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What do we think of the frame narrative?

31:28 • 4min

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Arthur Bokarn's culpability and symbolism

35:35 • 2min

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Reading experience: complexity and replay value

37:24 • 2min

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Standout scenes and final reflections

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“The Buffalo Hunter Hunter,” by Stephen Graham Jones, is two things at once: a searching historical novel that examines America’s past sins and also a gory horror thriller.

The book opens in 2012, when a construction worker in a dilapidated church parsonage finds a 100-year-old journal written by a pastor named Arthur Beaucarne. The journal recounts a strange tale: In 1912, a mysterious Indigenous man, Good Stab of the Blackfeet tribe, walked into Arthur’s church and revealed the harrowing and disturbing story of how he had been transformed into a vampire who sought revenge for the violence done unto his people.

In this Halloween episode of the Book Review Book Club, the host MJ Franklin discusses “The Buffalo Hunter Hunter” with his colleagues Gilbert Cruz and Joumana Khatib.

Other books and movies mentioned during this discussion:

“Dracula,” by Bram Stoker

“Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil,” by V.E. Schwab

“Sinners,” directed by Ryan Coogler

“Twilight,” by Stephenie Meyer

“Twin Peaks: The Return,” created and directed by David Lynch

“Pushing the Bear: After the Trail of Tears,” by Diane Glancy

“Lone Women,” by Victor LaValle

“The Reformatory,” by Tananarive Due

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