Don’t Fear the Reaper
By Stephen Graham Jones
Saga Press 2023

Set four years after the events of My Heart is a Chainsaw, Don’t Fear the Reaper—the new book in the “Indian Lake Trilogy” from horror author Stephen Graham Jones—follows Jennifer “Jade” Daniels as she returns to Proofrock, Idaho with a new (old) name and a new (old) hairstyle, determined to move on with her life after the Independence Day Massacre. Jade no longer sees the world through slasher-colored glasses. In fact, she can make it through whole conversations now without referencing a horror film, thank you very much. Unfortunately for Jade and the citizens of Proofrock, a serial killer named Dark Mill South has escaped from custody near town right as the worst snowstorm in decades is about to hit. Another slasher cycle is beginning.

In contrast to My Heart is a Chainsaw, which is a character-focused story that becomes a slasher about three-quarters of the way in, Don’t Fear the Reaper starts slashing right out of the gate and doesn’t let up until the very end. The pacing is brisk but controlled, keeping both the characters and readers on their toes. Horror tableaus appear at regular intervals throughout the novel; each one pulling inspiration from different horror films. But it’s not just all slashing all the time with only a passing thought given to character development. Quite the opposite.

The people of Proofrock, as Sheriff Hardy says early in the novel, are suffering from trauma and PTSD. They might seem fine most of the time, but it’s easy to see the lingering effects of the Independence Day Massacre—during which many members of the community where slaughtered on Indian Lake during the annual Fourth of July viewing of Jaws—if you know where to look:

If you watch their faces, their eyes, then it’s business as usual, they’ve already put that night behind them, are just thinking about the future, or the moment, not that night in the water. But don’t fall for those poker faces…They’ll make it three minutes, five minutes, their book distracting them, this phone call taking all their attention, this bite of omelette so perfect. But then, when their mental discipline slips—you can see it happen: a shoulder will twitch, a hand will clench into a sudden fist. A chest will fill with air as if the lake is washing over them all over again.

Some characters suffer more outwardly than others, more physically than others. Like the sheriff who was gutted on the lake or Letha who is partway through a painful jaw reconstruction process. Others struggle in quieter, more private ways. Like Rexall, who has fallen into depression.

The nuanced exploration of trauma is one of the things that makes this book so compelling. Stephen Graham Jones doesn’t shy away from depictions of trauma and PTSD including both the over-the-top and unlikely, like the Independence Day Massacre, and the ordinary and mundane, such as inappropriate relationships and casual and systemic racism. The book is full of them.

The ordinary and mundane moments make Proofrock feel real, and the characters feel like they could walk off the page. They aren’t just expendable horror archetypes. Jade and the citizens of Proofrock have also continued to grow off-page during the four years that have elapsed between books. These aren’t the same characters because no one would be the same after such a traumatic event. How they handle this new slasher situation is informed by what they’ve experienced in the past.

But importantly, through all the social commentary and quiet moments designed to make readers think about these characters and sit in the trauma the characters have suffered, the book never forgets that it’s first and foremost a slasher. It’s a delicate balance, and one that could easily tip one way or the other in the hands of a lesser writer.

This book doesn’t take itself too seriously; and that’s a good thing. It knows it’s ridiculous. It knows it’s an unabashed romp overflowing with horror film references, and that many readers are here for the slashing. It relishes in the over-the-top kills, the movie references, and the quippy dialogue between Jade and her now-horror-film-obsessed friend Letha.

Don’t Fear the Reaper is a horror story for people who love horror stories, written by an author who loves horror stories. It’s brimming with references to horror films—from the chapter titles to the deaths to the dialogue. The enthusiasm that Stephen Graham Jones has for this genre drips off the page. It’s impossible to have a bad time with a book so infused with joy and passion. With the perfect mix of horror tropes, social commentary, and levity, Stephen Graham Jones has created a story that tackles tough subjects without taking itself too seriously. It revels in the larger slasher genre of which it is a part. And it never forgets to be fun.

Amberlee Venters is a freelance editor and writer living in Northern California.