Night of the Mannequins - by Stephen Graham Jones (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Buffalo Hunter Hunter, Stephen Graham Jones, comes a slasher story where a teen prank goes very wrong and all hell breaks loose in a small town. Winner of both the 2020 Bram Stoker and Shirley Jackson Awards!

We thought we'd play a fun prank on her, and now most of us are dead.

One last laugh for the summer as it winds down. One last prank just to scare a friend. Bringing a mannequin into a theater is just some harmless fun, right? Until it wakes up. Until it starts killing.

Luckily, Sawyer has a plan. He'll be a hero. He'll save everyone to the best of his ability. He'll do whatever he needs to so he can save the day.

That's the thing about heroes--sometimes you have to become a monster first.

"A fairy tale of impermanence showcasing Graham Jones's signature style of smart, irreverent horror."
--The New York Times

Review Quotes

WINNER OF THE 2020 BRAM STOKER AWARD FOR SUPERIOR ACHIEVEMENT IN LONG FICTION!
WINNER OF THE 2020 SHIRLEY JACKSON AWARD FOR BEST NOVELLA!

"Suffused with questions about the nature of change and friendship, Night of the Mannequins is a fairy tale of impermanence showcasing Graham Jones's signature style of smart, irreverent horror."
--The New York Times

"A funny and harrowing parable about adolescent alienation that shows Jones in top form."
--The Toronto Star

"Night of the Mannequins is dark and twisted, funny, a little crazy, and unsettling as hell."
--Christopher Golden, New York Times bestselling author of Road of Bones

"Propulsive and poignant, capturing the mundane terror of adolescence, and adding that ever-so-essential dab of killer mannequin."
--Sarah Langan, author of Good Neighbors

"A hotter voice in horror would be hard to find these days, and Graham Jones does not disappoint, delivering another masterpiece. Give to fans of slasher or serial killer tales."
--Library Journal, STARRED review

"Wicked and wry, this is a terrific story by one of my favorite writers, Stephen Graham Jones. Tip-top with a twist of dread."
--Joe R. Lansdale

"Stephen Graham Jones's range ... is staggering. In this novella he juggles--sometimes in very sly ways--slasher stories, coming of age horror, traditions of madness and unreliability, and Kaiju to create an amazingly speedy, voice-driven read that's tons of fun."
--Brian Evenson, author of Song for the Unraveling of the World

"Jones tiptoes the border between supernatural and psychological horror in this weird and wild novella... Balancing horror and humor, this novella puts a clever modern twist on a classic monster story."
--Publishers Weekly

"Readers will delight more than once in the realization that they might be reading a different story from the one they thought was unfolding... trust Jones and enjoy the ride."
--Shelf Awareness

"Sly, surprising psychic sleight-of-hand, in a tale of teenage madness where the next plastic face might be your own."
--John Skipp

About the Author

Stephen Graham Jones is the New York Times bestselling author of The Only Good Indians. He has been an NEA fellowship recipient and a recipient of several awards including the Ray Bradbury Award from the Los Angeles Times, The Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award, the Bram Stoker Award, the Shirley Jackson Award, the Locus Award, the Jesse Jones Award for Best Work of Fiction from the Texas Institute of Letters, the Independent Publishers Award for Multicultural Fiction, and the Alex Award from American Library Association. He is the Ivena Baldwin Professor of English at the University of Colorado Boulder.