FINALIST FOR THE SHIRLEY JACKSON AWARD * FINALIST FOR THE BRAM STOKER AWARD * FINALIST FOR THE THIS IS HORROR AWARD * HONORABLE MENTION, LOCUS AWARDS * NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF 2016 BY TOR.COM AND BOOK RIOT
A spellbinding and darkly humorous coming-of-age story about an unusual boy, whose family lives on the fringe of society and struggles to survive in a hostile world that shuns and fears them.
He was born an outsider, like the rest of his family. Poor yet resilient, he lives in the shadows with his aunt Libby and uncle Darren, folk who stubbornly make their way in a society that does not understand or want them. They are mongrels, mixed blood, neither this nor that. The boy at the center of Mongrels must decide if he belongs on the road with his aunt and uncle, or if he fits with the people on the other side of the tracks.
For ten years, he and his family have lived a life of late-night exits and narrow escapes--always on the move across the South to stay one step ahead of the law. But the time is drawing near when Darren and Libby will finally know if their nephew is like them or not. And the close calls they've been running from for so long are catching up fast now. Everything is about to change.
A compelling and fascinating journey, Mongrels alternates between past and present to create an unforgettable portrait of a boy trying to understand his family and his place in a complex and unforgiving world. A smart and innovative story-- funny, bloody, raw, and real--told in a rhythmic voice full of heart, Mongrels is a deeply moving, sometimes grisly, novel that illuminates the challenges and tender joys of a life beyond the ordinary in a bold and imaginative new way.
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Spanning slasher fiction, Rez Gothic horror, and experimental narrative, modern horror fiction has been significantly shaped by novels such as The Only Good Indians and My Heart Is a Chainsaw. Stephen Graham Jones is an American author who has published over thirty novels, novellas, short story collections, and comic books since 2000. His short fiction has been selected for major anthologies including The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror, The Best Horror of the Year vol.2, and The Year's Best Dark Fantasy and Horror.
Recognized with honors such as the Bram Stoker Award, the Shirley Jackson Award, the Los Angeles Times Ray Bradbury Prize, and an NEA fellowship, Jones blends Indigenous life with classical subgenre mechanics. His storytelling provides fresh perspectives on slasher conventions and contemporary Native American experiences.
Born in Midland, Texas, on January 22, 1972, Jones grew up in West Texas. He earned a Bachelor of Arts from Texas Tech University, a Master of Arts from the University of North Texas, and a Ph.D. from Florida State University. He launched his fiction career in 2000 with the novel The Fast Red Road. Early in his career, his work was nominated for the International Horror Guild Award and the Black Quill award. Jones currently serves as the Ineva Baldwin Professor of English and teaches in the MFA program at the University of Colorado Boulder.
Over his career, Jones has received accolades across multiple literary associations, including the Jesse Jones Award for Best Work of Fiction from the Texas Institute of Letters, the Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award, the August Derleth British Fantasy Award, the Independent Publishers Award for Multicultural Fiction, and the Western Literature Association's Distinguished Achievement Award. His biographical entries across trade releases include background material provided From publisher notes alongside academic citations.
Jones is known for his hybrid approach to horror, merging experimental narrative structures with meticulous subgenre mechanics. His writing frequently explores slasher film conventions, Rez Gothic atmosphere, and the lived realities of Native American characters navigating systemic hardship, cultural memory, and supernatural threats. Through meta-textual framing, fast-paced dialogue, and deep psychological immersion, his stories balance gory intensity with nuanced character studies.
