Bestselling author Stephen Graham Jones indicates in his Acknowledgements for I WAS A TEENAGE SLASHER that he finished the book right between Lita Ford’s “Kiss Me Deadly” and Ratt’s “Lay It Down.” He listened to a lot of music from the late ’80s as the story is set in 1989.

Aside from the obvious horror implications of the title, it is striking just how deeply Jones delves into the pop culture of this era --- not just the music, but dozens and dozens of movie and television references that will bring smiles amidst all the fear that is built up in this gory, sometimes tongue-in-cheek, thriller.

Set in the very real town of Lamesa, Texas, which is where Jones lived during his teen years, the novel is an exploration of slasher movies and the craze of serial killer films that really kicked off a decade earlier with Halloween. Our narrator is Tolly Driver, a 17-year-old nerd and loser whose best friend is the only Native student in their high school, Amber Dennison.

"I am pleased that [Jones'] latest effort is not being labeled as Native American horror because he is so much more than that. He is simply a very talented writer who creates some chilling fiction."

Tolly and Amber are on their way to a big party at Deek Masterson’s house. Before the night is over, most of the teens in attendance will be dead at the hands of a bizarre supernatural killer. The impetus for these murders is Justin Joss, who had been more of a tag-along of the cool crowd and often the brunt of their cruel practical jokes. The cruelest one of all occurred late one night when the group, who were desperately bored in lonely West Texas, coaxed Justin into riding on a dangerous pumpjack --- a piston pump used with oil wells --- and it did not end well. Justin lost part of two limbs and was nearly cut in half, dying not long afterwards. It was considered a tragic accident, but the dead will not rest.

Tolly starts out as the foil for the bullies at Deek’s party, who strap him to a pool lounge chair and nearly kill him by feeding him a peanut concoction that triggers an allergic reaction requiring an EpiPen to save his life. While everyone is distracted by that, a well-dressed stranger literally crashes the party. Looking like a zombie, with a leg that seems to be connected the wrong way and a drill bit for an arm, Justin’s animated corpse has returned to enact bloody revenge against those behind his senseless death.

Tolly and Amber get away, but the same cannot be said for the others. Tolly doesn’t seem terribly turned off by what has happened. He is actually a bit jealous because he considers himself to be a self-made slasher and wants to take credit for the body count to add to his own. Amber doesn’t believe anything Tolly has to say on the subject and merely humors him, as she happens to be an expert in the horror film genre, especially slasher flicks.

A bit of Justin’s blood apparently entered a cut on Tolly’s forehead, and he blames the virus he got from it for his continued bloodlust. Sheriff Burke is working the case, and Tolly isn’t even on the spectrum as a suspect. If anything, she starts looking at Justin’s parents as potentially being out to avenge their son’s death.

In the meantime, Tolly brutally murders two members of the school band, who he catches having sex in a nearby mobile home. Or does he? The beauty of this novel is trying to determine if anything Tolly is telling us is true or is merely exaggerated. This is never more evident than when he allegedly displays some sort of Superman-like speed one night on the track with Amber present.

Many people will say that Tolly is only on the map in Lamesa because his father passed away. Tolly resents this and pines for being remembered forever for his string of slasher-style slayings. There is even supposed to be a made-for-TV movie about the Lamesa killings, for which he takes full credit. Tolly and Amber’s journey is an unpredictable one, and the ending is indeed wild.

I WAS A TEENAGE SLASHER is quite a departure for Stephen Graham Jones following his enormously successful Indian Lake trilogy. I am pleased that his latest effort is not being labeled as Native American horror because he is so much more than that. He is simply a very talented writer who creates some chilling fiction.