New York Times bestselling author Stephen Graham Jones continues to craft outstanding horror stories. First released in 2020, Night of the Mannequins kicks off with strong classic Goosebumps vibes, but quickly spirals down into something much more dark and unsettling. Now getting a new release from Tor Nightfire, this story is creepy, twisted, and horrific.
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.
Jones has this amazing knack for writing horror stories that have this fresh, yet classic feeling to them. With Night of the Mannequins, his voice has a mixture of dark humor and distributing horror with outstanding dialogue. Even in the book’s bleakest moments, there’s a sense of wit, which doesn’t undercut the horror, but makes the frightening moments hit all that much harder. The contrast between the two works so well.
While Stephen is an outstanding slasher storyteller, this isn’t an average slasher. It’s a psychological and weird horror story that gets seriously disturbing. The author doesn’t pull any punches and goes straight for the most uncomfortable, messed-up corners of the mind. All within the confines of a novella, something only the best horror authors can do this well.
I’ll be the first to admit that with a title such as Night of the Mannequins, I was hoping for a little bit more mannequin chaos. But the story goes in a different and unexpected direction and yet it still delivers. What we get is a warped look at loyalty, delusion and what happens when reality starts slipping through your fingers. Not a overwhelming amount of mannequins, but still a tremendous story.
Night of the Mannequins by Stephen Graham Jones is a novella filled with blood, paranoia, and a beating heart. One that taps into fear, greed, and the fragile places we try to keep hidden. Jones crafts all of this in a lean, fast and hard-hitting novella that is a must-read for fans of not only SGJ but horror in general.
The updated paperback of Night of the Mannequins hits bookstores everywhere on February 24, 2026 from Tor Nightfire. You can also find an audiobook, narrated by Gary Tiedemann, at Libro.fm!
