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Men, Women, and Chainsaws

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It's been two years since Jenna's ex-boyfriend left her alone in East Texas heartbroken. Now he's back in town and she wants to payback. One night, she stumbles upon a bloodthirsty Camaro that may be the key to carrying out her revenge.

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

37 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 20, 2022

38 people are currently reading
1826 people want to read

About the author

Stephen Graham Jones

236 books15.1k followers
Stephen Graham Jones is the NYT bestselling author thirty-five or so books. He really likes werewolves and slashers. Favorite novels change daily, but Valis and Love Medicine and Lonesome Dove and It and The Things They Carried are all usually up there somewhere. Stephen lives in Boulder, Colorado. It's a big change from the West Texas he grew up in.

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5 stars
248 (27%)
4 stars
365 (41%)
3 stars
225 (25%)
2 stars
37 (4%)
1 star
11 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 151 reviews
Profile Image for s.penkevich [hiatus-will return-miss you all].
1,573 reviews15.1k followers
October 29, 2023
'This car couldn’t be here. It shouldn’t be here.'

I find Stephen Graham Jones to be so endearing and charming. I mean, that seems a weird way to describe someone who writes really unsettling literary horror that has definitely haunted me and made me anxious of every bump in the night but also his conversational writing style is really charming especially as he instill a lot of nostalgia. But I don’t just mean as a writer but as an authorial persona. Have you ever read his acknowledgements pages in his books? They are so sweet and full of personality. And the notes sections in his short story collections are just as engaging as the actual stories (I LOVE how often he admits he writes a story because it actually frightens him). So when I found out he had put out a new story this year, Men, Women, and Chainsaws, I HAD to read it as soon as possible (you can read the whole thing here). It was the perfect way to start my day today, and this intense and supernatural tale of revenge has all the hallmarks of what makes Stephen Graham Jones’ stories so irresistible.
Screenshot 2022-12-12 105720
The story artwork is great and wonderfully represents a key scene

The story is constructed with a lot of homages and references to classic horror, most notably the film Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 and the actress Caroline Williams, with a photo of her atop an old rusted Camaro figuring prominently into the story. Something I truly enjoyed was the way you can feel Jones’ excitement about all the references built into the story, which in turn makes you excited about them (even though I really know nothing about cars and have never seen the film, but it’s like how you get excited about things your friend likes because you are just happy to see them happy). Jones builds the story through Jenna’s narration, often having you witness events without much context for the motivations. Yet. That context comes, and the slow reveals create a really palpable tension.

Jones knows horror and he often uses expectations of the genre to his full advantage. There is a Christine-like car haunting going on here (this is a story where the less you know going in the better so I won’t spoil much) that makes you question if the haunting is real or only in Jenna’s head. Knowing it is horror, you kind of play along but there are a few moments where you can feel him winking at the reader like, oh have I fooled you, or is there more to come? It was delightful. It’s also always satisfying to read a revenge tale against an abusive asshole, so that was fun.

'He was trying the door handle again and again, but, unlike every girl in town, it wasn’t submitting to him.'

Men, Women, and Chainsaws is a quick read but makes for a really spooky good time. It all leads up to a pretty wild final scene, one that with plenty of surprises. I’ll basically read anything this man puts out, what a gem.

4/5
Profile Image for Zain.
1,886 reviews277 followers
July 15, 2025
A Man, A Woman and Confusion!

Jenna and Victor are in love with each other and they have a great way to show it. She gives him a photo of her posing on top of an old, rusty soaked car. She is imitating an actress from Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2.

She is leaning across the rusty car, the same way the celebrity actress from the movie did. The exact same pose. This much l was able to understand, but the writing is so highfaluting that I can’t even really understand everything that is happening in this book.

I can’t comprehend how the author is trying to explain this story and how it is so difficult to explain it in just a few sentences. I think l understand how Jenna is feeling about Victor being her boyfriend.

I know he loves her. He gives her a cheap ring which she pawns for $75 dollars. But when do they break up? There’s something I’m missing.

She wants him dead. Why? I do not know. I don’t even know how she wants him to die or if she really wants him to be unalive. All of this chaos is happening to me, the reader. This is why the book gets three stars.

Three stars. ✨✨✨
Profile Image for LTJ.
228 reviews894 followers
September 2, 2022
“Men, Women, and Chainsaws: A Tor.com Original” by Stephen Graham Jones is an interesting short story about a creepy car, revenge, and of course, chainsaws. Don’t worry, I won’t ruin anything for you but this is an insanely quick short story that does a solid job at blurring reality with scary paranormal events but in a good way.

The thing for me is, I’m just not into cars at all. That’s probably why there was a bit of a disconnect with me in that aspect but there were some good horror elements and relatability to this as I kept reading. No doubt, if I loved cars, this would have been given a higher rating in my book.

I give “Men, Women, and Chainsaws: A Tor.com Original” a 3/5 as Jones is definitely an amazing writer but I just couldn’t connect with a horror novel that strictly revolves around a car. I’m not into horror novels about cars in general so that’s more about me than this short story. It’s short, sweet, and straight to the point. If you love horror, cars, and revenge due to a broken heart, this is definitely worth reading.
Profile Image for Sally.
320 reviews102 followers
May 12, 2022
Super fun short story. Felt retro, really enjoyed it.
Profile Image for destiny ♡ howling libraries.
1,995 reviews6,207 followers
August 1, 2022
Her real parents had raised her right and given her every chance, but now, in this violent fairy tale she'd stumbled into, her first parents were coming back to protect her.

This was such a fun, odd little story full of Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 references and a spurned lover's revenge. It wasn't my top favorite story of all time from SGJ, but I definitely enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone who likes this fantastic author as much as I do!

Representation: Jenna is multiracial (Native American, Mexican, and white)

Content warnings for:

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Profile Image for Sadie Hartmann.
Author 23 books7,826 followers
Read
July 7, 2022
This was free on Tor.com earlier this year but the link goes to a newsletter signup now, not sure if it was just for a limited time or what but I bought it for my Kindle on Amazon at .99 so that's a good deal.
Men, Women, and Chainsaws is dedicated to Joe Lansdale. When I saw that, I immediately buckled up for the wild ride. Jenna is a woman ghosted by her fiance, Victor. Eventually, she sells his ring and gives up the ghost. He comes back to town a few years later and rekindles Jenna's heat for some payback.
If you like retro-style mayhem, haunted cars, and a firey vengeance story--this is for you!
A nod to King and Lansdale from the hottest voice in horror right now.
Profile Image for luce (cry bebè's back from hiatus).
1,555 reviews5,905 followers
January 27, 2023
blogthestorygraphletterboxd tumblrko-fi

3 ½ stars

Despite its short length Men, Women, and Chainsaws packs a punch. This novella is characterized by Stephen Graham Jones' signature style, which is as propelling as it is chaotic. The central character's knowledge of slashers and her intense personality brought to mind Jade from the author's The Lake Witch trilogy, so I found myself rooting for her despite her questionable morality. The supernatural element here pays homage to a long line of horrors featuring (possibly) possessed (or otherwise ) cars...but Jones really makes it his own, so that things don't pan out the way we might expect. Men, Women, and Chainsaws makes for an excellent Halloween read featuring revenge, female rage, and tons of references, so I would definitely recommend it to fans of the horror genre.
Profile Image for Prabhjot Kaur.
1,139 reviews217 followers
June 24, 2022
But don’t think about the bad things, girl.

Jenna and Victor get engaged on Victor's last day in the town. When Jenna stops hearing from Victor, she sells the ring for a petty amount of cash and moves on. But now two years later, Victor is back in town and so is a haunted Camaro. Jenna comes up with an idea for Victor to pay back.

I liked the compelling start, and I liked the end but it does die down somewhere in the middle. Overall, a bit predictable but decent horror story.

3 stars
Profile Image for Jamie.
1,442 reviews223 followers
April 30, 2022
I never cared much for haunted house stories, but a haunted '79 Camaro? Sweet! Unlike Stephen King's Christine, which any horror story featuring a car will ultimately be compared to, there is actually a sweet (though still twisted) side to the story too. It's not just all blood and guts and senseless murder. And you never get the sense that Jones is setting the stage to try to scare the reader. Weird and creepy shit just happens and a moment later it's like "What the hell was that?".
Profile Image for Fiona Knight.
1,457 reviews299 followers
May 4, 2022
Like her mom had always told her, you’ve got to look for the silver lining, girl. If you squint, then the world can look a whole lot better than it does with your eyes all the way open.

That was pretty much Jenna’s whole life.


I love stories by Stephen Graham Jones; he's a horror fan, writing for horror fans, and he knows just when to lean into a trope - and when to use it to subvert your expectations. He's got a way of writing horror that brings such life into a story, too!

If you like a haunted car, revenge, and chainsaws - find it free here: https://www.tor.com/2022/04/20/men-wo...

Profile Image for Netanella.
4,753 reviews43 followers
May 24, 2022
SGJ is always fun to read, and his short stories are awesome little slices of gritty East Texas life, with lots of dusty flat spaces and flea bitten dogs under dilapidated trailers. "Men, Women, and Chainsaws" follows Jenna, who has been abandoned by both her adopted parents and her man-ho fiancé.

As she wallows in her pending life of emptiness, she discovers something more in a closed-down drive-in: a bloodthirsty muscle car, a connection to her dead parents, and an homage to the ultimate final girl, Stretch, from Chainsaw Massacre 2. The bloodhungry car pays tribute to Christine, but ultimate props goes to SGJ himself, for the use of the Oxford comma!

Profile Image for Lizzie S.
454 reviews379 followers
April 26, 2022
Bite-sized horror. Chainsaws, ghosts, magic. Into it.
Profile Image for Andrew.
2,550 reviews
May 15, 2022
So I thought I would give another of the Tor originals a go and I have to say I really enjoyed this short story by Stephen Graham Jones (I so recognise that name I will have to go and read up on him now).

It felt like one of those B-movie adventures with the lurid title and even more lurid trailers - and I mean that in the best possible way as really this is what it is, one of those great revenge stories that can only happen on the screen (or in this case the word).

There are some great subtle touches including all the - yes you guessed it - horror movie references, especially focusing on the clichés and how they hope they will work out for them.

There are some short stories which you wish were longer (and sometime shorter) but I think in this case it was perfect - so much so you can almost see the commentator adding some final observation as the credits roll.
Profile Image for Chris.
375 reviews79 followers
March 13, 2024
A quick short story frome one of my favorite horror writers. This revenge tale gives quick acknowledgment to both Christine and Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, along with actress Caroline Williams. This would be too easy to spoil, so I'll just say this was a fun read full of supernatural cars and a chainsaw.
Profile Image for Gina.
2,077 reviews73 followers
June 30, 2022
I only recently discovered Stephen Graham Jones, and I checked out this short story on a whim. Truly a short story at 37 pages, it features a wronged woman, the man who wronged her, and revenge inacted through an old car. Strong Christine vibes. I enjoyed it OK, but it didn't impact me in any real way.
Profile Image for Terra Leona.
90 reviews20 followers
November 28, 2024
Kratko, slatko i loše kao i svi hororci. Kratke priče nemaju dovoljno razrade likova za moj ukus i zapleti imaju premalo vremena biti napeti. Ideja obnavljanja auta pomoću vlastite krvi je BOOOOLESNA ZAPRAVO. Kudos <3
Profile Image for Kim Lockhart.
1,235 reviews197 followers
June 3, 2023
I read this as one of my "20 Books of Summer" challenge (to help clear at least a little of ypur TBR). I really liked this. It is typical SGJ in style, but the revenge fantasy is just so deliciously devilishly sweet. If you are a horror fan, you're sure to enjoy this short story.
Profile Image for Ashley.
239 reviews9 followers
May 14, 2022
"Then, eventually, at the end of so many years, they buy a camper, set out to see America, right? Why not. Just, now, instead: this. Bleeding into a magical car for too many nights, gambling on ghosts, and hoping nobody asks too many questions."

SGJ never disappoints and his short stories are some of my favs. The atmosphere of this one was so well done.
Profile Image for Alex | | findingmontauk1.
1,570 reviews91 followers
April 21, 2022
Do you like Camaros, Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, classic horror cinema, and all out sense of past haunting dread? Well... Stephen Graham Jones has just the perfect story for you then over at tor.com! CHECK IT OUT!
Profile Image for The Library Ladies .
1,662 reviews83 followers
October 26, 2023
(originally reviewed at thelibraryladies.com )

So I’m highlighting something a little different today for my review. The reason is that I have been picking away at some of the short stories by Stephen Graham Jones, one of my favorite authors, and I found one that is so accessible and such a quick read that I want to spread the word of this awesome author. Seriously if you haven’t read Jones yet, this will make it easy! “Men, Women, and Chainsaws” is a short story that is available on Tor.com! I myself bought it for my Kindle, which is also an option, but above there is a link right to it! And it’s a story about a revenge seeking woman who has the help of a bloodthirsty car! The obvious reference here is “Christine” by Stephen King, but I got more of a “Little Shop of Horrors” vibe from this story and I was one hundred percent here for it.

Our main character is Jenna, a woman who has had to deal with a fair amount of loss in her life, the most recent one being that of her boyfriend Victor, who went to work on oil rigs and sent her a break up letter. Earlier was the death of her bio parents in a tragedy involving a car. Jenna’s last happy moment with Victor was recreating a photoshoot at a local junkyard involving a junked out Camaro and Caroline Williams of “Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2” fame, and when Jenna finds the Camaro later, the same night Victor comes home and her rejection is flaunted for everyone, things take a turn for the supernatural. It involves bloodletting, a rebuilt car, and a scorned lover’s revenge. But it’s also a story of a woman who has suffered some pretty terrible loss in her life, and how a bloodthirsty car not only can help her seek revenge but also closure.

And it’s the sense of melancholy that permeates the pages that made this story one of the more bittersweet tales that Jones has written. Jenna has seen some shit and been through some shit, and I just wanted her to have some kind of happiness, or at least peace. As she finds out some ugly truths about Victor, as well as some hidden truths about what happened to her biological parents, my heart broke for her as she seeks out a connection, seeks out not only the hope of taking out a user and abusive prick, but also the hope of finding a connection to the parents she never knew, and finding not only meaning in their loss, but also perhaps an otherworldly reunion. I’m being a bit vague, and I kind of have to be because the story is filled with emotional beats that are best experienced with no prior knowledge. But on the flip side, there are also some really fun horror moments, and some really awesome homages to horror stories, be it the aforementioned “Christine” and “Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2”, as well as the nostalgia of hitting up a scary movie at the drive in. Jones just loves horror stories and he writes them with such a fondness that you can’t help but grin form ear to ear when you read them.

Short stories are generally hit or miss for me, but Stephen Graham Jones is always on point within this format. He knows how to build a world and an arc and make it feel well thought out and explored in less than fifty pages. “Men, Women, and Chainsaws” is weird and emotional, and I really enjoyed it on every level.
Profile Image for Allyn.
515 reviews67 followers
January 3, 2023
The party hadn’t even dialed its volume down from the glass breaking, meaning either nobody cared or she was too far away for anyone to have heard. Meaning? She laughed: anything could happen out here now, couldn’t it? With nobody watching?

I really liked this, I definitely need to read more SGJ.
Profile Image for Kenci.
73 reviews20 followers
April 5, 2024
I fall more in love with SGJ's storytelling and writing with each read! Once again he had me falling in love with his main character within a few pages. He writes these strong women with such heart. I finished this one with tears in my eyes.

I think Jenna and Jade Daniels would become great friends if they ever met.
Profile Image for Dana.
400 reviews15 followers
March 9, 2025
Cars, slashers, blood, and revenge.

This was a perfect short story to follow my reading of The Drive-In: Multiplex. The story is dedicated to Joe Lansdale, and there seems to be a nod to Stephen King in here as well. Quick and fun.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 151 reviews

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