Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology

Editors Hawk and Van Alst Jr., both of whom are Indigenous, have compiled an anthology featuring some of the more prominent Indigenous voices in speculative fiction, including Rebecca Roanhorse, Tommy Orange, and Nick Medina. Each of the 27 stories in this collection features various speculative elements (whether horror, fantasy, science fiction, or crime fiction) that are shown through the lens of life as an Indigenous person. The quality of the stories might vary greatly, but like any good anthology, it offers something for everyone. Some of the stories are quietly disturbing, like Mona Susan Power’s “Dead Owls,” and others are full of shocking, supernatural moments, like D.H. Trujillo’s “Snakes Are Born in the Dark.” There are even more sublime tales, like the stories from Rebecca Roanhorse and Kelli Jo Ford, that don’t evoke supernatural elements but still have the power to capture readers’ imaginations through inventive storytelling and raw emotion. What all these stories ultimately have in common is discussing aspects of Indigenous life, like the violence that still endures long after their land was colonized and the struggle to uphold traditions and history.