Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology

Editors Hawk (Anoka: A Collection of Indigenous Horror) and Van Alst (Sacred Smokes), both fiction writers in their own right, offer an anthology of spine-tingling tales of hauntings, curses, and other horrors, written by prominent Indigenous authors (including Tommy Orange, Cherie Dimaline, and Brandon Hobson) and presented in audio by a talented ensemble of nine Indigenous narrators. Stephen Graham Jones’s prologue, narrated by Sheldon Elter, sets the stage, providing a window into the craft of Indigenous horror. Some of the stories that follow, such as D.H. Trujillo’s “Snakes Are Born in the Dark,” detail supernatural horrors; others, such as Kelli Jo Ford’s “Heart-Shaped Clock,” highlight real-life terrors, including intergenerational trauma and abuse. Through the anthology’s body horror, hauntings, and supernatural creatures, listeners will also encounter the terrible legacy wrought by colonization and forced assimilation. The large cast of narrators differentiate the stories, signaling changes in mood, tone, and approach and allowing listeners to hear the varied voices and personalities detailed within.