A review by lingfish7
Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology by Shane Hawk, Theodore C. Van Alst Jr.

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

🎧This book is fascinating. It’s a dark fiction/horror anthology written by 26 indigenous authors. The audiobook was fantastic because each short story is narrated by a different voice actor (and most of the voices are also indigenous). What amazed me most about this collection is the sheer variety of sub-genres within horror. Some stories pertain to the past (historical fiction) and others take place in present day. Some are gory, others are eerie. Some are more believable (just plain old racism) and others have a tinge of magical realism. 

I highly recommend this anthology as it also provides exposure to a variety of indigenous authors that I proceeded to add to my TBR. I cannot wait to check out what else these authors have written. All of the stories center indigenous voices and culture. Each story brings out the unique experiences of being native in a white supremacist world. In a way, horror is closer to reality for many indigenous families because the literal and cultural genocide they endured (and still endure) is nothing short of horrific. I think there’s something to be said about the horror genre providing an excellent template for processing generational trauma and systemic racism. 

Give this book a read if you want a unique collection of scary and eerie stories. Give this book a read if you want to expand your diversity reading in terms of genre, culture, and race. Indigenous books like these are so vital. What a truly phenomenal collection.
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