Never Whistle at Night
A recommended read!
Summer is a great time for Halloweenies like me to read a good horror book. The sun is shining, the days are long… there’s nothing to be afraid of, right? Especially not that shadow in the corner of the room.
Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology, Edited by Shane Hawk and Theodore C. Van Alst Jr.
Never Whistle at Night is an anthology of 26 short stories by Indigenous authors. They’re all dark fiction, but vary immensely in size, style, and even how the authors interpret the idea of dark fiction. Some stories are scary, others are sad and uncomfortable, while others are creepy and disturbing. The connecting thread was the authors' indigeneity being center stage. And that all the stories were terrific.
I’m very much a Halloweenie (a tiny bit scared of horror), and never knowing what style the stories would lean to, I made sure I was never home alone while reading this. So it took me a little while to get through the whole book. But I think savouring each story on its own was a great idea!
I was very excited to see that two authors I love were featured in this anthology - Cherie Dimaline and Darcie Little Badger. Both their stories are on my favourites list. I also discovered new authors that I want to read more of!
Here are some of my favourite stories, in no particular order:
Kushtuka, by Mathilda Zeller
Quantum, by Nick Medina
Tick Talk, by Cherie Dimaline
Snakes are born in the dark, by D. H. Trujillo
Scariest. Story. Ever, by Richard van Camp
Dead Owls, by Mona Susan Power
The Scientist’s Horror Story, by Darcie Little Badger
Collections, by Amber Blaeser-Wardzala
If you like horror and dark fiction, short stories that pack a punch and well-balanced anthologies, this book is for you!
This week I’ve:
Read (review coming soon):
Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Vol. 5, by Naoko Takeuchi (book)
Continued Reading:
Dracula Daily, by Bram Stoker (substack)
What's Our Problem?: A Self-Help Book for Societies, by Tim Urban (ebook)
I might have to DNF this one. While it’s a great book, reading about the American political systems and the rise of the ideological gap between parties at this time is just depressing…
Started Reading:
Moonbound, by Robin Sloan (book)