This is a powerful read. A collection of horror shot stories, Never Whistle at Night by Shane Hawk is fresh, engaging, and something everyone should read. There is so much power in these pages, as the stories address identity in the forms of violence, colonialism, and racism.

The representation in these stories is something worth applauding and sharing with everyone you know. I wasn’t aware of many of the authors and really enjoyed getting to read their work. All of the short stories contain the theme of indigenous folklore, and while short, it held my attention so much that I ended up reading these stories three times!

I was entranced with the history and culture woven in every word, and the cover art is just gorgeous. It’s what originally caught my eye and made me take a second look! I truly hope you give this book a read and hope even more that you purchase a physical copy!!

Never Whistle at Night has my favorite cover of the year!~ Also, the stories inside are exciting and thrilling. I appreciated the range of outright horror but also psychological suspense, and the theme of humans being the scariest creatures of all. Well done.

Over the years I've picked up a few short story anthologies with the best of intentions, but despite my best efforts, they go unfinished and forgotten.
I've been wanting to change this because I LOVE the idea of short story collections. The collaboration between multiple authors, each lending their unique voice and interpretation to the theme of the collection, and providing the opportunity to find new favorites.
Therefore, I was thrilled to receive an advanced copy of Never Whistle at Night from Shane Hawk, Theodore C. Van Alst Jr. and Penguin Random House. And I can say with all honesty that each story within it kept me hooked.
Not only did this anthology offer a variety of stories centered on supernatural and folk horror, as well as the horrors inherent in our history's greed and violence, it provided a wonderful showcase of the current indigenous voices in the literary field.
After reading some of Stephen Graham Jones work, I really have been wanting to find more indigenous authors to add to my reading list. This book has given me a wonderful jumping off point. I don't think there was a single story in this collection that I disliked and as I've seen others mention, many of the stories were written in a way that begged to be thoughtfully chewed on for a while before moving into the next. Even though I would have happily continued reading longer versions of any of the stories, none of them felt incomplete to me and didn't leave me with that sense that something was lacking.
I think this anthology is definitely worth the ready if you are a fan of subtle horror, or even if you are looking to expand your reading list to include new authors.
Thank you Netgalley, Penguin Random House, and the authors for providing me with a copy of this anthology.

This collection was so good! I could not put it down. Thrilling and compelling, it kept me up all night to finish. Highly recommend and I will be looking for all of the authors to put on my bookshelves. Stunning.

- NEVER WHISTLE AT NIGHT is a collection of horror stories by Indigenous authors. The stories range from the supernatural to the psychological, and each left me chilled and unsettled.
- While many of these stories feature literal monsters, many are primarily about the horrors of humans and the many lasting nightmares of colonization.
- There are several well-known authors included here - Orange, Dimaline, Rice, Hobson, etc., and many that are new to me, including a few authors whose debuts are forthcoming. This is definitely a collection to check out if you want to see the future of Indigenous literature.

A creepy collection of stories told through a cultural lens I don't see enough (at least not from the folk who need to be telling these stories) that kept me awake. I loved the diversity of the stories, showcasing not only tribal myths and legends, but stories stemming from the trauma of colonization and forced assimilation. None of the authors shied away from the gruesome and visceral details, and many of these stories will stick with me for a long time because of it. I hope this anthology will show the horror community how starved we are for stories that aren't told through the lens of whiteness.

I really enjoyed this! My favorite stories in this are 'Hunger', 'Snakes Are Born In The Dark', 'Dead Owls' and 'The Prepper' but all the stories are very well done. I would recommend this! Special Thank You to the authors, Penguin Random House and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

A wonderful collection of the wierd macabre & ancient lore from Indigenous communities.

Definitely a great one for spooky season - Kushtuka definitely kept me awake at night!

A collection I'll definitely come back to over and over

4 Stars
One Liner: A diverse collection

Do you think I could ignore a cover and title like that? Not a chance!
Never Whistle at Night is a collection of twenty-six short stories written by Indigenous authors from the US and Canada. It begins with a foreword setting great expectations about the content but also preparing the readers that the stories don’t have neat endings. This really helped because I’m not a fan of open or vague endings. However, knowing this in advance, I was prepared for it and enjoyed many stories.
Still, it’s hard to categorize this collection. I assumed the stories would deal with paranormal, supernatural, or horror. But around 40% of the stories don’t deal with any paranormal theme. They are dark but deal with human darkness. Some of these make a strong impact, while a few others don’t.
As with every anthology, there are hits and misses. Since I read one or two stories a day (it took me a month to finish), the review ended up detailed (longer than expected). I haven’t edited the individual reviews, as I wrote them soon after reading the story.

Kushtuka by Mathilda Zeller – 4 Stars
What happens when a young Native girl is hired to help and serve at a white man’s party in a remote lodge? Thrown in all types of domination the Natives have to deal with. Kushtuka has to take a stand and save her people, right? So what if there’s collateral damage? The story comes in the first-person POV of the young girl. It is fast-paced, crisp, and chilling.
White Hills by Rebecca Roanhorse – 3.5 Stars
A half-Native poor girl does what she should to get the riches and lifestyle she always dreamt of. Marriage to a rich guy sorts many things. But a simple mistake threatens to ruin it all. What will she decide? The story comes in Marissa’s third-person POV. It’s compact with flaws and a reflection of inhumanity.
Navajos Don’t Wear Elk Teeth by Conley Lyons – 3 Stars
What happens when Joey hooks up with Cam despite the red flags because he didn’t want to feel lonely? This is more of a psychopath story with an indigenous character (than a native mystery element) and is in Joey’s first-person POV.
Wingless by Marcie R. Rendon – 3.5 Stars
How much is too much when two native kids get abused by their foster ‘parents’? When ‘magic’ doesn’t help, will they take things into their hands? How will it end? The story comes from the first-person POV of an eight-year-old. It is raw, gritty, dark, and hard-hitting.
Quantum by Nick Medina – 4 Stars
This is like a reverse-case scenario where Native Indian blood is more ‘useful’ than the White man's. But is it really the blood? Blunt, emotionless, and ruthless. The story comes from the third-person POV of Amber.
Hunger by Phoenix Boudreau – 5 Stars
‘It’ is ravenous for ‘food’ which has become scarce after Other People took over People’s land. However, It finds a vessel and zeros on a People girl who isn’t aware of Its existence. Or… This is fantastic. The story starts slowly but picks up momentum in the second half. The ending dips a little but seems intentional. This is what I wanted when I requested the book.
Tick Talk by Cherie Dimaline – 4 Stars
Bilson, aka Son, would rather not be ‘Son’ but goes by the name anyway. Years pass by doing this, that, and nothing. Does it take a tick bite to redefine his life? Of course, if he can live long enough. The story comes in Son’s third-person POV and reflects his character arc. It’s more of an introspective piece than anything else.
The Ones Who Killed Us by Brandon Hobson – 5 Stars
Atvdasdiha! Listen to the ghosts tell the story of the fateful night when those who killed them get their due (yet again). The story comes in first-person plural and is written in long-winded sentences (typically in a ghost’s stream-of-consciousness POV). The writing takes time to get used to, but the atmosphere is spot on.
Snakes Are Born in the Dark by D. H. Trujillo – 4 Stars
Peter agrees to trek in Four Corners with his cousin Maddie and her boyfriend, Adam. However, things go as planned and turn even more bizarre through the night. Can they survive until the next dawn? The story comes from Peter’s third-person POV. It’s more of a horror story with some gore and weird scenes. Well-written.
Before I Go by Norris Black – 3.5 Stars
What does Keira find when she goes to visit the site of her fiancé’s death in the middle of nowhere? Told in the FMC’s third-person POV, the story is short, compact, and has the right amount of ‘horror’. I wish it was a little more atmospheric.
Night in the Chrysalis by Tiffany Morris – 3.5 Stars
How does Cece’s first night in the new house go? Will she survive to see daylight the next morning? Who is that strange singing woman? The story comes in Cece’s third-person POV. I like haunted house stories. This one delivers to an extent, though I wish it had more drama.
Behind Colin’s Eyes by Shane Hawk – 4 Stars
A ten-year-old Colin and his dad go hunting. This time, they want to shoot the majestic elk. However, strange events occur, and Colin knows something is very wrong. But what can the poor kid do? The story comes in Colin’s first-person POV and is set in a winter forest. It is descriptive, atmospheric, and creepy (but not too much).
Heart-Shaped Clock by Kelli Jo Ford – 3.5 Stars
Did he or did he not murder his brother? How much do you trust his version of the story? Written in Joseph’s first-person POV, this is a story of a broken family, a broken child who grew up as a broken man with unhealed issues. The writing has quality and pulls the reader. However, there are no otherworldly elements in this one.
Scariest. Story. Ever. by Richard Van Camp – 4.5 Stars
The nameless narrator, Uncle Mike’s Nephew, needs the scariest story to win a storytelling competition. He asks Mike to tell him the scariest story shared by Aunt Irina. However, the narrator may get more than what he wanted. Sometimes, it’s a good thing too! This story has elements of dark though it tackles the subject differently. I love the twist and the message (and how it doesn’t sound preachy).
Human Eaters by Royce K. Young Wolf – 4.5 Stars
Narrated by grandma to her two young grandsons (String Bean and No Filter), the story alters between reminisces and present. The Human Eaters symbolize colonizers and boarding schools. The story is atmospheric and contains a recurring message to not forget one’s roots.
The Longest Street in the World by Theodore C. Van Alst Jr. – 4 Stars
Johnny Junior gets attacked when manning his father’s real estate office. He’s back in action after six weeks and is surprised and exasperated to find Louis bringing a bag of stinky items. The story comes in a relaxed third-person POV. It’s got sharp dark humor with what could possibly be little more than human character. By the way, the opening sentence is 103 words!
Dead Owls by Mona Susan Power – 4.5 Stars
Amy, a preteen, visits her favorite Aunt Phyllis for the holidays. She loves being with her aunt but wonders if the house has ghosts. Of course, the ghosts decide to answer it themselves. The story comes in Amy’s first-person POV. The tone suits the character’s age. The story is rather heart-touching, with bits of dark on the edges.
The Prepper by Morgan Talty – 4 Stars (for the gripping narration)
Narrated in the first-person, this is the story of how a young boy prepares to save himself and his mother from the end of the world (2012) and Nὰka. It’s a story of undiagnosed mental illness and what it can do to a person. The story is set in the past, with the MC recounting it from his present perspective.
Uncle Robert Rides the Lightning by Kate Hart – 4.5 Stars
Told by a narrator in a sort of dispassionate tone, this is the story about the bonding between Robert and Gregory (uncle and nephew but brothers in friendship). It is real yet unreal, emotions barely there but fully present. There’s something in there, tugging the reader’s heart.
Sundays by David Heska Wanbli Weiden – 4 Stars (for the ending)
Narrated by a 50+ Tom (Thomas), we see how his wife’s death triggers his childhood trauma of being abused by Father R when he was being civilized in a church-run school. How Tom comes to terms forms the rest of the story. It’s amazing how one can do anything to heathen and kafirs with little to no consequences. 4 Stars (for the ending)
Eulogy for a Brother, Resurrected by Carson Faust – 3.5 Stars
Callum is shot to death and leaves behind his grieving sister and half-brother. Told in the first-person, we learn about a dysfunctional family, a ‘god-fearing’ small town, and the sister’s desire to revive her dead brother. The beginning feels ordinary but ends on a different level. My only grouse is that the voice sounds like a man (in fact, I thought the narrator was Callum’s brother and not sister until she was addressed as Della).
Night Moves by Andrea L. Rogers – 3.5 Stars
Walt is an Indian boy stationed in Germany in 1968. What happens one night when Walt, Carl (half-German, half-Black), Christ, and JohnBoy miss their last train to the army base and have to walk through the woods? Told in Walt’s third-person POV, the story tries to blend the paranormal with the real. It succeeds to an extent.
Capgras by Tommy Orange – 3 Stars
Tom (Thomas Bline) and his family (wife and son) fly to Paris for his author interviews. Tom’s book has been translated into French, and he is supposed to be excited about it. Told in Tom’s first-person narration, the story blends his past, his drinking problem, and how translations tend to change the core contents by aligning it with the translators’ perspectives.
The Scientist’s Horror Story by Darcie Little Badger – 4 Stars
Three researchers, Bets, Anders, and Harmoni, spend their evenings telling scary campfire stories while attending a conference. Anders starts, and Bets tells the next one. However, ‘scary’ could mean a lot of things, including reality. This has two stories in story format and ends with a (helpless) reminder of how brutal real life can be.
Collections by Amber Blaeser-Wardzala – 4.5 Stars
Oh, boy! Megis is exhausted but has to attend the party hosted by Professor Smith to get into her good books for a recommendation letter. However, the decorations in the professor’s house freak her out. The story comes in Megis’ first-person POV. This is a strange tale, dark yet not too dark or gory. Scary but different. It could also be seen as a metaphor for the world’s obsession to play savior and demand undying gratitude.
Limbs by Waubgeshig Rice – 4 Stars
Makwa is a guide to a white businessman who wants to destroy the land for business. What happens when Makwa protests? Told in Makwa’s third-person POV, the story has a sense of foreboding throughout. It gets quite graphic at one point, which seems intentional. However, the climax is over too soon to make the impact it should.

To summarize, Never Whistle at Night has strong indigenous themes and deals with colonization, displacement, supernatural, and human darkness in various forms. It cannot be read at once. Spread it over a few days to let each story register in the mind. Also, quite a lot of triggers in this one, so proceed with caution.
Thank you, NetGalley, Penguin Random House, and Vintage, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
#NetGalley #NeverWhistleatNight
***
P.S.: Every story is followed by a short author’s bio. I added a whole bunch of books to my TBR, thanks to this anthology.
*****

“To desire is to mourn…”

—————

This collection is nothing if not eclectic. It mixes real horror based in indigenous folklore with stories about mental illness, impacts of colonization and revenge. These are stories of struggle more than ones of triumph, success and power. I sort of wished for that a bit. Still an entertaining set of stories. M yfavorites were Heart-Shaped Clock, Snakes are Born in the Dark, Human Eaters.

Thanks to Penguin Random House for gifted access via Netgalley. All opinions above are my own.

One of my goals has been to read more indigenous authors, and NEVER WHISTLE AT NIGHT is a perfect way to get a taste of what authors occupy the horror genre! In addition to well-known authors like Stephen Graham-Jones (who writes the forward) and Rebecca Roanhorse (whom I have mostly seen in the SFF space), there are many authors that I know I would like to further explore outside of this anthology.

What I loved most about these stories is how they play with the concept of horror by infusing it with relevant mythologies and histories that indigenous communities navigate every day. Sometimes blatant, sometimes subtle, colonialism is picked apart as it manifests in literal ghosts or in the discovery of a woman's in-laws discovering that she is Native. Throughout all, there is a question of what these characters or monsters are willing to do in order to survive. While I really enjoyed most of the stories, I think my favorite was the very first one - Kushtuka - because of how it flips the script on the Final Girl. It sets the tone for the rest of the stories!

This is a perfect book for horror readers, especially if you're new to the genre and with spooky season right around the corner. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review :)

This collection of indigenous dark stories definitely delivered. I really enjoyed the stories but I also learned so much though the chills and laughs. Thank you so much for this ARC

I love short stories, creepy supernatural stuff, and Native cultural history, so I expected to love this anthology. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.

I did fully enjoy a few stories.

Many were fine, though I wouldn’t choose to read them again.

And quite a few were a total miss, some even a DNF, which I rarely do with a short story.

Because they’re all different authors, I can’t offer one solid reason. Broadly speaking, I didn’t connect with the stories or the storytelling styles.

*Thanks to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for the eARC!*

the first book I got through for #ShortStorySeptember was a very good one! NEVER WHISTLE AT NIGHT is a collection of dark fiction by all indigenous authors, and it was a wonderful, compelling read, full of folklore, horror of pretty much every form you can think of, and a lot of really thoughtful and pointed commentary about the ties between colonialism, racism, and horror. it’s a great read perfect for Halloween season, and I’d definitely recommend it!

as with any multi-authored short story collection, there were some hits and some misses, but the hits outnumbered the misses by far; and even the stories that didn’t quite do it for me were, on the whole, well-crafted and enjoyable to read, even if I didn’t find them deeply compelling. I appreciated the wide variety of approaches each author took to “dark fiction” — some leaned more into horror, some went for dark with hopeful endings, some confronted the frightening with humor — which made for a really engaging reading experience (though I sometimes wished the varying moods had been a little differently distributed in terms of the order of the stories). I also loved the frequent incorporation of folklore, and the thoughtful reflections on colonialism and violence peppered throughout the anthology. it took me a long time to read, because I very often wanted to take a break after every story or two to really digest and think about it — it definitely felt like it was better suited to that than to a binge-read.

my favorite stories: “Hunger,” “The Ones Who Killed Us,” “Uncle Robert Rides the Lightning,” “Eulogy for a Brother, Resurrected,” “Capgras,” and “The Scientist’s Horror Story.”

this is out now, and I definitely recommend picking up a copy if you’re intrigued by the premise! thanks so very much to Vintage Anchor Books and Netgalley for the e-ARC!

Boy this book is UNSETTLING and it's fantastic. If you're like me and can't just power through horror and dark fiction, this book might just be perfect for you. Some stories are inspired by Indigenous lore and legend and some are inspired by literal reality (and 100%, those are the most hard-hitting ones.) There are definitely content warnings, from blood and gore to the things that happened at Indian Boarding Schools (that story was the hardest to read for me.) But overall, this was a very entertaining and eerie read.

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Random House/Vintage Anchor for the e-ARC!

First time reading an anthology and first time reading indigenous dark fiction… loved every minute of it.

Never Whistle At Night is a “Dark Fiction Anthology” comprised of so many talented story tellers. I loved the different emotions that I felt reading this book. From compassion and better understanding to scared, disturbed and jumpiness from the horror. I loved every minute of it.

If you are looking for an unsettling, chilling read along with stories that have dark humor and poignant and reflective, look no further. If you enjoy diverse reads and own voices stories with these elements you won’t be disappointed.
I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for this ARC.

I’ve never rated an anthology five stars before, because they’ve all been really hit-or-miss for me. They usually end up being either three or four stars, because you’re always going to have some stories that just don’t hit the mark or maybe just find some stories that just read like “dud” to you. Never Whistle at Night has maybe two or three stories out of 27 that I didn’t gel with completely, but it wasn’t because they weren’t well-written; it was just because they weren’t my jam. When the stories in this collection work, they really, really work. This anthology, as a whole, is worth every page. The quality of the work done and the absolutely captivating stories collected for it speak not only to the talent of the authors, but to the editors who pulled this project together as well. It should be no surprise to anyone who knows me that I love that this is an #OwnVoices anthology as well, because no one could or should be writing these stories and profiting off of them but indigenous peoples.

I don’t want to go too deep into what each story means to me because I feel like that’s wrong, since I’m white and these stories aren’t meant for me. I do, however, want to point out the stories I liked best and maybe a few words about why I liked it.

Kushtuka by Mathilda Zeller: Stolen artifacts + objectification of Native American women = Eff around and find out.

White Hills by Rebecca Roanhorse: Eugenics!

Quantum by Nick Medina: Is the worth of being Native American found entirely in DNA?

Hunger by Phoenix Boudreau: Buffy the Vampire Slayer but with a scary possession monster inside of a frat boy.

Snakes Are Born in the Dark by D. H. Trujillo: Deface sacred artifacts and see what happens.

Heart-Shaped Clock by Kelli Jo Ford: Sad story about drug addiction in indigenous communities.

Dead Owls by Mona Susan Power: A ghost story about how there can be layers of tragedies on the same land.

The Prepper by Morgan Talty: Horribly sad story about the mistreatment of mental illness in indigenous communities.

Collections by Amber Blaeser-Wardzala: What kind of bargain would you make for a foot in the door or a leg up in your industry?

I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the editors. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: 5 Star Review/Anthology/Horror/Short Stories/Own Voices

I love short stories and anthologies. Even the best author must flex their writing skills to deliver quality short stories. In less than a usual chapter length, they must introduce us to the characters and their communities/ back stories, commit to an "event" and then solve it, all while keeping the reader engrossed and flipping pages. I often find that an author will switch genres in an anthology, which gives me an even better appreciation for their talent. This is an all star cast of talented writers, many of whom are on my TBR list as a permenant fixture.
Many have a similar theme with the writers giving their story an unusual “spin” to meet the theme’s intent without copying each other. This one is indigenous folklore and beliefs.....such as never whistle at night for fear of who you will call to you. It is not unusual to find a true gem mixed in with the overall excellent stories, making anthologies a triple threat/ treat. This set of tales should be enjoyed by any and everyone who enjoys sitting around a campfire trying to scare their fellow campers.

From “wendigos” to “Indian burial grounds,” the folklore and tragic history of North America’s indigenous populations has frequently been mined for inspiration and twisted to suit the purposes of horror authors writing outside of their own cultures. In recent years, however, we’ve seen a real rise in the number of indigenous voices within the horror scene telling their own stories. A new collection of short horror stories celebrates this surge of Native American writers: Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology, edited by Shane Hawk and Theodore C. Van Alst Jr. This anthology, which contains twenty-six stories plus a foreword by Stephen Graham Jones, came out just last week, in plenty of time for spooky season.

The title of this anthology, Never Whistle at Night, refers to a belief common to many indigenous cultures that whistling at night can draw malevolent entities to you. Though this particular action is barely featured in any of the stories contained in the collection, it is a fitting and evocative title that encapsulates both the unsettling atmosphere these stories create and their distinctly Native nature. Stephen Graham Jones also does an excellent job of tying the many disparate stories of this collection together with his foreword. Jones is one of the most prominent voices in indigenous horror right now (you may recognize him from The Only Good Indians and My Heart is a Chainsaw), and I couldn’t possibly think of a better choice to introduce this collection. Jones uses his foreword to discuss the particularities of indigenous storytelling, speculating about why many Native writers and storytellers resonate with stories that are inconclusive and open-ended. Ultimately, Jones finds hope in this sort of horror, which creates the feeling that the world is bigger than what we can currently see or understand. What follows this introduction are twenty-six stories that differ significantly in subject and style, written by authors that range from big names in genre fiction like Rebecca Roanhorse and Darcie Little Badger to much lesser known writers who may have only published a few short stories before. Most of the stories are quite short, with some almost feeling more like sketches or vignettes, but together they demonstrate the impressive breadth and depth of indigenous horror.

As you might expect to find in a collection like this one, there are several stories that feature creatures from indigenous folklore. The very first story in the book introduced me to one such creature I’d never heard of before and wound up being one of my favorite tales in the collection. In “Kushtuka” by Mathilda Zeller, a young woman named Tapeesa tells the wealthy white man in her remote Alaskan village about the legend of the kushtuka—a creature that takes on the appearance of loved ones to try to lure you into following. However, the kushtuka that ultimately appears in this story doesn’t follow the traditional formula. Instead, the lines between the creature and the young woman blur as the kushtuka takes vengeance on the outsiders preying upon the Native community. Two other stories in this collection play with the best-known (but often misrepresented) creature from Indigenous folklore, the wendigo. Legends of this creature appear in the folklore of many different Algonquian-speaking tribes, and the specifics can vary as widely as the spelling and pronunciation of its name. Sometimes the wendigo is an evil spirit that haunts the frozen wilderness, sometimes it is a creature that was once human but became corrupted, perhaps by engaging in cannibalism. But the undercurrent of all these different legends is an insatiable hunger that drives the wendigo to prey upon the living. This aspect is examined in depth in Phoenix Boudreaux’s fittingly titled tale “Hunger,” which is told from the perspective of an invisible, formless entity that experiences the world through an intense, all-consuming hunger. The entity possesses a young man at a frat party, feeding off of his equally destructive appetites. The wendigo is referenced more abstractly in “Collections” by Amber Blaeser-Wardzala, which also takes place in a college setting. In this story, a scholarship student named Megis is alarmed to discover that one of her professors has decorated her home with human heads of all different ethnicities and backgrounds. None of the white students are bothered by the collection, but Megis sees it for what it is—an expression of Professor Smith’s destructive hunger for ownership over the lives of others. In each of these stories, the wendigo is not some antlered, man-eating monster as it is typically depicted in popular culture, but rather a vehicle through which to explore the unhealthy appetites that people give into when they crave ownership over or the destruction of others.

But indigenous authors aren’t just limited to writing about creatures from their own cultures. Quite a few of the stories in this collection put a new indigenous spin on classic monsters from the horror genre. “Night Moves” by Andrea L. Rogers, for example, is a fairly straightforward story of a werewolf encounter experienced by a Native soldier stationed in Germany. Morgan Talty’s “The Prepper” uses zombie apocalypse narratives to explore mental illness. And Darcie Little Badger uses the classic format of friends gathering to tell ghost stories in “The Scientist’s Horror Story” to examine the frightened, helpless feelings we may face when confronting climate change and systemic discrimination. Though these three tales feature classic monsters in some sense, the true monster that haunts this whole collection is the history of colonization and its lasting legacy that continues to impact how indigenous communities live today.

If you’re interested in the increased representation of marginalized voices in horror fiction—or if you just want an excellent collection of varied tales that run the gamut from vengeful to wistful to hopeful—I highly recommend checking out Never Whistle at Night.

Indigenous people have the best stories, especially scary stories. Never Whistle at Night is a wonderful collection of tales that celebrate a diverse range of tribes and regions.