Never Whistle At Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology edited by Shane Hawk and Theodore C. Van Alst Jr. (Paperback)

Fiction - Horror - Mystery & Detective - Short Story Collection & Anthology - Indigenous

RELEASE DATE: 9/19/2023 (WILL SHIP DIRECTLY FROM OUR SUPPLIER'S WAREHOUSE)

A bold, clever, and sublimely sinister collection of horror, fantasy, science fiction, and gritty crime by both new and established Indigenous authors that dares to ask the question: “Are you ready to be un-settled?”

Many Indigenous people believe that one should never whistle at night. This belief ranges far and wide and takes many forms: for instance, Native Hawaiians believe it summons the Hukai’po, the spirits of ancient warriors, and Native Mexicans say it calls Lechuza, a witch that can transform into an owl and snatch the foolish whistlers in the dark. But what all these legends hold in common is the certainty that whistling at night can cause evil spirits to appear—and even follow you home. 

In twenty-seven wholly original and shiver-inducing tales, bestselling and award-winning authors including Tommy Orange, Rebecca Roanhorse, Cherie Dimaline, Morgan Talty, Waubgeshig Rice, and Mona Susan Power introduce readers to ghosts, curses, hauntings, monstrous creatures, complex family legacies, desperate deeds, and chilling acts of revenge. Introduced and contextualized by bestselling author Stephen Graham Jones, these stories are a celebration of Indigenous peoples' survival and imagination, and a glorious reveling in all the things an ill-advised whistle might summon.

EDITOR BIO:

SHANE HAWK (enrolled Cheyenne-Arapaho, Hidatsa and Potawatomi descent) is a history teacher by day and a horror writer by night. He entered the horror scene with his first publication, Anoka: A Collection of Indigenous Horror, in October 2020. He lives in San Diego with his beautiful wife, Tori. Learn more by visiting shanehawk.com.

THEODORE C. VAN ALST, JR. (enrolled member, Mackinac Bands of Chippewa and Ottawa Indians) is the author of the novel Sacred Smokes, winner of the Tillie Olsen Award for Creative Writing, and Sacred City, winner of the Electa Quinney Award for Published Stories . His Pushcart-nominated fiction has been published in Southwest Review, Unnerving Magazine, Red Earth Review, The Journal of Working-Class Studies, Massachusetts Review, The Raven Chronicles, and Yellow Medicine Review, among others. He is a professor and chair of Indigenous Nations Studies at Portland State University.

“Story to story, Never Whistle at Night never failed to surprise, delight, and shock me. I’m a big fan of stories that make you feel like you’re standing at the edge of a cliff with a stranger’s fingers on the tip of your spine—and this anthology has that ungoverned, go-for-broke aesthetic that I love.”
—Nick Cutter, author of Little Heaven

“Never Whistle at Night is all I’ve ever wanted in an Indigenous horror anthology. From doubles, to Empty People, to story theft, to zombies, this anthology explores the horror that lives in colonial violence, generational love and trauma, and our everyday lives. It’s a joy to see such a diverse representation of experience, background, and style in this carefully-curated and terrifying collection.”
—Jessica Johns, author of Bad Cree

“This groundbreaking anthology showcases to the world that Indigenous horror has many faces, and these powerful stories are a horror lover’s dream: each one singular and heartfelt, carving new storytelling pathways that feel both unique and universal, haunting and healing. It’s impossible to guess what’s coming next, and that unpredictability is so central to why horror is such a powerful genre as we all confront life’s terrors.”
—Tananarive Due, author of The Reformatory

“I’ve increasingly come to suspect that the best work in contemporary Horror is being written by Indigenous writers, and Never Whistle at Night makes me certain of this. Consisting of more than two dozen stories by turns fierce and strange—sometimes about storytelling, sometimes political, sometimes just very, very unsettling—this is a deeply satisfying anthology.”
—Brian Evenson, author of The Glassy, Burning Floor of Hell