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A review by beforeviolets
Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology by Shane Hawk, Theodore C. Van Alst Jr.
Overall, a really wonderful anthology featuring all sort of horror and dark fiction. From gothic haunted houses to body horror to resurrection, this collection has it all. In the foreward, Stephen Graham Jones paints this image of Native writers sitting around at the end of the evening, telling each other scary stories, and I think that's exactly what this evokes. It felt like being serenaded with ghost stories and urban legends around an ancient campfire
Story rundown:
Kushtuka by Mathilda Zeller
I read this first thing in the morning in full daylight and it still had me shivering and cowering into myself. I don't know what was scarier, the "monster" or the creepy white man who thinks the world is his toy box. I also already found myself referencing this story within a day or two after reading it, which is when you know a story has left a good impact.
CW: violence, body horror, blood & gore, colonization, dismemberment (mention), gun violence, murder, emesis
White Hills by Rebecca Roanhorse
A new kind of horror: assimilation. I think this one was straight and to the point, but still creepy.
CW: racism, eugenics, blood, forced abortion, emesis, dismemberment (implied)
Navajos Don't Wear Elk Teeth by Conley Lyons
Honestly white gay men are fucking terrifying to me so this story was already filling me with dread from the first page.
CW: sexual content, rape, tooth horror (not graphic)
Wingless by Marcie R. Rendon
This one was honestly a bit forgettable to me. There was nothing about it that left me with a lingering fear, nothing that extended its claws beyond its pages. But I liked the writing.
CW: insects, abusive parent (physical), child abuse, emesis, animal death, dismemberment
Quantum by Nick Medina
At this point in the anthology, this one was my favorite read so far. The horror of this was one that was developed out of chosen and deliberate choices built out of delusion and it created such a wonderful tension in its reading experience.
CW: dead body, child neglect, needles, alcohol consumption (mention)
Hunger by Phoenix Boudreau
Absolutely a standout in the collection. Such bold storytelling choices and such a unique voice. I loved Boudreau's way of creating an oddly happy horror by placing us in the mind of the monster, and asking what their horrors would look like.
CW: violent thoughts
Tick Talk by Cherie Dimaline
For some reason, I irrationally do not get along with Cherie Dimaline's writing style. The rhythm of it grates my brain and it genuinely gives me a headache every time I try to read one of her works. But the story itself was really really cool and there's much to analyze if you're a fan of her writing.
CW: blood & gore, insects, body/medical horror, death of parents
The Ones Who Killed Us by Brandon Hobson
I actually skipped this one. It tried to be experimental in its writing style but felt like it lacked deliberate choices. Rather than using the experimental writing to guide its readers through an unexpected terrain, its sentences were just meandering. They weren't run-ons but rather runaways, and it felt like the words were swimming on the page in front of me. I was just completely unable to track the train of thought or process what was being said and so I skipped it.
CW: did not read
Snakes Are Born in the Dark by D. H. Trujillo
Oh my god. That was the most horrifying and fucked up thing I've ever read. It was just so gross and I had started the story with a hot chocolate in hand that was left unfinished. But it was really good and really intriguing and well written. Though I did notice a few important threads left open in an unsatisfying way at the end.
CW: racism, anti-indigenous slur, injury detail, body horror, illness, pregnancy, birth (on-page), animal death, blood & gore, emesis
Before I Go by Norris Black
I honestly keep forgetting about this one? It was good and haunting but was a little too direct. It's just not sticking with me.
CW: loss of spouse, death of mother, grief, body horror, death, animal death, blood & gore, dead body, cancer, alcohol consumption
Night in the Chrysalis by Tiffany Morris
My favorite in the whole anthology, hands down. I immediately fell in love with Morris's poetic prose and wonderful delicate writing style. Her poetry background was very apparent in how it helped create such specificity and tact in her craft. It reminded me of lacework somehow. In regards to the story: gothic haunted houses with the house as a character/metaphor is my literary bread and butter and this living chrysalis was such a brilliant use of that house trope. I wanted it to go on forever. I ate this one UP and I'll be returning to feast on its words time and again.
CW: insects, blood, emesis, miscarriage (mention)
Behind Colin's Eyes by Shane Hawk
A very traditional horror story (complimentary). It was horrifying and haunting, yet felt familiar and expected. I feel like if I imagined a horror story on a hunting trip it would be exactly this. But truly well-written nonetheless.
CW: animal death, blood & gore, body horror, tooth horror, insects, emesis, war (mention), colonization (mention)
Heart-Shaped Clock by Kelli Jo Ford
I'm having a hard time placing my thoughts on this one. I think I liked what it was doing but the taste it left in my mouth was a little too helpless for me.
CW: murder, drugs, alcohol consumption, animal abandonment, imprisonment, suicidal thoughts, animal death, domestic abuse (mention), death of grandparent (past)
Scariest. Story. Ever. by Richard Van Camp
This one keeps growing on me the more I think back on it. In the foreword, Stephen Graham Jones explains the impact of ambiguity in horror, especially indigenous horror, and I think Van Camp perfectly illustrated ambiguity and negative space as a tool of horror. I do wish its final note was a little more sour or off-putting rather than just being hopeful, but this really was a cool story.
CW: violence, imprisonment (mention), drugs (mention)
Human Eaters by Royce K. Young Wolf
Though it faded into the background for me, I thought this short story was a lovely ode to oral storytelling, the importance of generational memory, and the tradition of folklore as a way to pass on lessons and cautionary tales.
CW: colonization (mention), dismemberment (mention)
The Longest Street in the World by Theodore C. Van Alst Jr.
Really good. Really fucking weird. Certainly left an impression on me. I liked the writing style quite a bit, it was unique.
CW: decapitation, violence, gun violence, emesis
Dead Owls by Mona Susan Power
Really emotionally evocative, haunting, and precious. I did really enjoy this one. It felt like it stood out tonally from a lot of the other stories.
CW: war (past), blood, violence, suicide (past), rape (mention), anti-indigenous racism
The Prepper by Morgan Talty
Not so much for me. I thought it had really nice writing and nice storytelling but I just don't find interest in doomsday prepper horror or zombie horror unless it's really spinning it on its head and this didn't. I also feel like I wasn't quite sure what it was saying about many of its topics (mental illness leading to violence, assisted suicide, etc.) and thought it needed further clarity on its point.
CW: assisted suicide, suicidal thoughts, imprisonment, self harm, illness, mental illness, death of grandparent, ableism, bullying, murder, animal death, violence, gun violence, rape (mention), death
Uncle Robert Rides the Lightning by Kate Hart
More mythological than horror, and honestly not sure I feel like it fits in well with the rest of the anthology. Surrounded by so many monsters and horrors, I kept waiting for something scary or unnerving to happen, but it really just felt like a little mythological tale. (I know this sounds weird with the content warnings below being what they are but I promise this makes sense.) I liked it though.
CW: electrocution, drowning, suicide (offscreen), alcohol consumption, death
Sundays by David Heska Wanbli Weiden
I think this was one of the most jarring stories. I had my jaw dropped and my fists clenched for much of its reading. Powerful and clear. A lot but really good.
CW: child rape (graphic), trauma, grooming, alcohol consumption, car accident (mention), suicide (mention), racism, parental death (past), loss of spouse (past), cancer
Eulogy for a Brother, Resurrected by Carson Faust
One of my favorites! I keep returning to this one in my mind. Its storytelling is very much my jam (I mean, anything sort of golem-core or death-core in this particular vibe is my jam.) I especially loved the poetic ambiguity of the ending and the shift in writing style in which to portray that ambiguity. It was emotionally and artistically charged in the right places and I just really enjoyed it.
CW: loss of sibling, grief, blood, death, homophobia, murder, gun violence, death
Night Moves by Andrea L. Rodgers
Wonderfully classic. It won't stick with me but mostly because it just felt like many old black-and-white horror movies.
CW: blood and gore, war, alcohol consumption, death of sibling (past), death, colonization, emesis, violence
Capgras by Tommy Orange
Another favorite of mine in the collection. There was something in its storytelling structure and style that reminded me of Edgar Allen Poe despite its decidedly un-gothic atmosphere. I definitely need to revisit and analyze this one because I felt like it was Doing and Saying a lot that I missed just due to my headspace when reading it. My critical thinking brain cells were not functioning properly, but I could tell this one was incredibly smart and cool and I'm certain I'm missing a lot of what makes it so smart and cool.
CW: alcohol consumption, hallucinations, blood, dead body
The Scientist's Horror Story by Darcie Little Badger
I've been so excited to read more of Darcie Little Badger's work since I encountered her writing in The Grimoire of Grave Fates earlier this year, and this story did not disappoint. Featuring a call to action and poignant reflection upon the horrors of the real world, this full-circle story was haunting and satisfying.
CW: death
Collections by Amber Blaeser-Wardzala
Whereas some of these other stories created horror via an omission of knowledge, or with a journey into the unknown, this story freaked me out precisely because as soon as you pick it up, you know exactly where its headed. It felt like being on a high-speed train to hell, as you spend the story pleading for it to hit the brakes or veer off-course. Praying for some twist to arrive to save you from the dreaded destination, while knowing there's no way to avoid the inevitable.
CW: decapitation, dead bodies, murder (implied)
Limbs by Waubgeshig Rice
What a great note to end this story on. Though I had to skim some parts due to its gore, this story was grotesquely powerful. In featuring a depiction of the land rising up to protect itself and those who care for it properly, this story properly sums up the exact reason why so many marginalized communities find comfort in horror. Because often times, as our horror is our every day lives, there's a comfort in aligning ourselves with the "monster". In using horror to face "othering" head on.
CW: torture, dismemberment, blood & gore, cannibalism, violence, colonization, alcohol consumption
Story rundown:
Kushtuka by Mathilda Zeller
I read this first thing in the morning in full daylight and it still had me shivering and cowering into myself. I don't know what was scarier, the "monster" or the creepy white man who thinks the world is his toy box. I also already found myself referencing this story within a day or two after reading it, which is when you know a story has left a good impact.
CW: violence, body horror, blood & gore, colonization, dismemberment (mention), gun violence, murder, emesis
White Hills by Rebecca Roanhorse
A new kind of horror: assimilation. I think this one was straight and to the point, but still creepy.
CW: racism, eugenics, blood, forced abortion, emesis, dismemberment (implied)
Navajos Don't Wear Elk Teeth by Conley Lyons
Honestly white gay men are fucking terrifying to me so this story was already filling me with dread from the first page.
CW: sexual content, rape, tooth horror (not graphic)
Wingless by Marcie R. Rendon
This one was honestly a bit forgettable to me. There was nothing about it that left me with a lingering fear, nothing that extended its claws beyond its pages. But I liked the writing.
CW: insects, abusive parent (physical), child abuse, emesis, animal death, dismemberment
Quantum by Nick Medina
At this point in the anthology, this one was my favorite read so far. The horror of this was one that was developed out of chosen and deliberate choices built out of delusion and it created such a wonderful tension in its reading experience.
CW: dead body, child neglect, needles, alcohol consumption (mention)
Hunger by Phoenix Boudreau
Absolutely a standout in the collection. Such bold storytelling choices and such a unique voice. I loved Boudreau's way of creating an oddly happy horror by placing us in the mind of the monster, and asking what their horrors would look like.
CW: violent thoughts
Tick Talk by Cherie Dimaline
For some reason, I irrationally do not get along with Cherie Dimaline's writing style. The rhythm of it grates my brain and it genuinely gives me a headache every time I try to read one of her works. But the story itself was really really cool and there's much to analyze if you're a fan of her writing.
CW: blood & gore, insects, body/medical horror, death of parents
The Ones Who Killed Us by Brandon Hobson
I actually skipped this one. It tried to be experimental in its writing style but felt like it lacked deliberate choices. Rather than using the experimental writing to guide its readers through an unexpected terrain, its sentences were just meandering. They weren't run-ons but rather runaways, and it felt like the words were swimming on the page in front of me. I was just completely unable to track the train of thought or process what was being said and so I skipped it.
CW: did not read
Snakes Are Born in the Dark by D. H. Trujillo
Oh my god. That was the most horrifying and fucked up thing I've ever read. It was just so gross and I had started the story with a hot chocolate in hand that was left unfinished. But it was really good and really intriguing and well written. Though I did notice a few important threads left open in an unsatisfying way at the end.
CW: racism, anti-indigenous slur, injury detail, body horror, illness, pregnancy, birth (on-page), animal death, blood & gore, emesis
Before I Go by Norris Black
I honestly keep forgetting about this one? It was good and haunting but was a little too direct. It's just not sticking with me.
CW: loss of spouse, death of mother, grief, body horror, death, animal death, blood & gore, dead body, cancer, alcohol consumption
Night in the Chrysalis by Tiffany Morris
My favorite in the whole anthology, hands down. I immediately fell in love with Morris's poetic prose and wonderful delicate writing style. Her poetry background was very apparent in how it helped create such specificity and tact in her craft. It reminded me of lacework somehow. In regards to the story: gothic haunted houses with the house as a character/metaphor is my literary bread and butter and this living chrysalis was such a brilliant use of that house trope. I wanted it to go on forever. I ate this one UP and I'll be returning to feast on its words time and again.
CW: insects, blood, emesis, miscarriage (mention)
Behind Colin's Eyes by Shane Hawk
A very traditional horror story (complimentary). It was horrifying and haunting, yet felt familiar and expected. I feel like if I imagined a horror story on a hunting trip it would be exactly this. But truly well-written nonetheless.
CW: animal death, blood & gore, body horror, tooth horror, insects, emesis, war (mention), colonization (mention)
Heart-Shaped Clock by Kelli Jo Ford
I'm having a hard time placing my thoughts on this one. I think I liked what it was doing but the taste it left in my mouth was a little too helpless for me.
CW: murder, drugs, alcohol consumption, animal abandonment, imprisonment, suicidal thoughts, animal death, domestic abuse (mention), death of grandparent (past)
Scariest. Story. Ever. by Richard Van Camp
This one keeps growing on me the more I think back on it. In the foreword, Stephen Graham Jones explains the impact of ambiguity in horror, especially indigenous horror, and I think Van Camp perfectly illustrated ambiguity and negative space as a tool of horror. I do wish its final note was a little more sour or off-putting rather than just being hopeful, but this really was a cool story.
CW: violence, imprisonment (mention), drugs (mention)
Human Eaters by Royce K. Young Wolf
Though it faded into the background for me, I thought this short story was a lovely ode to oral storytelling, the importance of generational memory, and the tradition of folklore as a way to pass on lessons and cautionary tales.
CW: colonization (mention), dismemberment (mention)
The Longest Street in the World by Theodore C. Van Alst Jr.
Really good. Really fucking weird. Certainly left an impression on me. I liked the writing style quite a bit, it was unique.
CW: decapitation, violence, gun violence, emesis
Dead Owls by Mona Susan Power
Really emotionally evocative, haunting, and precious. I did really enjoy this one. It felt like it stood out tonally from a lot of the other stories.
CW: war (past), blood, violence, suicide (past), rape (mention), anti-indigenous racism
The Prepper by Morgan Talty
Not so much for me. I thought it had really nice writing and nice storytelling but I just don't find interest in doomsday prepper horror or zombie horror unless it's really spinning it on its head and this didn't. I also feel like I wasn't quite sure what it was saying about many of its topics (mental illness leading to violence, assisted suicide, etc.) and thought it needed further clarity on its point.
CW: assisted suicide, suicidal thoughts, imprisonment, self harm, illness, mental illness, death of grandparent, ableism, bullying, murder, animal death, violence, gun violence, rape (mention), death
Uncle Robert Rides the Lightning by Kate Hart
More mythological than horror, and honestly not sure I feel like it fits in well with the rest of the anthology. Surrounded by so many monsters and horrors, I kept waiting for something scary or unnerving to happen, but it really just felt like a little mythological tale. (I know this sounds weird with the content warnings below being what they are but I promise this makes sense.) I liked it though.
CW: electrocution, drowning, suicide (offscreen), alcohol consumption, death
Sundays by David Heska Wanbli Weiden
I think this was one of the most jarring stories. I had my jaw dropped and my fists clenched for much of its reading. Powerful and clear. A lot but really good.
CW: child rape (graphic), trauma, grooming, alcohol consumption, car accident (mention), suicide (mention), racism, parental death (past), loss of spouse (past), cancer
Eulogy for a Brother, Resurrected by Carson Faust
One of my favorites! I keep returning to this one in my mind. Its storytelling is very much my jam (I mean, anything sort of golem-core or death-core in this particular vibe is my jam.) I especially loved the poetic ambiguity of the ending and the shift in writing style in which to portray that ambiguity. It was emotionally and artistically charged in the right places and I just really enjoyed it.
CW: loss of sibling, grief, blood, death, homophobia, murder, gun violence, death
Night Moves by Andrea L. Rodgers
Wonderfully classic. It won't stick with me but mostly because it just felt like many old black-and-white horror movies.
CW: blood and gore, war, alcohol consumption, death of sibling (past), death, colonization, emesis, violence
Capgras by Tommy Orange
Another favorite of mine in the collection. There was something in its storytelling structure and style that reminded me of Edgar Allen Poe despite its decidedly un-gothic atmosphere. I definitely need to revisit and analyze this one because I felt like it was Doing and Saying a lot that I missed just due to my headspace when reading it. My critical thinking brain cells were not functioning properly, but I could tell this one was incredibly smart and cool and I'm certain I'm missing a lot of what makes it so smart and cool.
CW: alcohol consumption, hallucinations, blood, dead body
The Scientist's Horror Story by Darcie Little Badger
I've been so excited to read more of Darcie Little Badger's work since I encountered her writing in The Grimoire of Grave Fates earlier this year, and this story did not disappoint. Featuring a call to action and poignant reflection upon the horrors of the real world, this full-circle story was haunting and satisfying.
CW: death
Collections by Amber Blaeser-Wardzala
Whereas some of these other stories created horror via an omission of knowledge, or with a journey into the unknown, this story freaked me out precisely because as soon as you pick it up, you know exactly where its headed. It felt like being on a high-speed train to hell, as you spend the story pleading for it to hit the brakes or veer off-course. Praying for some twist to arrive to save you from the dreaded destination, while knowing there's no way to avoid the inevitable.
CW: decapitation, dead bodies, murder (implied)
Limbs by Waubgeshig Rice
What a great note to end this story on. Though I had to skim some parts due to its gore, this story was grotesquely powerful. In featuring a depiction of the land rising up to protect itself and those who care for it properly, this story properly sums up the exact reason why so many marginalized communities find comfort in horror. Because often times, as our horror is our every day lives, there's a comfort in aligning ourselves with the "monster". In using horror to face "othering" head on.
CW: torture, dismemberment, blood & gore, cannibalism, violence, colonization, alcohol consumption