Synopsis:
Many Indigenous people believe that one should never whistle at night. This belief 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. 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.
These wholly original and shiver-inducing tales introduce listeners 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.
Awards/Nominations:
- Bram Stoker Award Nominee for Anthology (2023)
- Locus Award Nominee for Anthology (2024)
- Shirley Jackson Award Nominee for Edited Anthology (2023)
- British Fantasy Award Nominee for Best Anthology (2024)
My Edition:
Paperback
My Thoughts:
Stranger Sights favorite Stephen Graham Jones kicks off this incredible collection of dark fiction by giving his thoughts on a story he once heard Joseph M. Marshall III tell. He investigates the particular horror of indigenous possession stories. Is the possessor also native? Or is the possessor essentially colonizing the possessed from the inside out? It’s interesting, because I don’t think a lot of folks out there think about possession horror in that way. But it makes total sense (to me, at least) that possession horror would be particularly terrifying for people for whom violent colonization is not exactly a distant memory. I can see that adding a layer of existential terror to an already terrifying sub-genre.
Also, the way he ends his foreword is a prime example of why I love his writing so much:
“So, for these next 392 pages, let these twenty-six writers take you by the hand, lead you into the darkness at the heart of – let me put some quotation marks around it – “America.”
Just, don’t look back at your footprints.
Best to not look back at all, really.”
It’s just so perfect. A poignant reminder that America is a construct. And it’s a construct built on the bodies of the stewards of this land. A fact I think more “Americans” would do well to remember. Especially now, when we’re all living through a regime (“administration,” my ass) intent on destroying every last shred of decency, humanity, and empathy that many of the descendants of those very colonizers have managed to scrape together in spite of their genetic legacy. Anyway, I hate this version of reality.
But, to the book.
There are some favorites here beyond SGJ. You also get stories from Shane Hawk, Waubgeshig Rice, Darcie Little Badger, Nick Medina, Tiffany Morris, and Rebecca Roanhorse to name a few. But fear not – you’re going to find plenty of new (probably) favorites here too. I kid you not – not only is there not a bad story in the bunch, but there isn’t one that is anything less than fantastic. The only thing I have any sort of not-glowing-feedback on is that the way the stories were organized occasionally caused some tonal whiplash. But perhaps that was by design. That’s not really for me to say. And I wouldn’t pose it as a bad thing, necessarily. Maybe not at all, in fact. It did cause me to pause frequently between stories, which actually gave me some much needed time to sit with and reflect on the stories more than I otherwise might have. So, I take it back. Net positive.
Rating:
Read the book. Seriously. It’s a 90,000,000 week (give or take) best seller for a reason. It has taken up residence on the bestsellers list, just like it should be taking up residence in your squishy little brain.
Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology
Edited by: Shane Hawk & Theodore C. Van Alst Jr.
Vintage
Published: September 19, 2023
ISBN: 9780593468463
Paperback, E-book, Audiobook
400 Pages
