“Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology” edited by Shane Hawk and Theodore C. Van Alst Jr.
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 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.
Review
(Updated October 20, 2024 with reviews for the individual stories)
I always say this but anthologies are a fun way to be introduced to a group of new authors all at once. In this case there were a few author’s I’ve already read but it was good to see more of their work. There were a few stories I didn’t really understand but overall I really enjoyed this anthology. It was a good mix of types of horror stories where sometimes the horror came more from people (colonizers) rather than the supernatural which is to be expected when reading Indigenous stories. This will be another anthology where I look up all the authors and see what else they have written.
Some thoughts on the individual stories:
“Kushtuka” by Mathilda Zeller – I loved the ending for this one! I’m still not entirely sure I understand what happened in the end, but maybe that was the point? Multiple things seemed to be happening at once but at the core it was about a young woman forced to work for a bigoted man who is would love to take advantage of her and the rage it produces.
“White Hills” by Rebecca Roanhorse – The ending is a little vague on this one because I do think it’s implied that another choice was made than it appears? But I’m not entirely sure. In any case it’s about a woman who thinks she has it all but learns how little control she has over her life once her husband and his mother learn the truth about her. And then she has to make a choice.
“Navajos Don’t Wear Elk Teeth” by Conley Lyons – This one gets very dark as it goes along but it’s an interesting tail of someone finding themselves in an abusive relationship that gets more and more disturbing before they have to make a desperate choice.
Wingless by Marcie R. Rendon – This is a story about two kids living in an abusive foster home. They each are reacting in different ways – one displaying violence themselves and deliberately making a scene even to the point of provoking abuse (as a distraction to protect the other kid) while the other watches. Until one day… it’s not entirely clear from the ending how it will work out but there’s an implication that it will lead to the arrest of one of the children rather than stopping the abusive foster parents.
Quantum by Nick Medina – A very disturbing story about a woman who finds that one of her two children has enough Indian blood to be one of them and how she treats the children differently. It doesn’t entirely make sense the way things are depicted (no one else seems to notice the second child being treated so horribly). At least the ending implies things will change but I’m not sure how well it will work out.
Hunger by Phoenix Boudreau – This one is sort of two stories at once. A young woman is at a party and leaves to avoid the unwanted attention of a young man. Though it turns out that man has been possessed by an evil entity (though that young man was definitly thinking of doing bad things before he was possessed which is why he gets possessed). The ending is a good twist though as things don’t go the way the entity planned.
Tick Talk by Cherie Dimaline – A creepy one. Mostly a surreal story about a young man returning home after his parents have died and eventually going hunting. That’s when the true horror story starts … the ending is a little mysterious as it’s not clear what happens.
The Ones Who Killed Us by Brandon Hobson – This is a story about a group of men searching for those that killed their people. It takes some effort to read this one because it’s almost entirely stream of consciousness. But it’s still a detailed story.
Snakes Are Born in the Dark by D. H. Trujillo – The narrator goes on a hike with his cousin and her boyfriend. The boyfriend is racist and his cousin isn’t that much more respectful of Indigenous traditions. As a result someone gets revenge for their disrespect. It’s not actually 100% who caused things to happen – the narrator or angry spirits but the narrator certainly helps things along.
Before I Go by Norris Black – On the one year anniversary a woman goes to the place where her fiancé died. It gets more disturbing from there. This one is short but interesting. Some things are better left alone.
Night in the Chrysalis by Tiffany Morris – A ghost story about a woman spending the first night at a new house. Disturbing things happen throughout the night until sunrise. Good story.
Behind Colin’s Eyes by Shane Hawk – Strange things start happening the night before a hunting trip and it only gets stranger from there. I really liked the slow buildup of horror of this one as things start happening.
Heart-Shaped Clock by Kelli Jo Ford – This one is honestly a bit confusing – multiple things seem to be happening at once. A young man moves back to where his mother lives after having lived with his father. There’s family conflict because he’s life was different than what his brother had with his mother. Some things make sense but other parts of it aren’t entirely clear but it might have more to do with the narrator than anything else – we just have his internal point of view for everything going on without much external information.
Scariest. Story. Ever. by Richard Van Camp – A young man needs a scary story to win a contest so tries to steal one to use. This one is fun. It starts out as one thing but turns into something else. A story within a story. I really liked the way it ends.
Human Eaters by Royce K. Young Wolf – A grandmother tells her two grandsons a story while they’re waiting for their parents to arrive. Creepy story but a good read and it seems the creatures the grandmother is telling them about are actually there watching the whole time.
The Longest Street in the World by Theodore C. Van Alst Jr. – A strange one with multiple things happening at once. I really liked it though! A violent attack leads to more violence and then it gets more complicated from there. Seems like a supernatural entity is trying to help but things keep going sideways…
Dead Owls by Mona Susan Power – A girl is spending time with her aunt and asks if the place they’re staying is haunted after seeing a movie. Turns out it is but it’s more complicated than that. I really like this one and how it ends.
The Prepper by Morgan Talty – This is a sad story about a man who comes to believe that a zombie apocalypse is going to happen and the result of that. There’s also a couple side plots that are mixed up in it. His grandfather is dying at the same time and the man ends up doing something as a result of that that leads to his current circumstances. Also he tells the story of his uncle with Down Syndrome who was killed and the connection he feels.
Uncle Robert Rides the Lightning by Kate Hart – This one has a lot in it – two men who lived complicated lives and died but still live on. I enjoyed reading this one a lot.
Sundays by David Heska Wanbli Weiden – It involves a man whose wife has recently passed which has lead to PTSD and flashbacks to the sexual abuse he suffered at the hands of a pedophile priest. Once he learns there’s no justice to be had by law he decides to confront the priest on his own. It’s not graphic but it’s pretty intense and disturbing.
Eulogy for a Brother, Resurrected by Carson Faust – A rather disturbing story about what happens when someone wants their brother back. The ending is a little confusing but I like the story overall.
Night Moves by Andrea L. Rogers – Four soldiers stationed in Germany walk home after a night at a bar… things don’t go well. I liked this one. The ending is intense though.
Capgras by Tommy Orange – I have to admit this one is rather confusing. Some of it makes sense – an author is in France and realizes that his book has been translated badly into French after a series of interviews. But things just get more confusing from there as it’s not entirely clear what is going on beyond that.
The Scientist’s Horror Story by Darcie Little Badger – Three scientists are sitting around having a drink and decide to tell stories. Two scary stories one real one fake and you may or may not be surprise at which one is scarier and for what reason. I liked this one a lot.
Collections by Amber Blaeser-Wardzala – A college student attends their professor’s party and finds they have an interesting collection… pretty disturbing and the ending is vague and open ended as the reader doesn’t actually know what will happen next. I enjoyed this one but I wish some things had been explained a little more in the end.
Limbs by Waubgeshig Rice – a native guide is taking a white man on a tour of native lands … Things go from bad to worse when the man decides he isn’t being shown anything of value. While realistic this one was a bit to dark for me. I kind of wish this hadn’t been the last story in the book.
Warnings and additional reviews are available on the StoryGraph page for “Never Whistle at Night.
Book Details
- Editor’s Website
Shane Hawk and Theodore C. Van Alst Jr.
- Publisher / Date
- Vintage, September 2023
- Genre
- Page Count
- 384
- Completion Date
- January 12, 2024
Horror, Short Stories
