Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • SHIRLEY JACKSON AWARD NOMINEE FOR BEST EDITED ANTHOLOGY • BRAM STOKER AWARD NOMINEE FOR SUPERIOR ACHIEVEMENT IN AN ANTHOLOGY • LOCUS AWARD FINALIST
A bold, clever, and sublimely sinister collection that dares to ask the question: “Are you ready to be un-settled?”
“Never failed to surprise, delight, and shock.” —Nick Cutter, author of The Troop and Little Heaven
Featuring stories by:
Norris Black • Amber Blaeser-Wardzala • Phoenix Boudreau • Cherie Dimaline • Carson Faust • Kelli Jo Ford • Kate Hart • Shane Hawk • Brandon Hobson • Darcie Little Badger • Conley Lyons • Nick Medina • Tiffany Morris • Tommy Orange • Mona Susan Power • Marcie R. Rendon • Waubgeshig Rice • Rebecca Roanhorse • Andrea L. Rogers • Morgan Talty • D.H. Trujillo • Theodore C. Van Alst Jr. • Richard Van Camp • David Heska Wanbli Weiden • Royce K. Young Wolf • Mathilda Zeller
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.
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Readers say *Never Whistle at Night* is a compelling collection blending Indigenous culture, history, and horror, with strong stories exploring identi...
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.
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.
Picket Fence be Damned
When searching for the ideal photograph of a domestic terrorist, it is doubtful that a matriarch represents such an image.
Glitter is more than microplastic in disguise. Like McMansions, its superficial flash has the potential to shift attention away from what may be less glamorous. At first glance, life in White Hills perfectly aligns with all that Marissa, the featured protagonist, hoped to manifest.
Accomplished by way of hypergamy, she is unaware that status exchange is an invisible and more prevalent form of discrimination. Isolated from her humble beginnings and bored with shopping and endless trips to the salon, Marissa struggles with making meaningful connections but is excited to learn that she is pregnant.
Anxiety reminds her that being a childless couple was mutually agreed upon, yet she eagerly ambushes her husband, Andrew, at the local (good ole boys) club. A sports venue staffed with scantily clad waitresses, it is dark and becomes more unwelcoming after she allows her nationality to slip.
A blistering critique of inherent evil, this character-driven tale of a trophy wife examines the threshold of desire and sacrifice. Readers are placed in the lead bumper car and bounced between assimilation and imposter syndrome until it is evident that the latter is the focused effect of the former.
Written by Rebecca Roanhorse, a dual-race woman of Black and Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo descent, as part of the Never Whistle at Night Anthology, this tightly packed piece uses tension to subtly suggest that domestic violence is an offshoot of generational brutality and one aspect of colonization inherent in Western DNA.
An allegorical tale of the horror that resides at home, it asks readers to contemplate the logic surrounding societal beliefs that marital unions between Caucasian men and minority women are a form of self-harm.
Fans of Native American folklore will appreciate the depth of details. Readers faced with the daily challenges of vacillating between belonging and failure to belong may question whether cultural identity can be erased. Others may learn that relinquishing control is not the lesser of lack of control.
When searching for the ideal photograph of a domestic terrorist, it is doubtful that a matriarch represents such an image.
Glitter is more than microplastic in disguise. Like McMansions, its superficial flash has the potential to shift attention away from what may be less glamorous. At first glance, life in White Hills perfectly aligns with all that Marissa, the featured protagonist, hoped to manifest.
Accomplished by way of hypergamy, she is unaware that status exchange is an invisible and more prevalent form of discrimination. Isolated from her humble beginnings and bored with shopping and endless trips to the salon, Marissa struggles with making meaningful connections but is excited to learn that she is pregnant.
Anxiety reminds her that being a childless couple was mutually agreed upon, yet she eagerly ambushes her husband, Andrew, at the local (good ole boys) club. A sports venue staffed with scantily clad waitresses, it is dark and becomes more unwelcoming after she allows her nationality to slip.
A blistering critique of inherent evil, this character-driven tale of a trophy wife examines the threshold of desire and sacrifice. Readers are placed in the lead bumper car and bounced between assimilation and imposter syndrome until it is evident that the latter is the focused effect of the former.
Written by Rebecca Roanhorse, a dual-race woman of Black and Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo descent, as part of the Never Whistle at Night Anthology, this tightly packed piece uses tension to subtly suggest that domestic violence is an offshoot of generational brutality and one aspect of colonization inherent in Western DNA.
An allegorical tale of the horror that resides at home, it asks readers to contemplate the logic surrounding societal beliefs that marital unions between Caucasian men and minority women are a form of self-harm.
Fans of Native American folklore will appreciate the depth of details. Readers faced with the daily challenges of vacillating between belonging and failure to belong may question whether cultural identity can be erased. Others may learn that relinquishing control is not the lesser of lack of control.
Never Whistle at Night gathers a powerful lineup of Indigenous voices and offers a glimpse into horror shaped by culture, history, and inherited fear. Stories are rooted in belief systems where a simple act like whistling can invite something dangerous into your life. It promises unease with the added layer of silenced Indigenous stories adding meaning behind it.
The collection delivers a wide range of horror. Ghosts, curses, revenge, and deeply personal fears tied to identity and survival. A few stories stood out in a big way. The haunted house tale had a steady and creeping dread that stuck with me. I also enjoyed the story centered on a pregnant woman protecting herself from her bloodline being erased.
A lot of the anthology started to blur together. Many stories leaned heavily into similar themes and graphic imagery without enough distinction in voice or structure to make them stand apart. I kept waiting for more stories to have the same clarity and punch as the ones I loved.
The audiobook experience is where this anthology shines. A full cast of narrators gives each story its own identity. It felt intimate and like each author was sitting down to tell their story directly to me. That level of care in performance elevated the material and kept me engaged.
Never Whistle at Night is a collection that will resonate strongly with readers looking for culturally rooted horror and a wide spectrum of voices. It just didn’t fully come together for me as a standout anthology.
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