Native American Authors of Dark Fiction
Since my Black Horror Writers post was so well-received, I thought it would be a good idea to make a similar list for Native American authors. No Sherman Alexie or N. Scott Momaday here (although theyâre good too) â here are some contemporary authors you probably havenât heard of but who you should totally be supporting. The list is a bit of a mix of horror, sci-fi, fantasy and contemporary fiction, but Iâve focused as usual on darkly imaginative stories. Enjoy!Â
Stephen Graham Jones
A Blackfeet author of horror and crime fiction, SGJ is both prolific â with more than 20 books to his name â and magnificently talented. You might want to start with Mongrels, which gives a fresh spin on the werewolf genre, or you can skip ahead to this yearâs release The Only Good Indians â a heart-pounding supernatural thriller with a classic slasher pace.
Owl Goingback
An author of horror and crime fiction for adults and children, Goingback specializes in stories that are high-horror, low-gore. Start at the beginning with Crota, which won a Stoker for âBest First Novel,â or jump to the present with the Stoker-award-winning âCoyote Rage.â
Cynthia Leitich Smith
Writing for children and young adults, Smith is a member of the Muscogee Creek Nation. If you like urban fantasy, youâll probably enjoy her Tantalize and Feral series, which give you all the shapeshifter/vampire/angel goodness you could ask for. If youâd rather go for something more classically Native, try Rain Is Not My Indian Name, a contemporary coming-of-age type novel.
Cherie Dimaline
A MĂŠtis writer and activist hailing from Canada, Dimaline considers herself first and foremost a writer of Indigenous stories. Her books arenât shy about exploring themes of colonialism and genocide â consider The Marrow Thieves, a dark dystopia about Indigenous people who are hunted and harvested for the properties of their bones. Or you might enjoy Empire of Wild, which draws on the MĂŠtis story of the Rogarou - a werewolf-like creature with a rich folklore history tracing through the mixed heritage of the MĂŠtis people.
Waubgeshig Rice
An Anishinaabe writer from the Wasauksing First Nation in Ontario, Rice is a journalist and author of dark fiction. Start with Moon of the Crusted Snow, which is a brooding post-apocalyptic thriller set in Canada.
Rebecca Roanhorse
OK, Roanhorse is kind of a controversial listing here. Some critics take issue with the way she portrays fictionalized, fantastical reimaginings of traditional mythology from a culture she is not intimately part of (she married a Navajo man and claims some Ohkay Owingeh ancestry but thereâs some dispute about that). But a lot of people (especially young readers) think her books are badass and really give a face to their experiences. Iâll leave it up to you to decide. Youâll probably want to start with Race to the Sun, which is this yearâs novel, but Trail of Lightning and Black Sun are much-loved fan favorites, too. If youâd rather just enjoy her writing without venturing into the argument about her use of cultural elements, she also writes Star Wars books.
Darcie Little Badger
A scientist and author from the Lipan Apache tribe, Little Badger is a member of the Indigenous Futurism movement, imagining Native characters in sci-fi settings that honor historical and cultural perpsectives. Sheâs also noteworthy for her LGBT+ inclusion. Sheâs mostly known for short fiction and comic books, but she does have a novel this year â Elatsoe, set in an alternate version of America filled with ghosts and magic.
Tommy Orange
A member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Nations of Oklahoma, Orange is a pretty new name on the scene. His book There There is more literary, having been a Pulitzer finalist in 2019, so you might not be as into it if youâre primarily a genre reader. But itâs a hard-hitting contemporary narrative twisting together multiple stories, and a downright ambitious debut. Keep an eye on this one.
Daniel Wilson
A robotics engineer and New York Times best-selling author, Wilson is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation. He writes Asimov-style hard sci-fi about robots, which heâs more than a little qualified to do! Start with Robopocalypse, which is an action-packed horror-scifi romp.
Drew Hayden Taylor
A Canadian playright and author with Ojibwe heritage, Taylor likes to joke about his mixed-race background. His writing covers a whole spectrum from plays, short stories and even graphic novels. If youâre looking for a book, The Night Wanderer is a good choice â a vampire Gothic set on a reservation.
Louise Erdrich
A member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, Erdrich is widely acclaimed as an author in the Native American Renaissance. Like Tommy Orange, her books are more on the literary side of things, but thereâs plenty to enjoy for genre fans as well. For my money, I say start with Future Home of the Living God, which is a dark dystopian apocalypse about evolution running backwards and a woman struggling to keep her baby safe.
As always, reblog with your recommendations and suggestions for any names I left off the list!Â
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