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As November comes to a close and we near the end of Native American Heritage Month, now seems like a good time to reflect on the importance of reading Native American stories all year round. If you’re a horror fan, there are a lot of great options for Native American horror to add to your TBR.
If you’ve never picked up a horror novel by a Native American author before, here are some books that are a great place to start. These Native American horror books pull from the traditions, myths, and legends of their varied cultures to the trauma and systemic racism inflected upon Indigenous people. Understandably, these stories are emotional, and they’re often full of grief and rage.
Not to mention that they’re so creepy, you will feel the fear in your bones.
Man Made Monsters by Andrea L. Rogers
Andrea L. Rogers’ horror short story collection follows one Cherokee family across many centuries, starting in the 1830s and spanning into the future. These stories use horror elements like vampires, werewolves, and other monsters to explore the terrors of colonialism, the systemic oppression of Indigenous peoples, and generational trauma. Each story is also accompanied by illustrations by Cherokee artist and language technologist Jeff Edwards.
Empire of Wild by Cherie Dimaline
This horror novel is inspired by the Canadian Métis legend of the Rogarou, a hairy werewolf-like creature that stalks the woods. Joan comes from a small-town, tight-knit Métis community that knows of the legends. But no one truly believes them. Then Joan’s husband goes missing, and after he’s gone for over a year, Joan finds him in a revival tent in a Walmart parking lot. Even though he has changed his hair and his clothing, Joan knows it’s him. Still, he insists he is someone else and does not recognize her. Not to mention that there’s something suspicious (and potentially evil) about Reverend Wolff, the charismatic preacher who has taken Joan’s husband in.
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The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones
Stephen Graham Jones has written many must-read horror novels exploring the intergenerational trauma and racism experienced by Native Americans. But the most haunting one of all is The Only Good Indians, a supernatural revenge story. This novel follows four Blackfeet Indian men who go out to hunt elk in their youth and make a mistake that will haunt them for the rest of their lives. Quite literally. As they get older, each of the four men is relentlessly tracked by a vengeful supernatural entity who will not stop until the men pay for their wrongdoings.
Horror fans, looking for more Native American horror to read during every month of the year? Here are more Indigenous Horror Books to Haunt Your Shelves at Night!
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