Taaqtumi

A collection of Arctic horror stories by award-winning Indigenous and non-Indigenous authors from Canada's far north. Unlike some horror anthologies that resuscitate generic tales with contemporary characters or bolster them with updated settings, readers will find that this compilation, whose title translates from Inuktitut as "in the dark," could only emerge from the Arctic, with its unique places, peoples, and languages. But these tales are more than simply scary stories set in the snow, peppered with Inuktitut or Tlįchǫ terms, or populated with characters from these communities. These stories exist as part and parcel of the permafrost itself. Many of the stories--whether a haunted blizzard bringing along a figure "made entirely...of shadow," a giant polar bear summoned from the sea by a lone man's hate and his "ancient blade," or a floating door threatening to release an unknown terror--feel deeply anchored to the oral tradition. And while others--those involving zombies, human-devouring monsters, and additional speculative plot lines--provide readers with a glimpse into futuristic horrors, the collection also includes tales of terrifying present-day realities that would make even Poe shudder. Published by an Inuit-owned press based in the Canadian Arctic, this anthology showcases the scariest of the "scary things that hide around us." Even seasoned readers of this genre may find themselves afraid of the dark. Guaranteed to chill the spine and tremble readers to the core. (glossary, contributor bios) (Horror. 14-adult)

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