10 Indigenous Sci- Fi & Fantasy Books You Should Read
By: Amy May
For generations, Indigenous storytelling has shaped how people understand the world, the cosmos, and what lies beyond. Long before speculative fiction had a name, Indigenous cultures were already spinning tales of parallel worlds, spirit beings, shapeshifters, time travel, and cosmic balance.
In many Indigenous traditions, story is not just entertainment—it’s knowledge. Oral histories carry spiritual truth, environmental memory, and ancestral law. What Western readers might call “myth” or “magic” is, in Indigenous storytelling, often a form of lived reality. Today’s Indigenous authors are drawing from those deep roots to reimagine genre fiction through their own lenses, creating narratives where the sacred and the speculative walk side by side. Whether through apocalyptic futures, celestial prophecies, or supernatural creatures drawn from tribal lore, these books reflect a powerful reclamation of narrative and an expansion of what sci-fi and fantasy can be.
Here’s a look at some of the most compelling fantasy and sci-fi books by Indigenous authors you should absolutely have on your shelf:
Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse
Set in a post-apocalyptic world after climate disaster floods much of the Earth, Trail of Lightning introduces us to Maggie Hoskie, a monster-slayer who walks the line between humanity and myth. Drawing from Diné (Navajo) cosmology, this action-packed novel mixes dystopia, magic, and Indigenous futurism with bold energy. It's the first in The Sixth World series, and it helped spark a new era for Indigenous voices in genre fiction.
The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline
This haunting YA dystopia takes place in a future where climate change has destroyed much of the world, and non-Indigenous people have lost the ability to dream. The solution? Harvesting the bone marrow of Indigenous people, who still can. A gripping story of resistance, identity, and survival, The Marrow Thieves is both a thrilling sci-fi narrative and a powerful metaphor for historical trauma and resilience.
Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice
In this quiet, chilling, apocalyptic novel, a remote Anishinaabe community in northern Canada is cut off from the rest of the world as society collapses. Rather than panic, the community turns inward, drawing on culture, language, and tradition to survive. It’s speculative fiction rooted in place, identity, and reclamation. The sequel, Moon of the Turning Leaves, expands the story even further.
Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse
Yes, she’s back on this list. Roanhorse’s Between Earth and Sky series deserves a personal spotlight. Black Sun is an epic fantasy inspired by pre-Columbian civilizations of the Americas, filled with prophecy, celestial events, and power struggles. The world-building is lush and rooted in Indigenous culture, offering a dazzling alternative to the Eurocentric fantasy canon.
Love After the End: An Anthology of Two-Spirit and Indigiqueer Speculative Fiction (edited) by Joshua Whitehead
This groundbreaking collection brings together queer Indigenous writers imagining brilliant, defiant futures. From cybernetic love stories to post-colonial utopias, these short stories are speculative, bold, and deeply intimate—a powerful testament to how Indigenous futures can be queer, radical, and full of hope.
The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones
A horror-fantasy hybrid with elements of supernatural revenge, this novel follows four Indigenous men haunted by a traumatic event from their youth. It’s brutal, lyrical, and layered with commentary on tradition, guilt, and survival.
Empire of Wild by Cherie Dimaline
This novel spins a powerful Métis myth—the Rogarou, a werewolf-like creature—into a gripping, modern story about love, loss, and transformation. It’s eerie, romantic, and deeply rooted in Indigenous lore.
Taaqtumi: An Anthology of Arctic Horror Stories
A collection of horror/speculative tales by Inuit writers, Taaqtumi blends traditional stories with the strange, eerie atmosphere of the far North. Think ice, isolation, and monsters, both human and mythic.
Rooted in the Past, Reaching for the Future
As fantasy and sci-fi readers, we often look to books for escape, to dream, to explore the unknown. Indigenous authors are showing us that the unknown isn’t always “out there” in space, sometimes it’s buried deep in the land, the language, and the ancestors. Sometimes, the future has already been imagined, we just have to listen.