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Taaqtumi: An Anthology of Arctic Horror Stories
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“Taaqtumi” is an Inuktitut word that means “in the dark”—and these spine-tingling horror stories by Northern writers show just how dangerous darkness can be. A family clinging to survival out on the tundra after a vicious zombie virus. A door that beckons, waiting to unleash the terror behind it. A post-apocalyptic community in the far North where things aren’t quite what
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Overall I really enjoyed this collection. It contains a wide variety of stories that as a whole bring chilling life to the words "Arctic Horror." But more than that, Taaqtumi (Inuktituk for "in the dark") represents the perspective of northern Indigenous writers whose tales are imbued with the unique sense of a culture tied to the Arctic environment. As I read through this anthology I was both impressed and also filled with appropriate levels of creeping dread.
Iqsinaqtutalik Piqtuq: The Haunted ...more
Iqsinaqtutalik Piqtuq: The Haunted ...more
3.5 Stars
Inuit Horror Short Stories set in the Canadian Arctic... Sign me up!
This was a fantastic diverse anthology featuring Arctic horror stories written by and about the Inuit experience of living in the north. As a Canadian, I particularly love cold weather horror like these stories because they are so atmospheric and suspenseful.
All the stories in the collection were written by authors of Inuit descent which made this a fantastic example of #ownvoices horror. Through the stories, I was expo ...more
Inuit Horror Short Stories set in the Canadian Arctic... Sign me up!
This was a fantastic diverse anthology featuring Arctic horror stories written by and about the Inuit experience of living in the north. As a Canadian, I particularly love cold weather horror like these stories because they are so atmospheric and suspenseful.
All the stories in the collection were written by authors of Inuit descent which made this a fantastic example of #ownvoices horror. Through the stories, I was expo ...more
Jan 08, 2020
Sheena ☆ Oh, the Sheenanigans!
rated it
it was ok
Shelves:
netgalley,
paranormal-supernatural,
arcs-ebook,
dark,
mystery,
death,
short-and-sweet,
mass-review,
thriller,
contemporary
Some of the short stories featured can be either a hit or miss. Amongst the read, my favorites were the 'Haunted Blizzard' and 'The Door', and everything else pretty much fell under the radar and nothing else stood out. They were uninspired and didn't drawn me in enough to immerse myself in the read. Overall, there's not much to rave about.
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Overall it seems that my fellow book club members enjoyed this book more than I did. It started off weak, with the fist couple stories being mediocre, bordering on bad, and I was afraid I was going to be in for a lot of tedium. Fortunately the third story turned out to be a lot better, partially because it had some unusual and weird elements, and partially because it felt like there was a fleshed out world being built behind the scenes. I had mixed feelings about the fourth story "Revenge" becau
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From the Inuktitut word meaning in the dark, behold a collection of stories about just that, all the terrifying things hiding in the profound lack of light and desolation that can be found along the Artic region. Some frights you have to go North for, far, far North with its stark beauty and unforgiving climate and tenebrous nights. This collection turned out to be a lovely find, albeit lovely might not be morbid enough of a descriptor for an anthology featuring zombies, cannibal and a diverse p
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This was horrifying but in the best way possible.
Horror is diverse. Yes, I’m saying this pointedly. Glare to you, Mr. Stephen King.
This book showcases that with stories and authors and lore of the Arctic.
I was terrified, devastated, and haunted by each and every story and none of of them fell flat for me. I had my favorites yes as one often does with an anthology but this was a solid book of short stories that makes you crave more but also has you afraid to turn the page or to even read anothe ...more
Horror is diverse. Yes, I’m saying this pointedly. Glare to you, Mr. Stephen King.
This book showcases that with stories and authors and lore of the Arctic.
I was terrified, devastated, and haunted by each and every story and none of of them fell flat for me. I had my favorites yes as one often does with an anthology but this was a solid book of short stories that makes you crave more but also has you afraid to turn the page or to even read anothe ...more
Horror stories that take place in cold climate is my all time favorite. The freezing landscape and dark, forlorn ambience is pretty chilling on its own. But then, add in a paranormal entity or some crazed maniac, for example, is just pure horrifying. And I LOVE IT!!
This book is a collection of short stories written by Northern writers, all whom are of Inuit descent.
What I appreciated most about this collection is learning more about the Inuit culture. A culture that has always intrigued me. To ...more
This book is a collection of short stories written by Northern writers, all whom are of Inuit descent.
What I appreciated most about this collection is learning more about the Inuit culture. A culture that has always intrigued me. To ...more
So rarely do I read an anthology and love every story in it; to be honest, I think this might be the first. Horror fans, this book is a must-read!
These authors capture everyday horrors - such as a strange noise in the night, nature, and the consequences of an impossible choice - with such skill I was simply awed. The writing conveys emotion expertly. I know I’ll be thinking about these stories for a long time.
These authors capture everyday horrors - such as a strange noise in the night, nature, and the consequences of an impossible choice - with such skill I was simply awed. The writing conveys emotion expertly. I know I’ll be thinking about these stories for a long time.
This one is a hard one for me to even rate. I enjoyed it a decent amount. I loved the Canadian setting and that it was indigenous ownvoices. It's hard to find diverse voices within the horror category and I was really excited to that. My main issue is I only loved about half the stories and the other half just didn't work for me on any level. There was also a lot of animal violence/death and that is a hard one for me, so I had to skip a couple of stories entirely. I'm glad I took the time to rea
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Taaqtumi is a really good collection of spine-tingling, atmospheric stories. I enjoyed this book very much. The stories were quite atmospheric and left me feeling uneasy after finishing (in a good way though!). They are based off of Inuit legends and lore, which really made this book even more fascinating. I love how different the stories were (than our basic zombie/ghost/etc. horror). I would love to read more of this type of horror. There isn't much more that can make chills run up your spine
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Short horror stories set in the Canadian Arctic. A wonderful and eclectic collection that had a bit of everything. However only four stars because there was one story that was simply far, far, far too long and considered not finishing the book reading that. Every other story was fantastic and I’m glad I finished it, but it was just that one story that didn’t fit.
A great collection of horror/thriller stories set in the Artic. The stories range from crimes of passion, to zombie survival, to post apocalyptic.
"Truthfully, I don't know why I'm crying, sobbing, screaming in such terror. [...] I don't know what hides on the other side."
Truthfully, I know why my hands were gripping this book so tight, why my eyes flitted from word to word zealously, why my mouth would drop with astonishment and wonder on it's own accord. Because this anthology was absolutely amazing, such a spellbinding read! From the first short story it immediately produced an uncomfortable lump in my throat and unease in my muscles th ...more
Truthfully, I know why my hands were gripping this book so tight, why my eyes flitted from word to word zealously, why my mouth would drop with astonishment and wonder on it's own accord. Because this anthology was absolutely amazing, such a spellbinding read! From the first short story it immediately produced an uncomfortable lump in my throat and unease in my muscles th ...more
Short horror stories revolving around Inuit characters written by Inuit authors. Most are set in the Arctic; the Arctic is cold, isolating, and scary, and the authors who use this as their setting take advantage of it.
Authors weave in Inuit culture and digestible bits of Inuktitut language; there's even a glossary and pronunciation guide at the end of the collection.
As with any short story collection, the reader will like some more than others. This variety is both refreshing and occasionally ...more
Authors weave in Inuit culture and digestible bits of Inuktitut language; there's even a glossary and pronunciation guide at the end of the collection.
As with any short story collection, the reader will like some more than others. This variety is both refreshing and occasionally ...more
By giving this book only 2 stars I'm not saying it was bad. Almost all of the stories were really interesting and completely different from anything I've read before, with some having me super curious as to what was going to happen. But there were a few that had such abrupt endings that it was more frustrating than not because it left me thinking "that's it??" Then there were some that were still interesting, but also pretty boring (mainly the longer ones). None of them were scary in the sense o
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An enlightening collection of ten tales of horror and speculative fiction by authors of the Arctic, TAAQTUMI provides a fine window into a diversity of legends and mythology from a geographic locale and ethnicity (Inuit) of which most Western readers are unaware. Be assured: Inuit horror and speculative fiction can astonish, enlighten, and terrify every bit as much as can Western literature.
As whole I would say this is a fantastic sample of the region's regions writers and the glossary at the back with the pronunciation was very helpful. As for the stories themselves.
My favourites were Iqsinaqtutalik Piqtuq: The Haunted Blizzard by Aviaq Johnston, The Door by Ann R. Loverock and Strays by Repo Kempt. All 3 are atmospheric and suspenseful which I look for in my stories. Wheetago Wars II: The Summoners by Richard van Camp, I had read before in his short story collection Moccasin Squ ...more
My favourites were Iqsinaqtutalik Piqtuq: The Haunted Blizzard by Aviaq Johnston, The Door by Ann R. Loverock and Strays by Repo Kempt. All 3 are atmospheric and suspenseful which I look for in my stories. Wheetago Wars II: The Summoners by Richard van Camp, I had read before in his short story collection Moccasin Squ ...more
I always find it hard to rate anthologies, but I feel like if I had to take an average of all the stories it would have to be a 3.
"The Haunted Blizzard" and "The Door" were the two main standouts for me - "The Door" especially. Not that the others weren't interesting reads! The only story that I didn't like (and actually skipped) was the long one in the middle...I don't have the book hand (library book) and I can't seem to find the title!
I absolutely loved the setting of all of these stories. So ...more
"The Haunted Blizzard" and "The Door" were the two main standouts for me - "The Door" especially. Not that the others weren't interesting reads! The only story that I didn't like (and actually skipped) was the long one in the middle...I don't have the book hand (library book) and I can't seem to find the title!
I absolutely loved the setting of all of these stories. So ...more
Horror is not my thing but I'm interested in the Arctic so I picked this up. These are easy-to-read short stories. Each one is a little morsel to savour. My - admittedly limited - experience of Arctic legends was tickled with some stories. Some had less classicly northern themes (such as zombies) but had a northern twist with echoes of real-world horror. Highly recommended if you want to step out of your sneakers and into a pair of mukluks for the day.
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Well I am here to report that the best part of this book is the cover, which is one of those super soft matte ones. Very touchable.
The stories.... Not so great, in fact really confusing. I didn't even pay attention to the gore because I was so focused on trying to figure out what was happening! ...more
The stories.... Not so great, in fact really confusing. I didn't even pay attention to the gore because I was so focused on trying to figure out what was happening! ...more
As someone who has never been around snow, it seems absolutely terrifying. for real. Some of these stories had me so tense! It was great!! There was a mix of supernatural and natural horror which I like. There was only one story I didn’t jive with but I think that’s pretty good for an anthology 🤷🏼♀️
Anthology so of course there was one story that I thought was so so, but hell did some of these stories hit hard. I'm not a big fan of horror, I'm squeamish at best with body horror, but once I got started on one of these stories I couldn't put them down.
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Isolation is a mainstay of horror. Whether it is the physical isolation of the setting (a cabin deep in the woods, a mansion on an island) or the mental isolation of the characters (a widow or widower whose grief separates her or him from the community), knowing that help might not arrive in time provides an extra layer of tension for both the characters who might die and for the reader who is anxious to find out what happens next. In the short story collection Taaqtumi, isolation is at its most
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And I thought the temperatures where the scary part about the arctic.
Taaqtumi: An Anthology of Arctic Horror Stories
Compiled by Christopher Neil
Horror (n.): An intense feeling of fear, shock, or disgust.
A Unique collection of short stories, the majority told by indigenous folks and a few by non-indigenous folks from the Arctic. The term 'Taaqtumi' is an Inuktitut words that means "In the Dark." I dove into this book with the misguided notion that it was going to be like Alvin Schwartz's Collection of Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark. I loved the perspective that ...more
Compiled by Christopher Neil
Horror (n.): An intense feeling of fear, shock, or disgust.
A Unique collection of short stories, the majority told by indigenous folks and a few by non-indigenous folks from the Arctic. The term 'Taaqtumi' is an Inuktitut words that means "In the Dark." I dove into this book with the misguided notion that it was going to be like Alvin Schwartz's Collection of Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark. I loved the perspective that ...more
So scary! I had to read this book in chunks, otherwise I would get nightmares. Powerful collection! I particularly liked the story “Lounge”.
Having been a long time fan of Horror and recent discover of Inhabit media, an Inuit-owned publishing company in Nunavut, Canada, I was thrilled to find this collection pop up on my FaceBook feed and then delighted to see my wife had already put an order in for it when I suggested we might want to buy it.
The stories included in Taaqtumi range from Thriller to Supernatural Horror and to Science Fiction/Horror. Standouts for me included Iqsinaqtutalik Piqtuq: The Haunted Blizzard, by Aviaq Johnsto ...more
The stories included in Taaqtumi range from Thriller to Supernatural Horror and to Science Fiction/Horror. Standouts for me included Iqsinaqtutalik Piqtuq: The Haunted Blizzard, by Aviaq Johnsto ...more
Now I am not generally the person to read or review horror because I DO NOT LIKE IT. I love watching it until I can’t sleep but reading has its own style of horror that I just cannot do. I am sorry to everyone who writes horror, but I am not your girl. However, my students love it… they crave it, they love it, they will do anything to get their hands-on horror. Especially horror that really creeps them out. So I picked this up from NetGalley in an attempt to win my students hearts. I think this
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There’s something about the remote and frigid Great North that makes eerie tales all the more horrifying. Many of these stories took me back to my darkest of Januarys, when the cold is unbearable and morale follows the low curves of the winter sun. Although I live south of 60, something about this collection felt homey.
It was really interesting to read about winter in July. I felt a strange nostalgia while reading The Haunted Blizzard, remembering those walks home from school in the middle of wi ...more
It was really interesting to read about winter in July. I felt a strange nostalgia while reading The Haunted Blizzard, remembering those walks home from school in the middle of wi ...more
I do not scare easy, so while I will say that none of these really scared me, I was definitely unsettled.
My literary "catnip" is anything that involves the Arctic. Throw in horror and I'm even more hooked. And as a bonus, the stories are all written by and feature Canadian and Alaska Natives, and Inuktitut language? Sold, sold, sold. In fact, I was so sold I immediately bought it online, because I didn't want to wait for it to come to my library.
This collection is great because it covers every g ...more
My literary "catnip" is anything that involves the Arctic. Throw in horror and I'm even more hooked. And as a bonus, the stories are all written by and feature Canadian and Alaska Natives, and Inuktitut language? Sold, sold, sold. In fact, I was so sold I immediately bought it online, because I didn't want to wait for it to come to my library.
This collection is great because it covers every g ...more
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Aviaq Johnston is a young Inuk author from Igloolik, Nunavut. Her debut novel Those Who Run in the Sky was released in the spring of 2017. In 2014, she won first place in the Aboriginal Arts and Stories competition for her short story “Tarnikuluk,” which also earned her a Governor General’s History Award. Aviaq is a graduate of Nunavut Sivuniksavut, and she has a diploma in Social Service Work fro
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