Elatsoe—Ellie for short—lives in an alternate contemporary America shaped by the ancestral magics and knowledge of its Indigenous and immigrant groups. She can raise the spirits of dead animals—most importantly, her ghost dog Kirby.
When her beloved cousin dies, all signs point to a car crash, but his ghost tells her otherwise: He was murdered. Who killed him and how did he die?
With the help of her family, her best friend Jay, and the memory great, great, great, great, great, great grandmother, Elatsoe must track down the killer and unravel the mystery of this creepy town and its dark past. But will the nefarious townsfolk and a mysterious Doctor stop her before she gets started?
A breathtaking debut novel featuring an asexual, Apache teen protagonist, Elatsoe combines mystery, horror, noir, ancestral knowledge, haunting illustrations, and fantasy elements in one of the most-talked about debuts of the year.
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Speculative fiction that blends traditional Lipan Apache storytelling with contemporary world-building has become a distinctive fixture of modern young adult literature. Author Darcie Little Badger (she/her) came to prominent attention with her award-winning debut fantasy novel, Elatsoe, drawing upon both her cultural heritage and scientific background to craft narratives centered on Indigenous characters, family bonds, and supernatural phenomena.
Born Darcie Erin Ryan, Little Badger received her surname following high school graduation in accordance with Lipan Apache tradition, referencing an important figure in the tribe's origin narrative. She earned her undergraduate degree at Princeton University in 2010 and later completed a PhD in oceanography, working as an Earth scientist alongside her creative career. Dr. Little Badger transitioned into writing speculative fiction, short stories, and comics, incorporating Lipan Apache folklore and environmental themes into her published work. She is married to Taran, a veterinarian.
Little Badger's work frequently falls within the Indigenous Futurisms movement, integrating science fiction, fantasy, and horror elements with Lipan Apache culture, ghosts, monsters, and deep connections to the Earth. Her narratives regularly feature Apache and LGBTQ characters, strong intergenerational family structures, and hopeful outcomes for young readers facing complex or dark realities. Her background as an oceanographer and Earth scientist informs the environmental and ecological perspectives present across her prose.
Elatsoe
