Taaqtumi: An Anthology of Arctic Horror Stories 

Taaqtumi, the Inuktitut word for “in the dark”, is a collection of 9 stories from authors of the Canadian North (Northwest Territories & Nunavut). The stories, published by Iqaluit, Nunavut-based Inhabit Media, range in scope and tone, from action-Horror to slow burn, but all are distinctly Northern. 

For context, the North of Canada has often been “out of sight, out of mind” for most Canadians. It’s one of the strange things about living in a country that covers such vast geographic territories. But most Canadians really have little to no grasp of Northern issues. Nunavut wasn’t even recognized as its own territory until 1999. This ignorance has led to things like the Canadian government relocating different Indigenous Peoples into the far north—assuming that if they can survive in Northern Quebec, surely they can survive in the high Arctic—to essentially be used as pawns in our on-going Arctic sovereignty disputes with other Arctic nations. 

Anyways, you didn’t come here for a History lesson, and you can definitely enjoy the stories of Taaqtumi without a deep historical understanding of Canada’s North. 

The thread that I found so interesting, that seemed sewn into every story in Taaqtumi, was the deep connection with the landscape. One of my favourite stories is Inuk writer Aviaq Johnston’s “Iqsinaqtutalik Piqtup”, about a haunted blizzard. Another standout story in the collection is Thomas Anguti’s “Revenge”, about nanurluk, a giant supernatural polar bear. In Anguti’s story, the lush descriptions of the North literally made me shiver as he describes driving across frozen lakes and crunching over crusted snow. 

Because of the connection to landscape in these stories, it should be no surprise that one of the stories deals with the effects of climate change on the North. K.C. Carthew’s story, “Sila”, is about the horrors unleashed in the rapidly changing northern climate. This was also perhaps the darkest story in the collection, and not one to read if you’re already having a bad day. (If you hated the ending to the film adaptation of Stephen King’s “The Mist”, maybe skip this one.)

Not every story in the collection was a total homerun, but the strong stories far outweigh and outnumber the others. I highly recommend anyone pick up this collection, whether you’re looking to learn more about Canada’s North, or you just want a couple good scares! Many of the stories also feature Inuktitut words, and a glossary is provided at the back of the book.  

Purchase Link – here!

Rating: 4 out of 5 ijiraujat (zombies)

Ian A. Bain (he/him) is a writer of dark fiction living in Muskoka, Ontario. Ian enjoys Horror, coffee, and long walks through the swamp with his wife and undead dog. Ian's fiction has appeared in various anthologies, magazines, and podcasts. Ian can be stalked online at @bainwrites on Twitter. 

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