Picture a Lipan Apache storyteller weaving ghost dogs, shapeshifting snakes, and ancestral magic into modern-day Texas—meet Darcie Little Badger! This fantasy author and geoscientist has enchanted readers with her unique blend of speculative fiction and indigenous themes, earning accolades like a Newbery Honor and a spot on Time Magazine’s 100 Best Fantasy Books list. Her stories, rich with Lipan Apache culture, are redefining diversity in young adult literature.
The Making of Darcie Little Badger
Born in 1987 to an English professor father and a Lipan Apache mother, Darcie Little Badger grew up immersed in storytelling. Her mother’s oral Lipan tales, filled with Coyote’s mischief and animal spirits, sparked her imagination. Writing her first book at age seven, Darcie faced early rejection but persisted. She earned a BA in Geosciences from Princeton and a PhD in Oceanography from Texas A&M, studying toxin-producing plankton before transitioning to full-time writing after her debut novel’s success.
Darcie Little Badger’s Unforgettable Stories
Darcie’s debut, Elatsoe (2020), introduces Ellie, a 17-year-old asexual Lipan Apache teen who raises animal ghosts to solve her cousin’s murder in a magical, modern Texas. Praised as a 'Lipan Apache Sookie Stackhouse for the teen set,' it won the Locus Award for Best First Novel and landed on Time’s prestigious list. Her second novel, A Snake Falls to Earth (2021), a Newbery Honor recipient, follows Nina, a Lipan girl, and Oli, a cottonmouth snake spirit, in a tale of climate change and indigenous futurism. Her 2024 prequel, Sheine Lende, expands Ellie’s world through her grandmother’s story. Darcie’s style blends Lipan Apache storytelling with speculative elements, tackling themes like justice, identity, and environmentalism with hope and humor.
Her short fiction, appearing in outlets like Strange Horizons and The Dark, often weaves Apache history into horror and fantasy. For example, 'Whalebone Parrot' explores two Apache sisters’ reunion amid colonial trauma. Darcie’s work champions asexuality and LGBTQ+ representation, reflecting her own identity and resonating with diverse readers.
Why Darcie Little Badger Matters
Darcie Little Badger is a trailblazer in speculative fiction, bringing Lipan Apache voices to the forefront of young adult literature. Her stories challenge stereotypes, showing Native characters thriving in present and future settings, not just historical ones. As a contributor to Indigenous Futurism, she reimagines science fiction through a decolonial lens, inspiring Native and non-Native readers alike. Her geoscientific background adds depth to her environmental themes, making her work both timely and timeless.
- Born: 1987
- Key Works: Elatsoe, A Snake Falls to Earth, Sheine Lende
- Awards: Locus Award, Newbery Honor, National Book Award Longlist
- Fun Fact: She’s married to a veterinarian named Taran and loves horror movies!
Snag Elatsoe or A Snake Falls to Earth and dive into Darcie Little Badger’s magical, culture-rich worlds!