Rebecca Roanhorse

Rebecca Roanhorse is a Ohkay Owingeh (Pueblo) and Black American author who has become one of speculative fiction's most vital voices, centering Indigenous perspectives, mythologies, and futures in her science fiction and fantasy. A former lawyer turned writer, Roanhorse brings both creative imagination and understanding of systematic oppression to her work, creating stories where Native characters aren't historical footnotes or mystical sidekicks but complex protagonists navigating worlds shaped by their cultures. Her work has won the Nebula, Hugo, and Locus Awards, establishing her as essential reading for anyone seeking diverse, decolonized speculative fiction.

Roanhorse's breakthrough came with Trail of Lightning (2018), launching the Sixth World series. Set in a post-apocalyptic Dinétah (Navajo Nation) after climate change has flooded most of North America, the duology follows Maggie Hoskie, a monster hunter with supernatural abilities navigating a world where Diné gods and monsters have returned. Trail of Lightning and Storm of Locusts (2019) blend post-apocalyptic survival, Native mythology, and noir-influenced monster hunting, creating urban fantasy where "urban" means Navajo Nation rather than default Western cities. The series subverts post-apocalyptic tropes by showing Indigenous peoples thriving after colonizers' civilization collapses.

Race to the Sun (2020) offers middle-grade fantasy following Nizhoni Begay, a Navajo girl who can see monsters hiding as humans. When her father is kidnapped, Nizhoni and her brother and best friend must journey through Diné mythology to save him. The book introduces younger readers to Navajo culture and stories whilst delivering exciting adventure.

Black Sun (2020) launched the Between Earth and Sky trilogy, Roanhorse's epic fantasy series inspired by Pre-Columbian Americas. Set in the holy city of Tova during a solar eclipse, the novel follows multiple perspectives: Serapio, a blind man trained as a weapon of vengeance; Xiala, a Teek sea captain with magical abilities; and political intrigue amongst Tovan clans. The series draws on Ancestral Puebloan, Mayan, and other Indigenous American cultures, creating fantasy that doesn't default to European medievalism. Fevered Star (2022) continues the trilogy, expanding the world and deepening character arcs. Mirrored Heavens is forthcoming.

Roanhorse has also written Star Wars: Resistance Reborn (2019) and contributed to various anthologies, bringing Indigenous perspectives to mainstream franchises and short fiction.

Her work is characterized by Indigenous protagonists and perspectives, Native American mythology and cultures as foundation, post-apocalyptic settings where Indigenous peoples thrive, diverse sexuality and gender representation, complex female protagonists, blending traditional stories with speculative futures, and challenging colonial narratives.

Common themes include Indigenous survival and resistance, decolonizing fantasy/sci-fi, cultural identity and preservation, reclaiming mythology from appropriation, systematic oppression and its ongoing effects, queer Indigenous characters, environmental collapse, and what futures look like when imagined from Indigenous perspectives.

Roanhorse's prose is accessible and action-oriented, creating vivid worlds and propulsive plotting whilst incorporating cultural elements authentically. She writes for both adult and middle-grade audiences, adjusting tone whilst maintaining cultural specificity.

What distinguishes Roanhorse's work is her refusal to explain Indigenous cultural elements for non-Native readers. She trusts all readers to engage with Diné, Teek, or Ancestral Puebloan concepts, refusing the anthropological distance that treats Native cultures as exotic rather than simply different worldviews.

Her post-apocalyptic work subverts genre conventions by showing Indigenous peoples surviving and thriving after colonizers' systems collapse - a reversal of typical post-apocalyptic narratives where Indigenous peoples are absent or serve as mystical guides.

The fantasy work challenges the genre's Eurocentrism by building worlds from Pre-Columbian American cultures, proving epic fantasy doesn't require medieval Europe as template.

Roanhorse's success - winning major awards, being published by major houses, appearing on bestseller lists - represents important shift in speculative fiction toward authentic representation rather than appropriation of Indigenous cultures.