Wapke Indigenous Science Fiction Stories

Wapke—meaning “tomorrow” in the Atikamekw language—is Quebec’s first collection of science fiction short stories by Indigenous writers. Fourteen authors from various nations and different backgrounds project us into the future through their moving, poetic, worrying, and sometimes fantastical tales, addressing current social, political, and environmental themes. From time travelling Indigenous warriors to rebellious language and knowledge keepers, from Big Trees in a lake to a human sausage factory, from living on the land to living in cyberspace, these stories provide a trans-Indigenous colonial critique. The brainchild of Michel Jean, Wapke can be read on different levels: as pure entertainment for sci-fi fans or as a stimulant to serious reflection. It offers an often-captivating social commentary that reveals how Indigenous people view the future as well as a hope that change will come.

Kathryn Gabinet-Kroo is a translator who works for clients in the public and private sector. Her translations of four novels by Quebec authors have been published by Exile Editions, including her translation of Marc Séguin’s Hollywood, one of five finalists for the Governor General’s Award for French literature in 2013. She is an active member of the Quebec Writers’ Federation, and the Literary Translators’ Association of Canada. Michel Jean is Innu and a member of the Pekuakamiulnuatsh First Nation. He is a news anchor and investigative reporter (notably at Radio-Canada, RDI and TVA), a fiction writer, and the author of nine books. In 2020 Exile Editions released the anthology AMUN, edited by Jean: ten Innu stories of Indigenous experiences.