Take Us to Your Chief: And Other Stories

Gr 5–8—Taylor delights with humorous short stories that will have readers longing for more. This volume of short science fiction tales from a First Nations perspective invites contemplation. In one piece, men living in a nursing home are conquered by aliens, thereby seeing history repeat itself. In "I AM…AM I," a computer develops artificial intelligence and human emotion, struggling to identify what it is. It turns to Native spirituality as a way to relate, only to become depressed by what it learns. In "Dreams of Doom," a slightly scary and sarcastic entry, dream catchers are used to subdue First Nations into passive people. In "Superdisappointed," a Native man discovers that being the first Aboriginal superhero isn't as glamorous as one might think. Taylor's writing is entertaining and thought provoking. While these tales employ familiar tropes, the First Nations point of view is a refreshing change of pace from typical sci-fi fare.