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Night Moves
As a window into the magic and medicine of the Northwest Territories, Richard Van Camp's fourth short story collection is hilarious and heartbreaking. A teenaged boy confesses to a vicious assault on a cross-dressing classmate; Lance tells the sensual story of becoming much closer to his wife's dear friend Juanita; while a reluctant giant catches up with gangsters Torchy and Sfen in a story with shades of supernatural and earthly menace. Night Moves continues to explore the incredible lives of Indigenous characters introduced in The Lesser Blessed, Angel Wing Splash Pattern, The Moon of Letting Go, and Godless but Loyal to Heaven. If this is your first time to Fort Simmer and Fort Smith, welcome. If it's another visit—come on in: we've left the lights on for you.
124 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2015
7 people are currently reading
255 people want to read
About the author
Richard Van Camp
55 books315 followersA Dogrib (Tlicho) Dene from Fort Smith, NWT, Richard Van Camp is an internationally renowned storyteller and best-selling author. He is the author of the novel, The Lesser Blessed, a collection of short stories, Angel Wing Splash Pattern, and two children’s books with Cree artist, George Littlechild. His new baby book: Welcome Song for Baby: A Lullaby for Newborns is the official selection of the Books for BC Babies program and is being given to every newborn baby in British Columbia in 2008. His new novel, Blessing Wendy, will be released in the fall of 2009 through Orca Book Publishers. Richard was awarded Storyteller of the Year for both Canada and the US by the Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers. You can visit Richard at his website: www.richardvancamp.org.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
November 15, 2015
Won from the First Reads giveaway.
These short stories are kind of interconnected, but have their own arcs. Some have very dark themes, but I didn't think it was in a "look how gritty my writing is" sort of way. The darkness is often tempered with humor or beautiful passages. I think "Blood Rides the Wind" could have been lengthened into a novel or novella, though. It seemed a little rushed.
These short stories are kind of interconnected, but have their own arcs. Some have very dark themes, but I didn't think it was in a "look how gritty my writing is" sort of way. The darkness is often tempered with humor or beautiful passages. I think "Blood Rides the Wind" could have been lengthened into a novel or novella, though. It seemed a little rushed.
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September 24, 2015http://rabble.ca/books/reviews/2015/0...
Review by Lauren Scott
"Why do you place such haunting red hand prints throughout all of your paintings?" asks one character to another in 'Skull.Full.Of.Rust' one of the many short stories in Dene author Richard Van Camp's latest collection, Night Moves.
With his words, Van Camp yet again paints brutally beautiful images of the Northwest Territories.
Night Moves brings together many of Van Camp's best-loved characters -- like Larry Sole and Juliet Hope from his first novel The Lesser Blessed (which is perhaps the best Canadian Lit novel I have read to this day) -- and tosses them into new situations.
The collection is also partly a continuation of the Fort Simmer series, which is based in a fictional town inspired by Van Camp's hometown of Fort Smith and appears in his other collections Angel Wing Splash Pattern, The Moon of Letting Go and Godless But Loyal to Heaven, and is a seamless transition to one of his newer projects a graphic novel series called Wheetago War, which shares the same name as the short story in this collection.
Read more here: http://rabble.ca/books/reviews/2015/0...
Review by Lauren Scott
"Why do you place such haunting red hand prints throughout all of your paintings?" asks one character to another in 'Skull.Full.Of.Rust' one of the many short stories in Dene author Richard Van Camp's latest collection, Night Moves.
With his words, Van Camp yet again paints brutally beautiful images of the Northwest Territories.
Night Moves brings together many of Van Camp's best-loved characters -- like Larry Sole and Juliet Hope from his first novel The Lesser Blessed (which is perhaps the best Canadian Lit novel I have read to this day) -- and tosses them into new situations.
The collection is also partly a continuation of the Fort Simmer series, which is based in a fictional town inspired by Van Camp's hometown of Fort Smith and appears in his other collections Angel Wing Splash Pattern, The Moon of Letting Go and Godless But Loyal to Heaven, and is a seamless transition to one of his newer projects a graphic novel series called Wheetago War, which shares the same name as the short story in this collection.
Read more here: http://rabble.ca/books/reviews/2015/0...
June 21, 2017
I was expecting these short stories to resemble Richard van Camp’s haunting novel, The Lessed Blessed, as I thought they would also be gritty explorations of life in Fort Simmer (a reimagining of van Camp’s hometown, Fort Smith, in the Northwest Territories). One of these stories even revisits the characters from The Lesser Blessed where they appear in brief vignettes, but although I was initially excited to meet them again I can’t say that this story added anything meaningful to the novel. Apparently quite a few of the characters in these stories have appeared in van Camp’s earlier fiction, so perhaps this might have been a more rewarding reading experience if I had read his earlier short stories first.
In some ways, Fort Simmer has this Twin Peaks vibe where it is this remote place home to some quirky characters and to a mysterious, seedy underbelly. I liked the stories involving sketchy criminals (“Because of What I Did”), witchy women (“I Double Dogrib Dare You”, “Crow”), or determined teens seeking revenge (“Blood Rides the Wind”). There is a magical samurai sword that delighted me any time it was mentioned in the stories and unexpected details like that made these stories feel so unpredictable and original. I came in expecting arctic social realism, but nope, there is a lot more weirdness at play in this fictional universe!
Some of the stories in this collection were duds, especially the awkward sexual fantasy “If Only Tonight.” I didn’t always love van Camp as a prose stylist, as he often relies on choppy, terse sentences and heavy dialogue that too often included mundane parts of conversations. I also would have loved more descriptions of the arctic environment, but these stories are more focused on character and plot. That being said, this is an entertaining batch of stories and they are especially unique when van Camp incorporates aspects of the Dene language and culture into his stories (like the in sci-fi thriller “Wheetago War”). I plan on diving deeper into life in Fort Simmer by reading more of these stories in the future.
In some ways, Fort Simmer has this Twin Peaks vibe where it is this remote place home to some quirky characters and to a mysterious, seedy underbelly. I liked the stories involving sketchy criminals (“Because of What I Did”), witchy women (“I Double Dogrib Dare You”, “Crow”), or determined teens seeking revenge (“Blood Rides the Wind”). There is a magical samurai sword that delighted me any time it was mentioned in the stories and unexpected details like that made these stories feel so unpredictable and original. I came in expecting arctic social realism, but nope, there is a lot more weirdness at play in this fictional universe!
Some of the stories in this collection were duds, especially the awkward sexual fantasy “If Only Tonight.” I didn’t always love van Camp as a prose stylist, as he often relies on choppy, terse sentences and heavy dialogue that too often included mundane parts of conversations. I also would have loved more descriptions of the arctic environment, but these stories are more focused on character and plot. That being said, this is an entertaining batch of stories and they are especially unique when van Camp incorporates aspects of the Dene language and culture into his stories (like the in sci-fi thriller “Wheetago War”). I plan on diving deeper into life in Fort Simmer by reading more of these stories in the future.
November 19, 2023
It was my first time engaging with short stories, and who better to dive into firsts with than Mr. Richard Van Camp. It started raw and riveting with the first short story, and I realized reading them consecutively can leave one with a little bit of whiplash. I'm more confident now to give each short story its own time and to take breaks between them, which it turns out was a pleasant change of reading pace.
I enjoyed the remaining stories as I learned to enjoy them individually, and found myself amongst familiar characters after reading The Lesser Blessed. I enjoyed meeting new characters and suspect I'll cross their paths again as I continue reading more from Van Camp.
I enjoyed the remaining stories as I learned to enjoy them individually, and found myself amongst familiar characters after reading The Lesser Blessed. I enjoyed meeting new characters and suspect I'll cross their paths again as I continue reading more from Van Camp.
March 20, 2022
Entertaining enough. Some stories were nicely written, some were interesting, and a few were both.
In the end, though, I connected more with Van Camp's other collection, Moccasin Square Gardens, which I liked so much that it encouraged me to buy this one. I felt the stories in that book were tighter and more concentrated, which thus made them more engaging to me.
It's difficult to write a whole collection of stories based around the same characters and community without losing steam. I applaud the idea.
In the end, though, I connected more with Van Camp's other collection, Moccasin Square Gardens, which I liked so much that it encouraged me to buy this one. I felt the stories in that book were tighter and more concentrated, which thus made them more engaging to me.
It's difficult to write a whole collection of stories based around the same characters and community without losing steam. I applaud the idea.
January 26, 2018
A beautifully interwoven series of short stories - discovering slightly more about each character and also about the reader as you continue through.
Standout story for me was If Only Tonight, dedicated to “all you thought of while reading it.”
Standout story for me was If Only Tonight, dedicated to “all you thought of while reading it.”
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March 12, 2021Really liked some of the stories at the beginning but this collection lost me towards the end. Definitely not as good as the first Van Camp collection I read, Angel Wing Splash Pattern which was amazing.
July 20, 2025
A Short Story collection which takes place in the North West Territories. Some of the stories are interconnected, All stories are strong, my only beef is that some of them ended on a bit of a cliff hanger, and I really wanted to know what happened next.
October 19, 2015
If you've never read any of Richard Van Camp's work then consider this your warning: You are in for a crazy-fun, hilarious, creepy, terrifying, uncomfortable, wonderful, joyful, and heart-wrenchingly honest ride.
Richard has been working with many of these characters for a long long time and so they will walk right off the page and across your brain and heart. You will want to run screaming from some of them. You will want to wrap your arms around others, hold them close and never let them go.
This collection follows on the heels of "Godless But Loyal to Heaven" which is one of the best short-story collections I have ever read. Read it before or after this book it doesn't matter but it is a must read. The greatest strength of Richard's fiction lies in its characters. The folks who live in Richard's work are going to confront you, tell you secrets and make you laugh. They will break your heart and make you ache with longing.
Richard gives us the ability to see his characters from the inside and the outside. He shows us their greatest loves, their heartbreaks, their secret wishes, their guilt, their deepest fears, their compassion, their strength, their courage, and their magic. This ability to see his characters is a gift he offers us: We are all in these pages. We can all find peace, forgiveness, and love in these pages, it just might not be in the ways or places you expect.
My favourite story in this collection is "Blood Rides the Wind". I can't wait to read more about this kid Bear. This story is filled with everything from laughter to heartache and such an incredible demonstration of compassion and guidance that it made me want to be a better man.
Richard Van Camp may be one of Canada's best kept secrets but it is time for that to change.
Read this because it is truth.
Read this because you want to understand.
Read this because you want to be part of reconciliation.
Read this because it is powerful magic from the heart of one of wisest, mindful, and most compassionate men I know.
Don't be cheap!
Richard has been working with many of these characters for a long long time and so they will walk right off the page and across your brain and heart. You will want to run screaming from some of them. You will want to wrap your arms around others, hold them close and never let them go.
This collection follows on the heels of "Godless But Loyal to Heaven" which is one of the best short-story collections I have ever read. Read it before or after this book it doesn't matter but it is a must read. The greatest strength of Richard's fiction lies in its characters. The folks who live in Richard's work are going to confront you, tell you secrets and make you laugh. They will break your heart and make you ache with longing.
Richard gives us the ability to see his characters from the inside and the outside. He shows us their greatest loves, their heartbreaks, their secret wishes, their guilt, their deepest fears, their compassion, their strength, their courage, and their magic. This ability to see his characters is a gift he offers us: We are all in these pages. We can all find peace, forgiveness, and love in these pages, it just might not be in the ways or places you expect.
My favourite story in this collection is "Blood Rides the Wind". I can't wait to read more about this kid Bear. This story is filled with everything from laughter to heartache and such an incredible demonstration of compassion and guidance that it made me want to be a better man.
Richard Van Camp may be one of Canada's best kept secrets but it is time for that to change.
Read this because it is truth.
Read this because you want to understand.
Read this because you want to be part of reconciliation.
Read this because it is powerful magic from the heart of one of wisest, mindful, and most compassionate men I know.
Don't be cheap!
December 4, 2015
I was lucky enoigh to win this book through the Goodreads giveaways. This collection of stories was awesome! I loved the stories and Richard's style of writing. he's not afraid to touch any topic. there was a couple times I felt like he was trying to shock you though. my only real complaint is that these were short stories, I feel like each one could easily be the begining of a novel. Every story I'd get right sucked in for it to end too soon and leave me hanging with too many questions. when the second story, Where are you tonight" ended I was like "what the eff!" I was so into the story and it just ended bah! ! I want to now find his novel I fell that I would love it. I think Richard needs to stop publishing short story collections and take all his short stories and make novels... but then again when I started this book I did say I don't usually read short stories.. maybe I just need to learn to like short stories better... (but much easier for me if Richard writes novels instead)
I love The Northern Canada backdrop, I'm not sure if it's my love for the north or my interest in Native culture or my love for Canadian stories but yay!.
I love The Northern Canada backdrop, I'm not sure if it's my love for the north or my interest in Native culture or my love for Canadian stories but yay!.
November 9, 2015
This is an enjoyable collection of short stories. It especially allows outsiders a peek into the lives of the indigenous people of the Northwest Territories. It is part myth, part magic, part fantasy but also very real.
There is a sense of menace, of something sinister, alive in most of the stories.
The line that best expresses the imminent danger is this one from "Crow": “…there is something starving on the way to us all.” Dare I say this line could be a contender for knocking Billy the Bard’s “…something wicked this way comes …” out of the ring? Sure I dare. It’s a contender.
Another thing. Colour me stund but I didn’t realize there were pelicans in the Northwest Territories. The American White Pelican nests on islands in the Slave River.
Truly, I didn’t know that. Shame on me.
December 5, 2015
Gargantuan sensory explosion.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews