Talking Science and Science Fiction with Darcie Little Badger

RONN!E and Aiyana from Daybreak Star Radio got the opportunity to sit down with Darcie Little Badger of the Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas for an interview. An author and an Oceanographer, Darcie Little Badger pulls from her academic background to ground her fiction and add depth to her sci-fi and fantasy stories.

Having grown up in a household where storytelling surrounded her, Darcie credits her parents for instilling her love of stories and sharing their importance and power with her. The first book she ever wrote was at the age of seven, a forty-page mystery, but it wasn’t until her thirties that she published her debut novel. She always kept with her the joy of telling stories and the hope that she would get to share them with people one day.

When it came to including her culture within her stories, it was almost subconscious. She grew up with her culture and traditions and including them in her stories was a no-brainer. Darcie recalls growing up and avid reader but never seeing herself represented within the books she was reading. If there was an Indigenous character, it was usually within the pages of a historical book. Darcie wants to represent not only herself, but other young native readers who want to see themselves reflected back in the books that they read.

Darcie’s book may contain heavy material and touch on darker subjects, but one theme that goes throughout is the idea of hope. During her time as a college professor, Darcie noticed that the young people had the sense that there was no future for them. If there is no hope than we lose the drive to act, and Darcie always wants to fight for the best possible version of the future that they can. Having hope be the main theme is her way of giving young people the drive to keep going.

As a writer, writer’s block comes up for everyone. Darcie talks about how she finds that writer’s block for her tends to come from being dissatisfied with some part of the story. So, looking at the story and figuring out what isn’t working and what about it can be changed to fix it. You control the story, meaning you don’t have to put yourself in a corner with a story you don’t like.

The one thing Darcie wants young storytellers to know is when people tell you no, don’t let that discourage you. Keep creating through the rejections. Some people will hear no a lot more than others, it is important to keep up the love in your own art, keep putting yourself out there.

Darcie Little Badger has several books out and you can find her at her website darcielittlebadger.com to keep up with what she has coming up next!