At the 83rd World Science Fiction Convention in Seattle, tribe member Darcie Little Badger was awarded the 2025 Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book for her novel Sheine Lende. This young adult novel expands on the story she first introduced in her critically acclaimed book, Elatsoe. Presented alongside the Hugo Awards, the Lodestar honors outstanding contributions to young adult speculative fiction and is awarded by the same voting membership of Worldcon as the Hugo Award. The Lodestar is internationally recognized as a significant honor in the field of young adult speculative fiction.
Shiene Lende is a prequel to Little Badger's earlier novel, Elatsoe. Set several decades before Elatsoe, it tells the story of 17-year-old Shane/Shiene Lende, grandmother of Ellie/Elatsoe. With their loyal ghost dogs, Shane and her mother, Lorenza, specialize in search-and-rescue to help marginalized communities.
At first glance, with people disappearing, ghosts, faeries, and magic, the novel seems to fit into the familiar genres of mystery and fantasy. However, beneath its surface, it provides a deep look into Lipan Apache knowledge systems, intergenerational trauma, the aftermath of hurricane devastation, and the enduring effects of settler colonial displacement in Texas. Kirkus Reviews describes it as “[a] classic fantasy adventure and a balm for any soul weary of oppression."
Since its establishment, the Lodestar Award has functioned as a corrective to the historical exclusion of young adult literature from the speculative fiction canon. And by honoring Sheine Lende this year, WorldCon recognizes Little Badger's artistic accomplishments while also noting the importance of Indigenous voices in speculative storytelling.
In her acceptance remarks, Little Badger affirmed this responsibility, observing:
“Times have been difficult and are difficult, but we must fight to preserve life and create the best possible version of tomorrow.”
In this broad literary moment that resonates with readers of all ages globally, Sheine Lende shows how speculative frameworks can serve as tools for cultural memory, survivance, and ethical imagination, and stands out as an exemplary work of intergenerational storytelling.
