Opening the door to speculative fiction, in the Spirit of Tlingit culture

Caskey Russell, an enrolled member of the Tlingit Nation (Eagle / Kooyu Kwáan) of Alaska, is a father, a professor and a musician.

Russell currently teaches Indigenous studies and literature at Fairhaven College at Western Washington University, where he also attended for his undergraduate and masters degrees.

This September, Russell published his debut novel, “The Door on The Sea.” The epic fantasy is a sort of coming of age story about Elān, a young book-lover. He must embark on a journey to save his people, the Aaní, from the shape-shifting Kóoshdakáa, who are enslaving Indigenous tribes across the region. The novel is the first in a trilogy, with book two set to publish in September 2026, and book three in September 2027.