Photo: Johan Jönsson (Julle) / CC BY-SA 4.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Kij Johnson, born on January 20, 1960 in Harlan, Iowa, United States, is a novelist, essayist and science fiction writer. That puts Kij Johnson at 66 years old in 2026. Schooling on record includes North Carolina State University. Listed accolades include Crawford Award (2001), Nebula Award for Best Short Story (2010, 2011), Nebula Award for Best Novella (2012) and 3 more.
My Take
Kij Johnson's award shelf alone makes me sit up: three Nebulas, a Hugo, and multiple World Fantasy Awards is a haul most writers only dream of. What I find telling is the spread across categories, from short story to novella, which suggests a writer who bends form to the story rather than the reverse. A novelist from tiny Harlan, Iowa reaching the very summit of fantasy and science fiction speaks to a real command of language and imagination. I'm especially drawn to the fact that she teaches at the University of Kansas; mastering the craft and then passing it on is the mark of someone who treats writing as a living tradition.
This take was written by generative AI, one per person, from publicly reported facts (editorial policy). It is a reading of the record, not reporting.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Kij Johnson
- Name (Japanese)
- キジ・ジョンスン
- Reading
- きじ・じょんすん
- Born
- January 20, 1960 (age 66)
- Origin
- Harlan, Iowa, United States
- Occupation
- novelist / writer / essayist / science fiction writer / role-playing game designer
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aquarius / Rat
2. Background
- University
- North Carolina State University
Awards & achievements
- 2001 Crawford Award
- 2010 Nebula Award for Best Short Story
- 2011 Nebula Award for Best Short Story
- 2012 Nebula Award for Best Novella
- 2012 Hugo Award for Best Novella
- 2017 Grand Prix de l'Imaginaire for Best Foreign-Language Short Story
- 2017 World Fantasy Award for Best Novella
- 2019 World Fantasy Award for Best Novella
3. Links
- Official sitehttps://www.kijjohnson.com
- Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kij%20Johnson
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%AD%E3%82%B8%E3%83%BB%E3%82%B8%E3%83%A7%E3%83%B3%E3%82%B9%E3%83%B3
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3138815
4. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Kij Johnson born?
Born January 20, 1960 (age 66).
Where is Kij Johnson from?
Kij Johnson is from Harlan, Iowa, United States.
What does Kij Johnson do?
Kij Johnson works as novelist, writer, essayist, science fiction writer, role-playing game designer.
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