Otherwise Award (formerly the James Tiptree, Jr. Award)
1 appearances
-
Edition 31 (2021) Winner
Ryka Aoki
あおき りか
Ryka Aoki
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Nationality
- American
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Southern California → San Gabriel Valley
Career
- Occupations
- writer, teacher, composer
- Active Years
- 2012-2025
- Affiliations
- Santa Monica College, Antioch University
- Influenced By
- Ted Ngoy
- Nominations
- Lambda Literary Awards finalist (Seasonal Velocities), Lambda Literary Awards finalist (Why Dust Shall Never Settle Upon This Soul), Hugo Award for Best Novel (Light from Uncommon Stars, 2022), Ray Bradbury Prize (Light from Uncommon Stars, 2022)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of California, Los Angeles | — | chemistry | — | — | United States |
| Cornell University | — | creative writing | MFA | — | United States |
University of California, Los Angeles
chemistry
Country:
United States
Studied chemistry, first-generation college graduate.
Cornell University
creative writing
Degree:
MFA
Country:
United States
MFA in creative writing. Won Academy of American Poets University Award.
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Otherwise Award | Light from Uncommon Stars | — | Otherwise Award / Wiscon | winner |
| 2023 | Jim Duggins, PhD Outstanding Mid-Career Novelist Prize | — | — | Lambda Literary Foundation | winner |
| — | Academy of American Poets University Award | — | — | Academy of American Poets | winner |
Otherwise Award
2021
Work:
Light from Uncommon Stars
Organization:
Otherwise Award / Wiscon
Result:
winner
Jim Duggins, PhD Outstanding Mid-Career Novelist Prize
2023
Organization:
Lambda Literary Foundation
Result:
winner
Academy of American Poets University Award
Organization:
Academy of American Poets
Result:
winner
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Seasonal Velocities
2012 poetryPoetry collection.
transgenderqueer
He Mele a Hilo
2014 novelNovel chronicling common Hawaiian experience.
Hawaiitransgender
Why Dust Shall Never Settle Upon This Soul
2015 poetryPoetry collection.
transgenderqueer
Light from Uncommon Stars
2021 science fiction novelSF novel influenced by the Donut King story, featuring food, music, hope, and redemption.
musicfoodtransgenderaliensredemption
Bibliography
- Seasonal Velocities (2012)
- He Mele a Hilo (2014)
- Why Dust Shall Never Settle Upon This Soul (2015)
- Light from Uncommon Stars (2021)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- hopeful narrativecatharticjoyful yet painful
- Recurring Motifs
- musicfoodtransgender humanityredemption
Legacy
Trans woman author recognized for queer SF and poetry, with accolades from Lambda Literary, Hugo nominations, and Otherwise Award.
In Popular Culture
- Named in Britannica's 13 LGBTQ Writers You Should Read.
- Listed by PBS as 5 LGBTQ+ Poets for Pride Month.
Quotes
-
If a trans musician can make the audience cry by playing Chopin, how else, but as a human, can she be regarded?
Source: Publishers Weekly (2015)
Trivia
- trans woman
- Japanese American
- judo black belt, former junior national champion
- head judo coach at Cornell and UCLA
- leads Supernova Martial Arts