Kij Johnson Books In Order

Publication Order of Fox Woman Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Short Stories/Novellas

Publication Order of Short Story Collections

Publication Order of Star Trek: The Next Generation Books

Publication Order of Anthologies

Kij Johnson, whose birth name is Katherine Irenae Johnson, is an American woman of letters; apparently, the name Kij is a truncation of the said birth name. Johnson, who was born in January 1960 in Harlan upon Iowa, is a quinquagenarian. For her undergraduate education, Kij Johnson went to St. Olaf College, which is a Minnesota-based paracollege, in the early 1980s wherein she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree; by then, her studies centered on the history and culture of England, especially during the 11th century. Thereafter, she went to the University of Minnesota wherein she pursued creative writing and literature. For her Masters of Fine Arts (Creative Writing), she went to North Carolina State University wherein she graduated in 2012.

Kij Johnson, who is currently a Kansas resident, has worked in many different industries over the years. As such, she has had various occupations. She has been a managing editor, educator, creative director, researcher at Microsoft, waitress, radio engineer, radio presenter, and bookstore proprietor. Kij Johnson, who serves as an Assistant Professor at University of Kansas, co-wrote a section of the highly-acclaimed Star Trek.

Kij Johnson, who has a laundry list of series of books, novels, omnibuses, tens of short stories, novellas, and collections under her belt, specializes especially in the science fiction and fantasy genres. Johnson has co-written literary works with science fiction and fantasy authors Robert Reed, Carolyn Ives Gilman, Allen Steele, Ken Liu, and Mary Robinette Kowal among many others.

Kij Johnson debuted at the turn of the millennium. There are about five editions of the debut novel and the first edition was originally published in 2000, titled The Fox Woman. Incidentally, the said book is the first entry in the Love/War/Death series, which is a duology; this book series is shelved under the fantasy (particularly historical fantasy), historical fiction, cultural, and romance genres.

There are three featured central characters in Kij Johnson’s 2000 book The Fox Woman. There is a man named Yoshifuji, a small fox named Kitsune, and Shikujo who is Yoshifuji’s spouse. Meet the aforementioned protagonists. Yoshifuji is a nobleman. He is gloomy, dejected, and melancholy. Yoshifuji’s life has lost its allure. Kitsune, which is a fox, is egocentric and mesmerized by people, especially Yoshifuji. Lastly, Shikujo, is a faultless woman and archetype of Japanese wives during the 10 century.

The turning point in the first book in the Love/War/Death series, The Fox Woman, is when Yoshifuji is rendered jobless in corporate Japan, prompting him to return to his upcountry home wherein foxes have since taken over following his hitherto absence. This triggers Yoshifuji’s obsession with the feral creatures; Kitsune the fox has a soft spot for too. Shikujo, who loves him madly but is somewhat chagrined by him, is interested in the foxes too, albeit cautious about it. Using magic, author Kij Johnson wittily interweaves the three protagonists’ lives, a pointer to its literary merit.

Kij Johnson Awards
Kij Johnson is a prolific novelist. Expectedly, she has clinched several literary awards; what’s more, she has been nominated, long-listed, shortlisted, and been a finalist for many unbelievable awards. The following are some of the most notable literary awards.

In 2001, Kij Johnson clinched the Crawford Award in the Best New Fantasy category, which was proffered to the International Association for the Fantastic in the Arts, thanks to her book The Fox Woman. In 1994, Kij Johnson clinched the Theodore A. Sturgeon Memorial Award, in the best short story category, courtesy of her story titled Fox Magic.

In 2004, Fudoki, a novel which Kij Johnson published in October 2003 and which is the second in the Love/War/Death series, was nominated twice: first, nominated for the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Adult Literature, in the Best Book category; and, secondly, for the World Fantasy Award, in the Best Novel category too. The novel also featured in the honor list of the James Tiptree, Jr. Awards.

In 2013, Kij Johnson’s 2012 collection titled At the Mouth of the River of Bees was nominated for the Locus Award, in the Best Collection category. In 2008, the said collection clinched the World Fantasy Award. In 2009, it clinched the Nebula Award, in the Best Short Story category; also bagged the said award in 2010, clinched the Nebula Award (2011), and the Hugo Award too. Incidentally, these awards were awarded to the short stories contained therein. It has also been nominated several times for other awards including Nebula Award (2007) and Hugo Award (2009). Lastly, Kij Johnson’s 2011 novella titled The Man Who Bridged the Mist clinched the Hugo Award and Nebula Award, in the Best Novella categories.

Best Kij Johnson Books
The following is a selection of the best three books authored by Kij Johnson. The first one is called The Fox Woman. The second one is titled Fudoki. The second book in the Love/War/Death series, it is all about protagonists Kagaya-hime and Harueme. Kagaya-hime: a female warrior, philosopher, and an intimate friend of powerful men. She is a cat that has transmogrified into a person. Harueme is a Japanese princess suffering from a terminal disease. Knowing her death is nigh, the princess starts thinking about her eventful life.

The third one is the novella entitled The Man Who Bridged the Mist. Published in 2012, this novella revolves around protagonist Kit Meinem embarks on a mission to construct a suspension bridge across an extensive river teeming with a scary mist wherein gigantic and lethal creatures lurk.

Other Books You May Like
Readers who liked the books authored by Kij Johnson also liked the following series of books. The first one is called The Orphan’s Tales series authored by Catherynne M. Valente. This is an award-winning duology; the mythpunk features witches, female horse riders, djinn, and bizarre rituals. The protagonists are a lonesome girl, domiciled in a Sultan’s house, and an eager prince.

The second one is called Brian Froud’s Faerielands series and is authored by Terri Windling. This quadrilogy features mystical artists wherein one is being lured into the sea by mysterious people while another one, who is in his death bed, is found to be partly spirit and partly human amid bizarre sightings.

The third one is called Moshui and is written by Daniel Fox. This is a trilogy and features a youthful emperor called Chien Hua. Rival forces overrun the emperor’s loyal forces, prompting him to relocate to Taishu island, a place teeming with jade mines. The emperor alongside his loyalists, who are on their mettle, discover a world teeming with violence, and, worse still, wherein an irritable dragon is on the prowl.