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N. K. Jemisin

エヌ・ケー・ジェミシン

N. K. Jemisin

Pen Names: N. K. Jemisin（Published name / pen name）

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1972-09-19 （Iowa City, Iowa, United States）
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Residence History
Resident of Brooklyn, New York City

Career

Occupations
Novelist, Short story writer, Blogger, Career counselor
Active Years
2004-
Influenced By
Octavia E. Butler, Tanith Lee, Stephen King, Yoshinaga Fumi

Education

Tulane University
Psychology and Counseling
Degree: 修士号
Period: 1990-1994
Year of Graduation: 1994
Country: United States
Studied psychology and counseling; earned a master's degree

Awards

Locus Award (Best First Novel)
2011
Work: The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms
Category: 第一長篇部門
Organization: Locus Magazine
Result: 受賞
Hugo Award (Best Novel)
2016
Work: The Fifth Season
Category: 長編小説部門
Organization: World Science Fiction Society (WSFS)
Result: 受賞
Hugo Award (Best Novel)
2017
Work: The Obelisk Gate
Category: 長編小説部門
Organization: World Science Fiction Society (WSFS)
Result: 受賞
Hugo Award (Best Novel)
2018
Work: The Stone Sky
Category: 長編小説部門
Organization: World Science Fiction Society (WSFS)
Result: 受賞
Nebula Award (Best Novel)
2018
Work: The Stone Sky
Category: 長編小説部門
Organization: Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA)
Result: 受賞
Locus Award (Best Fantasy Novel)
2018
Work: The Stone Sky
Category: ファンタジイ長篇部門
Organization: Locus Magazine
Result: 受賞
Hugo Award (Best Novella/Longer Short Fiction)
2020
Work: Emergency Skin
Category: 中編小説部門
Organization: World Science Fiction Society (WSFS)
Result: 受賞
Audie Award
2020
Work: Emergency Skin
Organization: Audie Awards
Result: 受賞
Ignyte Awards
2020
Work: Emergency Skin
Organization: Ignyte Awards
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

The Fifth Season

2015 Speculative fiction / Fantasy

Set in a world plagued by recurrent catastrophic 'seasons', the novel follows people with unique earth-manipulating abilities as they struggle with oppression, survival, and the social order.

Environmental catastropheOppression and discriminationFamily and communitySurvival
Translations
  • The Fifth Season

The Obelisk Gate

2016 Speculative fiction / Fantasy

The second volume of the Broken Earth trilogy, continuing the story as the characters confront the consequences of the first book and grapple with power, responsibility, and survival.

Power and responsibilityReconfiguration of communitiesTrauma and healing
Translations
  • The Obelisk Gate

The Stone Sky

2017 Speculative fiction / Fantasy

The concluding volume of the trilogy revealing the origins and secrets of the world and the choices that determine its future.

History and memorySacrifice and hopeEnvironmental collapse and restoration
Translations
  • The Stone Sky

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms

2010 Fantasy

A high-fantasy novel involving court intrigue among gods and mortals, exploring clashes of cultures, power, and identity.

Power strugglesRelations between gods and humansIdentity
Translations
  • The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms

How Long 'til Black Future Month?

2018 Short story collection / Speculative fiction

A collection of short fiction that addresses diversity, politics, and speculative scenarios across many settings.

DiversitySocial issuesImaginative speculation
Translations
  • How Long 'til Black Future Month?

Bibliography

  • The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms (2010)
  • The Broken Kingdoms (2010)
  • The Kingdom of Gods (2011)
  • The Killing Moon (2012)
  • The Shadowed Sun (2012)
  • The Fifth Season (2015)
  • The Obelisk Gate (2016)
  • The Stone Sky (2017)
  • How Long 'til Black Future Month? (2018)
  • The City We Became (2020)
  • The World We Make (2022)
  • Emergency Skin (short story)

Translations of Works

  • The Fifth Season (Japanese translation by Kazuko Onoda)
  • The Obelisk Gate (Japanese translation by Kazuko Onoda)
  • The Stone Sky (Japanese translation by Kazuko Onoda)
  • The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms (Japanese translation by Chiori Sata)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Detailed world-buildingExploration of social and political themesMulti-perspective narration
Recurring Motifs
Oppression and resistanceEnvironmental disaster and its consequencesFamily and inheritance

Legacy

N. K. Jemisin is a leading contemporary speculative fiction author known for foregrounding diversity and social issues. Her Broken Earth trilogy achieved a historic three consecutive Hugo Awards for Best Novel, raising visibility and standards within the genre.

Trivia

  • First author to win the Hugo Award for Best Novel three years in a row for the Broken Earth trilogy.
  • An African-American woman who has described herself as a feminist blogger.
  • Worked as a career counselor while publishing fiction early in her career.