Ryka Aoki
1 universe Last reviewed 2026-11-01
Ryka Aoki is an American author of novels, poetry and essays. Born to Japanese American parents, she grew up in the San Gabriel Valley in Southern California. She was the first in her family to graduate from college, studying chemistry at UCLA and working for a year as an environmental lab technician before earning an MFA in creative writing from Cornell University, where she won the Academy of American Poets University Award. She teaches English at Santa Monica College and gender studies at Antioch University, and has been honored by the California State Senate for her work with Trans/Giving. Aoki holds a black belt in judo, was a junior national champion, and has served as head judo coach at Cornell and UCLA. Her books include the poetry and essay collections Seasonal Velocities, He Mele a Hilo and Why Dust Shall Never Settle Upon This Soul, and the novel Light from Uncommon Stars, published by Tor Books in 2021.
Universe(s)
- Core Canon books: 1
- Current rank: #446 in the official ranking
- Weighted average: 4.02
- Award recognitions: 1 nomination
Books
Aggregate across all universes
- Total Core Canon books across all universes: 1 book
- Award recognitions across all universes: 1 (1 nomination)
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Light from Uncommon Stars (2021) · Light from Uncommon Stars Core Canon