Aila Johanna Sinisalo (born 22 June 1958, Sodankylä) is a Finnish science fiction and fantasy writer. She studied comparative literature and drama, amongst other subjects, at the University of Tampere. Professionally she worked in the advertising business, rising to the level of marketing designer.
An important figure in the Finnish science fiction scene in the late 1980s and early '90s (winning a rare back-to-back collection of Atorox prizes for short fiction in the genre), she was also the first to make a breakthrough by bursting the genre barriers.
Sinisalo was awarded the Finlandia Prize for literature in 2000 for her first novel, Ennen päivänlaskua ei voi (translated as Not before sundown in 2003 and again as Troll ... A Love Story in 2004 for the American market). The novel has been translated to several languages. Not Before Sundown was awarded The James Tiptree Jr. award in 2004. Movie rights were acquired by Carter Smith in 2006. She was nominated for a Nebula Award in 2009 for Baby Doll.
She is also confirmed as the screenwriter of Energia Productions Iron Sky movie, a sci-fi comedy set in 2018.
Ennen päivänlaskua ei voi, (Not before sundown, Tammi, 2000)
Sankarit, (Tammi 2003)
Kädettömät kuninkaat ja muita häiritseviä tarinoita, (Teos 2005), short story collection
Lasisilmä, (Teos 2006)
Linnunaivot, (Teos 2008)
Short fiction
She has published over 40 short stories, most of them fantasy and science fiction in various in scifi-magazines, journals and women's magazines. Her work has also appeared in the following anthologies:
Vuosirengas 74 (1974)
short stories Kilometripylväät and Jäinen kaupunki
Jäinen vaeltaja (1986)
short stories Tarina kuolleesta metsästä and Sorsapuisto
Atoroxin perilliset (1988)
short stories Hanna, Yövesi and Suklaalaput
Ensimmäinen yhteys (1988)
short story Transit
Illan tähti yksinäinen (1991) edited by Raija Hämäläinen
short story Illan tähti yksinäinen
Kultainen naamio (1993)
short story Me vakuutamme sinut
Onnellinen kuolema (1996)
mini novel Tango merellä
Linnées boreales (2001)
short story (French) Le Transit
Kärlek på finska (2002)
short story (Swedish) Låset
Intohimosta rikokseen (2002)
short story Baby Doll
Utopiae 2005 (2005)
novelli (French) Baby Doll
Editor
Anthology Verkon silmässä (Tammi, 2005)
Selection of short stories about the internet from several writers.
The Dedalus Book of Finnish Fantasy (Dedalus Books, 2005)
Anthology in English, a selection of Finnish speculative fiction from the 19th century to the present day, translated by David Hackston.
Television
Toinen todellisuus, TV2, 1991
Maa on litteä, TV2, 1992
Tulevaisuuden kuvia, TV2, 1995
Ainoa elämä, TV2, 1997
Elämän suola, TV 2, 1995
Samaa sukua, eri maata, MTV3, 1997
SunRadio, TV1, 1998
Salatut elämät, MTV3
Kotikatu, TV1
Käenpesä, MTV3
Comics
Tiskivuoro in Uusi Nainen -magazine ', art by Hannu Mänttäri
Scripts for Moomin related comics for Semic and ToTo-tuotanto, several artists
Pikku eläinpuoti in *Oma Ystävä -magazine, art by Hannu Mänttäri
Kimppakämppä in Trendi -magazine, art by Johanna Rojola
Several science fiction and fantasy themed comics from the year 1982 onwards, several artists