Career
She was initially known for her intense speculative fiction for adults, but over the past few years has written young adult novels as well. Koja is also a prolific author of short stories, including many in collaboration with Barry North. Malzberg. Most of her short fiction remains uncollected.
Koja"s novels and short stories frequently concern characters who have been in some way marginalized by society, often focusing on the transcendence and/or disintegration which proceeds from this social isolation (as in The Cipher, Bad Brains, "Teratisms," The Blue Mirror, etc).
Her prose has been described as "stunning". Koja was born in Detroit, the second of two sisters.
She began writing when very young, but only became serious about it after attending a Clarion workshop. They have one son. Koja"s literary works have been recognized and highlighted at Michigan State University in their Michigan Writers Series.
Koja is founding director of nerve, a Detroit-based immersive theatre company.
