Aila Johanna Sinisalo (born 22 June 1958 in 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 Awards for short fiction in the genre), she was also the first Finnish science fiction writer to make a mainstream breakthrough by breaking 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 into several languages. An English translation of "Linnunaivot" was published in 2010 by Peter Owen Publishers under the title "Birdbrain" (translated by David Hackston). 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 the screenwriter of Energia Productions Iron Sky movie, a sci-fi comedy set in 2018.
She has published over 40 short stories, most of them fantasy and science fiction in various in sci fi magazines, journals and women's magazines. Her work has also appeared in the following anthologies: