How to Read Ellen Klages: The Recommended Path
For readers diving into the works of Ellen Klages, the recommended starting point is her signature historical trilogy, the Gordon Family Saga. Beginning with the award-winning novel The Green Glass Sea, this series offers the most cohesive and emotionally resonant introduction to her style. It blends meticulous historical detail with the perspective of curious young misfits navigating pivotal moments in American history.
After completing the trilogy, readers should transition to her standalone novellas—most notably the award-winning historical fantasy Passing Strange—before exploring her rich, magical short story collections. Because her works are relatively concise but deeply textured, reading them in order of publication or thematic groupings ensures the most satisfying experience.
The Gordon Family Saga
The Gordon Family Saga consists of three novels that span from the height of the Second World War to the late 1950s. The books follow the lives of Dewey Kerrigan, Suze Gordon, and Suze's younger sister, Katy, as they grow up in a rapidly changing America. The recommended reading order matches their publication and chronological order:
1. The Green Glass Sea (2006)
Set in 1943, this debut novel introduces eleven-year-old Dewey Kerrigan, a budding young scientist and mechanic who is sent to live with her father in the secret government town of Los Alamos, New Mexico. There, scientists are working on the Manhattan Project to build the first atomic bomb. Dewey finds herself an outsider among the other children until she forms a deep friendship with Suze Gordon, an artistic misfit. The book is highly praised for showing the human side of the dawn of the nuclear age and won the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction in 2007.
2. White Sands, Red Menace (2008)
Picking up in 1946, this direct sequel follows the immediate aftermath of the war and the Trinity test. Dewey is now living with the Gordon family in Alamogordo, New Mexico, while the parents work at the nearby White Sands Missile Range. The novel explores the complex moral and political questions of the post-war military-industrial complex, the origins of the space race, and the evolving definition of family as the two girls navigate adolescence.
3. Out of Left Field (2018)
Set in 1957, the final installment of the saga shifts focus to Katy Gordon, Suze's younger sister. Katy is a phenomenal baseball pitcher who is barred from playing in the local Little League solely because she is a girl. Drawing inspiration from real-life historical figures, Katy launches a research project into the history of women in baseball to fight the ban. This book serves as both a sports novel and a feminist historical critique of the 1950s, tying the family saga together with themes of social change and personal determination.
Award-Winning Novellas and Standalone Fiction
Beyond her main trilogy, Klages has written several highly acclaimed standalones and novellas that blend historical settings with elements of speculative fiction and fantasy.
Passing Strange (2017)
This historical fantasy novella is set in the queer counterculture of 1940s San Francisco. It follows a group of women, including an artist who can paint doorways into other worlds, a scientist, and a singer. Blending pulp fiction aesthetics with romance and mild magic, the novella won the World Fantasy Award and the British Fantasy Award in 2018. It is best enjoyed by mature readers looking for historical queer representation and magical realism.
Wakulla Springs (2013)
Co-authored with Andy Duncan and published by Tor.com, this epic novella chronicling four generations of an African American family in Florida was nominated for the Hugo and Nebula Awards and won the World Fantasy Award for Best Novella. The narrative spans from the 1940s to the early 2000s, centered around the deepest freshwater spring in the world, addressing segregation, filmmaking, and changing family ties over the decades.
Time Gypsy (1998)
Klages' first major success, this novella was first published in the anthology Bending the Landscape: Original Gay and Lesbian Science Fiction Writing. The story follows Carol McCullough, a 1990s physicist who travels back to 1956 to retrieve the lost research of her idol, Dr. Sara Baxter Clarke. It deals with time travel, romance, and the sexism faced by women in mid-century science, serving as a precursor to many themes Klages would develop later in her career.
The Short Story Collections
For readers who appreciate bite-sized fantasy and speculative stories, Klages' collections showcase her versatility in writing both whimsical and bittersweet tales.
Portable Childhoods (2007)
This collection features an introduction by Neil Gaiman and brings together many of Klages' early short works. Notable inclusions are the Nebula Award-winning novelette "Basement Magic" (set in 1950s Detroit, dealing with conjure magic and a wicked stepmother) and the whimsical "In the House of the Seven Librarians" (about a baby raised by wild librarians in an abandoned library).
Wicked Wonders (2017)
Klages' second major collection gathers stories ranging from science fiction to fairy-tale retellings. It contains popular works like "Singing on a Star" and reprints of "In the House of the Seven Librarians" alongside newer pieces, highlighting her ability to capture a sense of wonder and childhood curiosity.
What to Know Before You Start
While the Gordon Family Saga is primarily categorized as historical fiction for middle-grade and young adult readers, it has strong cross-generational appeal. Klages does not shy away from the darker aspects of history, including the atomic bomb's destruction, post-war paranoia, and institutional discrimination. Conversely, her speculative novellas like Passing Strange and Time Gypsy are written for adults, containing mature themes and romantic elements. Readers should adjust their expectations accordingly depending on which segment of her bibliography they are exploring.