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Portable Childhoods
This long-awaited first short fiction collection from Scott O'Dell award-winning author Ellen Klages (The Green Glass Sea), offers a tantalizing glimpse of what lies hidden just beyond the ordinary. Described by reviewers as timeless, delightful, chilling, and beautiful, this is short fiction at its best, emerging from a distinctive, powerful voice. Includes the Nebula Award–winning novelette “Basement Magic” as well as the story that became The Green Glass Sea.
224 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 23, 2007
12 people are currently reading
685 people want to read
About the author
Ellen Klages
74 books244 followersEllen Klages was born in Ohio, and now lives in San Francisco.
Her short fiction has appeared in science fiction and fantasy anthologies and magazines, both online and in print, including The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Black Gate, and Firebirds Rising. Her story, "Basement Magic," won the Best Novelette Nebula Award in 2005. Several of her other stories have been on the final ballot for the Nebula and Hugo Awards, and have been reprinted in various Year’s Best volumes.
She was a finalist for the John W. Campbell Award, and is a graduate of the Clarion South writing workshop.
Her first novel The Green Glass Sea, about two misfit eleven-year-old girls living in Los Alamos during WWII, while their parents are creating the atomic bomb, came out in October 2006 from Sharyn November at Viking. Ellen is working on a sequel.
She has also written four books of hands-on science activities for children (with Pat Murphy, et al.) for the Exploratorium museum in San Francisco.
In addition to her writing, she serves on the Motherboard of the James Tiptree, Jr. Award, and is somewhat notorious as the auctioneer/entertainment for the Tiptree auctions at Wiscon.
When she's not writing fiction, she sells old toys and magazines on eBay, and collects lead civilians.
from ellenklages.com
Her short fiction has appeared in science fiction and fantasy anthologies and magazines, both online and in print, including The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Black Gate, and Firebirds Rising. Her story, "Basement Magic," won the Best Novelette Nebula Award in 2005. Several of her other stories have been on the final ballot for the Nebula and Hugo Awards, and have been reprinted in various Year’s Best volumes.
She was a finalist for the John W. Campbell Award, and is a graduate of the Clarion South writing workshop.
Her first novel The Green Glass Sea, about two misfit eleven-year-old girls living in Los Alamos during WWII, while their parents are creating the atomic bomb, came out in October 2006 from Sharyn November at Viking. Ellen is working on a sequel.
She has also written four books of hands-on science activities for children (with Pat Murphy, et al.) for the Exploratorium museum in San Francisco.
In addition to her writing, she serves on the Motherboard of the James Tiptree, Jr. Award, and is somewhat notorious as the auctioneer/entertainment for the Tiptree auctions at Wiscon.
When she's not writing fiction, she sells old toys and magazines on eBay, and collects lead civilians.
from ellenklages.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
May 13, 2023
This is a good collection of very intelligent and literary stories, many on the theme of magic and childhood. There are blurbs on the cover from unimpeachable folks like Peter Straub, Maureen McHugh, Charles Vess, Connie Willis, and others saying how good it is (not to mention an introduction by Neil Gaiman), so I'll just mention a few of my favorites. The Green Glass Sea is the concluding chapter of her award-winning historical novel, Time Gypsy is a fun time-travel romance, Basement Magic is a good horror story, Triangle is a very moving horror story of a very different kind, and Clip Art is the best story about cartapagological matters that's ever been written. Guys Day Out is about the saddest story ever, A Taste of Summer is very Bradbury-like, and Be Prepared, The Feed Bag, Intelligent Design, and Ringing Up Baby are four looks at a theme of cooking... kind of. My favorite was In the House of the Seven Librarians, a very poignant piece that I wish I had read a few years ago so that I could have sent it my mother (who was a librarian, of course) before she passed. All in all, the book is a very good way to spend a few mornings!
February 27, 2010
In the title story, the narrator's child describes how Columbus thought he discovered America but "it's sort of like if some guy rang our doorbell this morning and said he'd discovered our house, so it belonged to him." So when I say I discovered Ellen Klages very recently, I do so with the knowledge that she was there already, and I'm just happy to have made acquaintance with her writing. She popped onto my radar this summer when I read her story "In the House of the Seven Libraries", a standout even in excellent company in the Firebirds Rising: An Original Anthology of Science Fiction and Fantasy anthology. I remembered her name, and grabbed this collection when I saw it at a bookstore recently.
It's a wonderful collection, full of everything I love about short speculative fiction. She writes in an afterword that "science fiction is, I've read, a literature of setting. For some, that means other planets, other worlds, other dimensions. For me, it's the past, but a slightly alternate past, a reality that existed - at least in my imagination - just below the surface of everyday life." The stories here are a mixed bag of genre: some science fiction, some fantasy, some horror. They have in common a rich sense of character and place and history. The sense of history is really strong, and it makes the core of her stories at once very accessible. Lives happen. Small moments of wonder happen. I'm happy she took the time to let me see them.
It's a wonderful collection, full of everything I love about short speculative fiction. She writes in an afterword that "science fiction is, I've read, a literature of setting. For some, that means other planets, other worlds, other dimensions. For me, it's the past, but a slightly alternate past, a reality that existed - at least in my imagination - just below the surface of everyday life." The stories here are a mixed bag of genre: some science fiction, some fantasy, some horror. They have in common a rich sense of character and place and history. The sense of history is really strong, and it makes the core of her stories at once very accessible. Lives happen. Small moments of wonder happen. I'm happy she took the time to let me see them.
July 2, 2008
"'I want the chance to dance with a boy.'"
With 16 stories in this collection, it's no surprise that a few were a bit weak or a little too reminiscent of one another. But the stories I loved, I loved with all my heart. Two made me cry on the subway, and others made me smile at Klages' gift for wonder. I never write in library books, but I hereby admit to marking the table of contents with a small dot next to my six favorite stories: Intelligent Design, Time Gypsy, Travel Agency, A Taste of Summer, Guys Day Out, and In the House of the Seven Librarians.
One final quote: "She still had all her marbles, though every one of them was a bit odd and rolled asymmetrically."
With 16 stories in this collection, it's no surprise that a few were a bit weak or a little too reminiscent of one another. But the stories I loved, I loved with all my heart. Two made me cry on the subway, and others made me smile at Klages' gift for wonder. I never write in library books, but I hereby admit to marking the table of contents with a small dot next to my six favorite stories: Intelligent Design, Time Gypsy, Travel Agency, A Taste of Summer, Guys Day Out, and In the House of the Seven Librarians.
One final quote: "She still had all her marbles, though every one of them was a bit odd and rolled asymmetrically."
December 20, 2007
Exquisite short stories, most of which are from the point of view of a young girl. Not the same young girl, but very distinct, very real young girls. I adored Klages' YA novel The Green Glass Sea, and I adore these short stories. All are masterfully crafted, some teeter over into breathtaking. Highly recommended even if, like me, you are not particularly a short story fan.
July 4, 2007
I loved these stories. Only flaw is that they're nearly all written on an identical theme - misfit children that escape from their misunderstood existences in magical or magical-realism-esque ways. That doesn't stop them from being awesome. My favorite was the story of God as a little boy and his grandma creating creatures together, with God really getting into the bugs.
May 10, 2009
I cried in the coffeeshop where I read nearly half of the stories in this collection. I also laughed out loud. Both of these things indicate that Klages is a great writer.
I originally picked up this collection based on my infatuation with Green Glass Sea. These stories, most of which also have child protagonists, are not for children, though; a certain amount of life experience is required to fully grasp what Klages is laying on the table.
Her characters are independent souls. Klages seamlessly melds time travel with romance, and her endings are crafted to let you ponder the "what if?" The sense of magical realism blended with fantasy is so believable! After each story, I found myself turning to the copyright page to see where it had first been published (most in niche magazines, or not at all). I felt I'd found a kindred spirit in Klages via her writing--I'm also obsessed with childhood (my own, and the idea), and Klages gave me a new way of thinking about it.
Although she deals with extremes (the Nazis persecution of gays, the life of a mentally retarded man), the fantastical spin creates a palatable, and ultimately inspiring and illuminating look at issues that we all debate in the backs of our heads.
I originally picked up this collection based on my infatuation with Green Glass Sea. These stories, most of which also have child protagonists, are not for children, though; a certain amount of life experience is required to fully grasp what Klages is laying on the table.
Her characters are independent souls. Klages seamlessly melds time travel with romance, and her endings are crafted to let you ponder the "what if?" The sense of magical realism blended with fantasy is so believable! After each story, I found myself turning to the copyright page to see where it had first been published (most in niche magazines, or not at all). I felt I'd found a kindred spirit in Klages via her writing--I'm also obsessed with childhood (my own, and the idea), and Klages gave me a new way of thinking about it.
Although she deals with extremes (the Nazis persecution of gays, the life of a mentally retarded man), the fantastical spin creates a palatable, and ultimately inspiring and illuminating look at issues that we all debate in the backs of our heads.
November 3, 2011
can i be small again, and go stay with ellen klages?
this book is often about childhoods, neither the Dick and Jane variety nor the Hunger Games variety, but a number of not-so-great alternatives in between. the first story is alone worth the cost of the book, as a glorious revenge tale wherein the underdogs do voodoo-ish battle with the overlords (one of the finest lines i've ever seen in this story, told as an aphorism: "egg can't fight a rock.") so if you've had dubious parenting, definitely give this book a shot.
i've been lucky lately with books that represent gay & lesbian characters as real people, and this book happily perpetuates that streak. "The Triangle" and "Time Gypsy" are particularly memorable, particularly as it's not the gay characters that feel "abnormal," it's the straights, and regardless of your take on the whole gay/lesbian issue, i urge you to read these two--i'm betting you'd rather identify with the gays than the straights in these.
one final standout is "Mobius, Stripped of a Muse," a chocolate-and-marshmallow-covered strawberry for those of us who like occasional literary pyrotechnics done all for the sake of their own beauty.
there's a couple in this book that didn't do much for me. but most of them do a LOT for me. wholeheartedly recommended.
this book is often about childhoods, neither the Dick and Jane variety nor the Hunger Games variety, but a number of not-so-great alternatives in between. the first story is alone worth the cost of the book, as a glorious revenge tale wherein the underdogs do voodoo-ish battle with the overlords (one of the finest lines i've ever seen in this story, told as an aphorism: "egg can't fight a rock.") so if you've had dubious parenting, definitely give this book a shot.
i've been lucky lately with books that represent gay & lesbian characters as real people, and this book happily perpetuates that streak. "The Triangle" and "Time Gypsy" are particularly memorable, particularly as it's not the gay characters that feel "abnormal," it's the straights, and regardless of your take on the whole gay/lesbian issue, i urge you to read these two--i'm betting you'd rather identify with the gays than the straights in these.
one final standout is "Mobius, Stripped of a Muse," a chocolate-and-marshmallow-covered strawberry for those of us who like occasional literary pyrotechnics done all for the sake of their own beauty.
there's a couple in this book that didn't do much for me. but most of them do a LOT for me. wholeheartedly recommended.
April 17, 2009
My favorite story might be "In the House of Seven Librarians," in which a young girl is raised in a magic, completely closed off library.
November 16, 2018
100 STARS! Oh my GOD! Ellen Klages continues to bring joy to my heart and tears to my eyes with her writing. This collection of short stories is mesmerizing, fantastic, remarkable and delicious. I am not someone who usually reads short stories. However, because I enjoyed some of her other work, and some of the titles in this collection sounded so intriguing, I decided to give it a try. Holy sweet Jesus am I glad I did. A foundling raised by seven librarians in a library with a mind of it's own, a scientist who travels back in time to meet the woman whose papers helped the invention of time travel come to pass, a father devoted to giving his Down's Syndrome son a happy life in a time when those children were typically institutionalized, a tomboy girl who meets a flavor chemist, the first woman scientist she's ever seen, a clumsy girl who discovers that when she swims with a snorkel it's like she's gracefully flying over gorgeous landscapes, and so many more. Some of these stories are only two pages long, but somehow this author manages to create a complete story that pulls you in and holds you tightly. In some ways I feel like she reached into the memories and imagination of my own childhood and brought them to life in ways I never thought possible. This collection is a gift you can give yourself. You won't be sorry.
July 27, 2009
“Basement Magic” – Story of a child, her neglectful stepmother, and the maid.
“Intelligent Design” – God as a child, and what he made in the kitchen.
“The Green Glass Sea” – A child of Manhattan Project scientists visits the Trinity site.
“Clip Art” – A transcript of a documentary on the subject of the object that has changed our lives so much.
“Triangle” – Horror story on a relic of Nazi policies.
“The Feed Bag” – Poem of a childhood memory of eating at a diner.
“Flying Over Water” – A child finds that she has a natural instinct for salt water swimming.
“Möbius, Stripped of a Muse” – A story within a story within a story …
“Time Gypsy” – Grad student travels back in time fifty years to find physics and a very repressive environment for a gay woman.
“Be Prepared” – Critical commentary on an Alien Monster's culinary habits.
“Travel Agency” – The pleasures of getting lost in a book.
“A Taste of Summer” – A visit to the local ice cream store brings a revelation of chemistry.
“Ringing Up Baby” – A girl decides her little sister-to-be should have certain genetic features.
“Guys Day Out” – Raising a child with Down's syndrome in the sixties.
“Portable Childhoods” – A woman watches her daughter learn
“In the House of the Seven Librarians” – Ensconced in a former Carnegie library, seven librarians find a child on their doorstep.
The stories are good, although a few might be considered trifles. Fortunately, Klages knows how to keep the trifles short and amusing, while letting the other stories breathe and grow. In particular, “The Green Glass Sea”, “Guys Day Out”, and “Time Gypsy” are excellent, while “In the House of the Seven Librarians”, which could have been a trifle, instead is a delightful fable of growing up with literature and the people who know where everything should be shelved. Only “Triangle” is off – the object of horror doesn't really have anything to do with actions of the viewpoint character, and if you subscribe to the “gets what they deserve” school of horror writing, the aim is very off.
“Intelligent Design” – God as a child, and what he made in the kitchen.
“The Green Glass Sea” – A child of Manhattan Project scientists visits the Trinity site.
“Clip Art” – A transcript of a documentary on the subject of the object that has changed our lives so much.
“Triangle” – Horror story on a relic of Nazi policies.
“The Feed Bag” – Poem of a childhood memory of eating at a diner.
“Flying Over Water” – A child finds that she has a natural instinct for salt water swimming.
“Möbius, Stripped of a Muse” – A story within a story within a story …
“Time Gypsy” – Grad student travels back in time fifty years to find physics and a very repressive environment for a gay woman.
“Be Prepared” – Critical commentary on an Alien Monster's culinary habits.
“Travel Agency” – The pleasures of getting lost in a book.
“A Taste of Summer” – A visit to the local ice cream store brings a revelation of chemistry.
“Ringing Up Baby” – A girl decides her little sister-to-be should have certain genetic features.
“Guys Day Out” – Raising a child with Down's syndrome in the sixties.
“Portable Childhoods” – A woman watches her daughter learn
“In the House of the Seven Librarians” – Ensconced in a former Carnegie library, seven librarians find a child on their doorstep.
The stories are good, although a few might be considered trifles. Fortunately, Klages knows how to keep the trifles short and amusing, while letting the other stories breathe and grow. In particular, “The Green Glass Sea”, “Guys Day Out”, and “Time Gypsy” are excellent, while “In the House of the Seven Librarians”, which could have been a trifle, instead is a delightful fable of growing up with literature and the people who know where everything should be shelved. Only “Triangle” is off – the object of horror doesn't really have anything to do with actions of the viewpoint character, and if you subscribe to the “gets what they deserve” school of horror writing, the aim is very off.
March 20, 2011
Read this due to librarian Neil Holland's rec. I enjoyed this collection of stories, but the themes are generally pretty similar - the awkward, misfit child, and the magical elements of childhood, often set around the 1950s, compassion and cruelty mixed together. Most of the stories have magical realism elements.
Some standout stories were Basement Magic, a twist on the wicked stepmother theme; Triangle, featuring two homosexual scientists, a Nazi artifact, and a disturbing ending; Intelligent Design, about a bored young God and his grandmother; Time Gypsy, where a gay scientist travels in time and meets the scientist who inspired her as a child - who also turns out to be gay, and cute; A Taste of Summer, where a bored child meets a food scientist with some unusual skills; Guys Day Out, about a dad and his Downs Syndrome son (have tissue handy); and In the House of the Seven Librarians, about a decommissioned Carnegie Library and the seven librarians who remain in it - and the little girl who is paid as an overdue fine. Librarians should definitely check out that last story.
Some standout stories were Basement Magic, a twist on the wicked stepmother theme; Triangle, featuring two homosexual scientists, a Nazi artifact, and a disturbing ending; Intelligent Design, about a bored young God and his grandmother; Time Gypsy, where a gay scientist travels in time and meets the scientist who inspired her as a child - who also turns out to be gay, and cute; A Taste of Summer, where a bored child meets a food scientist with some unusual skills; Guys Day Out, about a dad and his Downs Syndrome son (have tissue handy); and In the House of the Seven Librarians, about a decommissioned Carnegie Library and the seven librarians who remain in it - and the little girl who is paid as an overdue fine. Librarians should definitely check out that last story.
March 5, 2011
This is one of the best things I've read in some time, a collection of stories about childhood with tinges of fantasy and magical realism. My favorites included "Basement Magic," a kind of update on the wicked stepmother/fairy godmother story; "Intelligent Design," which has a young God creating the universe; "Time Gypsy," which is a time travel romance recast with lesbian physicists; "Guys Day Out," a tearjerker about a father's relationship with his Downs Syndrome son; and the lovely "Portable Childhoods," a wonderful story about a mother watching her daughter grow up. Best of all was the last, "The House of the Seven Librarians," which all of my librarian friends on Goodreads must experience for themselves. Track down this book just to get it.
Klages captures all that is wondrous and sad about childhood, coming of age, parenting, and making one's way through the world in general. There isn't a bad story in the bunch.
Klages captures all that is wondrous and sad about childhood, coming of age, parenting, and making one's way through the world in general. There isn't a bad story in the bunch.
November 6, 2008
Outstanding. Definitely one of the best collections of short stories I've read in a long time, I'm hard pressed to pick just one or two as my favorites.
The stories all touch on some theme of childhood (as the title suggests), but not in a contrived or forced way. According to the author's note, this theme is a favorite of Klages, one she returns to again and again. Definitely worth a read.
The stories all touch on some theme of childhood (as the title suggests), but not in a contrived or forced way. According to the author's note, this theme is a favorite of Klages, one she returns to again and again. Definitely worth a read.
March 15, 2011
This is a great collection of short stories that I picked up because Neil Gaiman wrote the introduction. I love the last 2 stories in the book! Actually I loved most of the stories in the book, I think there were only 2 I wasn't totally impressed with.
The last story is 'In The House Of The Seven Librarians' which contains the quote, "She still had all her marbles, though every one of them was a bit odd and rolled asymmetrically." so how could I not love it?
The last story is 'In The House Of The Seven Librarians' which contains the quote, "She still had all her marbles, though every one of them was a bit odd and rolled asymmetrically." so how could I not love it?
August 9, 2016
I checked this out mostly on the basis of having read—and ADORED—In the House of the Seven Librarians. I enjoyed the rest of the stories as well, although ItHotSL was still my favorite. None of the other stories were a waste of time, though, and several—Time Gypsy probably the most notable—were delightful. They are reminiscent of Holly Phillips, though very different in tone and topic; both women share a give for short, shimmering instants.
January 4, 2009
This is a wonderfully crafted collection of stories. Not a one should have been excluded, and the order in which they appear is perfect. They flow along to their own other-logic, mixing everyday life with odd things, beautifully exotic things, disturbing things. After reading the story, "The Green Glass Sea" I want to savor the novel.
May 17, 2009
Like Maureen McHugh's Mothers and Other Monsters, Ellen Klages' Portable Childhoods is a collection of short stories in the SF/F vein loosely related to a theme - and they are two of the best short stories collections I've ever read. Klages is a superb writer and her stories capture the essence of the wonder and dangers of childhood so well.
March 29, 2011
Normally, I am not a fan of short stories, but these had a magic to them that I loved. Many of the stories are written from the point of view of children, which Klages captures in a way that makes you believe that you are actually reading the thoughts of children. Very refreshing - I highly recommend this book!
October 7, 2007
Great collection of short stories. It was great looking into Klages' mind. Also, the original short story that led to the award winning novel "The Green Glass Sea" is in here. It's hard to say which one is my favorite but they're all a great read.
January 2, 2008
Wonderful short story collection from a new writer. Her stories contain fantastic premises but they still seem believable within their own context. Children play main parts, and it's obvious she considers them real human beings who aren't just smaller, dumber versions of adults.
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June 30, 2008Really enjoyed this collection. Some of the stories reminded me of Roald Dahl's (his short stories for adults, that is). The story about the woman physicist who time-travels is particularly memorable.
October 5, 2008
That does it - I'll read anything this lady writes! A wonderful collection of short stories, in varying shades of laugh-out-loud funny, poignant, bittersweet, and sad. Great stuff, full of marvels both magical and mundane.
March 24, 2009
Wow, I really enjoyed this book! Look, I have found a fiction author that I really like a lot. That hasn't happened in a long time. My favorites were "Time Gypsy" and "In the House of the Seven Librarians."
June 10, 2009
A fabulous collection of fantastical and dark short stories, most of them relating to childhood. There's danger, madness and beauty in these pages. Recommended for lovers of Maureen McHugh, Neil Gaiman and Jonathan Carroll.
October 5, 2007
This is right up my alley. Klage's stories are hilarious, real, emotional, and varied without being weird for weird's sake.
January 10, 2008
Loved it. I am really obsessed with amazing short stories lately (especially scifi, although these are really fantasy.)
November 6, 2008
I liked the variety in this story collection. There's a lot that crosses over into magical realism. There are interesting twists to the stories.
Want to read
November 25, 20123-20-11: Beautiful. Wonderful. Devastating.
January 13, 2012
Freaky, weird and touching all at the same time. Childhood as remembered in the Twilight Zone.
The fact that I read it in Hayward, Wi, where the author was inspired to write it, didn't hurt.
The fact that I read it in Hayward, Wi, where the author was inspired to write it, didn't hurt.
July 18, 2012
quiet, clear, often heartbreaking tales about childhood, in a twilight zone-y vein. i will remember "guys day out" most of all. probably for the rest of my life.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews