Suzette Haden Elgin Books in Order
Suzette Haden Elgin has written 39 books, published between 1965 and 2003. The first book is The Less Said (1965) and the newest is Peacetalk 101 (2003). Publication order is the reading order below.
- Books
- 39
- Published
- 1965–2003
- Pages on record
- 6,045 in 26 of 39 books
- Reading time
- 101–151 hours
Reading time is an estimate, not a recorded figure: 6,045 pages at 300 words a page, read at 200–300 words a minute, covering the 26 of 39 titles with a page count on record.
Linguistics and science fiction meet in the work of Suzette Haden Elgin, born Patricia Anne Suzette Wilkins (1936-2015). Elgin researched experimental linguistics and the construction of languages, founded the Science Fiction Poetry Association, and counts as an important figure in science fiction constructed languages. Her novel series are Native Tongue, Ozark and Coyote Jones. The Gentle Art of Verbal Self-Defense (1980) began her best known nonfiction line, and grammar primers such as A Primer Of Transformational Grammar For Rank Beginners (1975) sit beside the fiction. Her 39 catalogued books span 1965 to 2003, from The Less Said to Peacetalk 101.
How many Suzette Haden Elgin books are there?
Suzette Haden Elgin has 39 books, released between 1965 and 2003. They include 3 series and 28 titles listed outside any series.
Suzette Haden Elgin Books in Publication Order
The table lists all 39 Suzette Haden Elgin books in the order they were published, with the release year, the page count where one is on record, and how many independent book listings confirm each title. Catalogue data as of September 2026.
- 1The Less Said1965 · confirmed 1/41965–1/4
- 21970–1/4
- 31971–1/4
- 41972–1/4
- 5What Is Linguistics?1973 · 231 pages · confirmed 1/419732311/4
- 6Guide to Transformational Grammar1973 · confirmed 1/41973–1/4
- 7Pouring Down Words1975 · confirmed 1/41975–1/4
- 8A Primer Of Transformational Grammar For Rank Beginners1975 · 25 pages · confirmed 1/41975251/4
- 9197911/4
- 10The Gentle Art of Verbal Self-Defense1980 · 310 pages · confirmed 1/419803101/4
- 111981–1/4
- 121981–1/4
- 1319811851/4
- 14More on The Gentle Art of Verbal Self-Defense1983 · 300 pages · confirmed 1/419833001/4
- 1519843271/4
- 1619863021/4
- 1719873631/4
- 18The Last Word on the Gentle Art of Verbal Self-Defense1987 · 245 pages · confirmed 1/419872451/4
- 19A First Dictionary and Grammar of Láadan1988 · confirmed 1/41988–1/4
- 20The Gentle Art of Verbal Self Defense for Business Success1989 · confirmed 1/41989–1/4
- 21Success with the Gentle Art of Verbal Self-Defense1989 · 287 pages · confirmed 1/419892871/4
- 22Staying Well with the Gentle Art of Verbal Self-Defense1990 · confirmed 1/41990–1/4
- 23The Gentle Art Of Verbal Self Defense For Parents & Kids1991 · confirmed 1/41991–1/4
- 24The Gentle Art of Written Self-Defense Letter Book1993 · 266 pages · confirmed 1/419932661/4
- 25Genderspeak1993 · 307 pages · confirmed 1/419933071/4
- 2619942681/4
- 27You Can't Say That to Me1995 · 206 pages · confirmed 1/419952061/4
- 28Businessspeak1995 · 272 pages · confirmed 1/419952721/4
- 29The Gentle Art of Communicating with Kids1995 · 190 pages · confirmed 1/419951901/4
- 30Try to Feel It My Way1996 · 178 pages · confirmed 1/419961781/4
- 31How to Turn the Other Cheek and Still Survive in Today's World1997 · 222 pages · confirmed 1/419972221/4
- 32How to Disagree Without Being Disagreeable1997 · 190 pages · confirmed 1/419971901/4
- 33The Gentle Art of Written Self-Defense1997 · 266 pages · confirmed 1/419972661/4
- 34The Grandmother Principles1998 · 224 pages · confirmed 1/419982241/4
- 35Language in Emergency Medicine1999 · 124 pages · confirmed 1/419991241/4
- 36The Gentle Art of Verbal Self Defense at Work1999 · 340 pages · confirmed 1/419993401/4
- 37Mastering the Gentle Art of Verbal Self-Defense1999 · confirmed 1/41999–1/4
- 38The Language Imperative2000 · 304 pages · confirmed 1/420003041/4
- 39Peacetalk 1012003 · 112 pages · confirmed 1/420031121/4
Suzette Haden Elgin books grouped by series
Each title below is a row in the publication-order table above. None of these groups has a reading-order page of its own on this site.
Coyote Jones in order
5 booksOzark in order
3 booksNative Tongue in order
3 books- 1. Native Tongue
- 2. The Judas Rose
- 3. Earthsong
Standalone books
28 books28 Suzette Haden Elgin titles here are not listed as part of any series.
Do you have to read Suzette Haden Elgin books in order?
You only need to read Suzette Haden Elgin books in order within each series: the books listed here span 3 separate series, and each series has its own publication order.
Where to start with Suzette Haden Elgin
Start with The Less Said (1965), the earliest published title.
What is the newest Suzette Haden Elgin book?
Peacetalk 101 (2003) is the newest Suzette Haden Elgin book released so far.
Is there a new Suzette Haden Elgin book coming?
No next Suzette Haden Elgin book is announced in the catalogue, which is a gap in the listings it merges rather than a sign that the run has ended.
Award nominations for Suzette Haden Elgin
Wikidata records 4 nominations for Suzette Haden Elgin. Each row states whether the title won or was shortlisted, and the year the award was given.
- Locus Award for Best Short Story1987Shortlistedfor Lo, How an Oak E'er Blooming
- Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel1985Shortlistedfor Native Tongue
- Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel1982Shortlistedfor Twelve Fair Kingdoms
- Locus Award for Best Novel1972Shortlistedfor Furthest
Suzette Haden Elgin at a glance
- Died
- Suzette Haden Elgin died in 2015, according to Wikidata.
- Last book
- The newest book credited to Suzette Haden Elgin on record dates from 2003.
- Release pace
- Suzette Haden Elgin books have appeared about one a year on average.
- Length
- 6,045 pages across the 26 of 39 books with a recorded length, a median of 256 pages each.
- Busiest decade
- Most Suzette Haden Elgin books, 16 of 39, were published in the 1990s.
What the Suzette Haden Elgin books are about
29 of the 39 Suzette Haden Elgin books carry subject tags in Open Library's catalogue. The subjects below are the ones that recur across them, most frequent first: verbal self-defense is tagged on 12 of 29. The subjects are cataloguers’ headings, not a plot summary.
- Verbal self-defense 12 of 29 books
- Psychological aspects 5 of 29 books
- Science fiction 5 of 29 books
- Business communication 4 of 29 books
- Interpersonal communication 4 of 29 books
- Communication 3 of 29 books
- Success in business 3 of 29 books
- Women 3 of 29 books
- English language 2 of 29 books
- English language, composition and exercises 2 of 29 books
- Fantasy 2 of 29 books