None of Chabon's previous works are of such impressive scale as The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, but they do share some similar themes. Chabon's first novel, The Mysteries of Pittsburgh (1988) tells the tale of a young man, just graduated, who is trying to figure out what he wants to be, and in the process comes to terms with his sexuality. This novel deals with issues brought up by Sammy's homosexuality, and the general theme of identity formation on a more personal and poignant level.

Chabon's second novel, Wonder Boys (1995), follows an aging English professor, Grady Tripp, for a weekend as he struggles with his 2000-plus page manuscript, whose story has yet to take shape, his agent, who wants to see the elusive manuscript, his mistress, who has just found out she is pregnant, and his students, one on whom he has a crush and...