Inspiration, like love, strikes when you least expect it. When Phil goes seeking that creative spark in a junkyard, he discovers not only just the right thing, he discovers a rare and very specific kind of magic. “Nucleon” first appeared in Interzone, was chosen for Year’s Best Fantasy #2, and won the James White Award.

“Nucleon,” a short story, is also available as part of Space Magic, an award-winning collection of science fiction and fantasy stories by David D. Levine.

Praise for Nucleon:

“‘Nucleon’ is a fantasy story in the Unknown Worlds tradition. That fine magazine introduced contemporary urban settings into fantasy fiction. The ‘mystery shop’ tradition includes such classic stories as ‘What You Need’ by Henry Kuttner. ‘Nucleon’ is a worthy addition to this tradition.” —David Hartwell, Year’s Best Fantasy #2

“…a captivating magic-realist rendering of the serendipity of transdimensional junkyards.” —Nick Gevers, Locus

“…a fine, sweet story of an unusual junkyard — a nice variation on the traditional ‘curiosity shop’ tale.” —Rich Horton, Locus

“The story is short, and simple, and quite elegant… almost Bradburyesque…” —Mark Watson, Best SF