Space Magic Short Stories/Novellas

Gary Shelton hasn't been seen at the annual gravity hackers' convention since the accident that destroyed his ship and killed his lover Janet. Now he's back, facing ten years of unanswered questions from his friends—including Mira, the strong-willed artist who loved both Gary and Janet. When a piece of space junk collides with the orbiting convention hotel, they must all confront their past to ensure they have a future. "At the Twenty-Fifth Annual Meeting of Uncle Teco's Homebrew Gravitics Club," 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.

Tony Collina's brother has just died in a steel factory accident. His friends urge him to take a stand against the factory owners, but it's 1937 and Tony has a family to support. What he's forgetting is that brotherhood changes everything, whether it's the fraternal ties of the union or the undying bonds of blood. "Brotherhood," a short story that first appeared in the anthology Haunted Holidays , is also available as part of Space Magic , the award-winning collection of science fiction and fantasy stories by David D. Levine.

Existential angst is tough enough when you're human. When you're a purple giraffe in a comic strip, you know you're being watched, and none of your friends believe you, it's even harder. A Locus Recommended Reading selection, "Charlie the Purple Giraffe Was Acting Strangely" also appeared in Year's Best Fantasy #5 . "Charlie the Purple Giraffe Was Acting Strangely," 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.

"Circle of Compassion" is the tale of a young priestess in an ancient China that never was, who must use a tiny magical charm to defeat a great army. It originally appeared in the anthology Gateways . "Circle of Compassion," 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.

"The Ecology of Fairie" is the story of a young girl beset by malevolent fairies, who uses her knowledge of ecology to combat them. It first appeared in Realms of Fantasy . "The Ecology of Faerie," 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.

"Falling Off the Unicorn" is the story of the top unicorn rider on the entire Western circuit, who must confront her fears—and her domineering stage mother—when her virginity is threatened. "Falling Off the Unicorn," 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.

Jason Carmelke's father has decided to make a life-altering change so dramatic that it draws Jason to his father's bedside, their first encounter since his childhood. There, he discovers just how irrevocable a change is coming, and Jason must decide exactly what love and loyalty really mean. Shortlisted for the Aeon Award, "I Hold My Father's Paws" appeared in The Year's Best Science Fiction #24 and has been translated into Russian. "I Hold My Father's Paws," 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.

War divides families, friends, lovers. It takes no prisoners and offers no mercy. So when Theophile Nundaemon faces his former lover in thaumaturgical battle between airships and floating cities, he knows the rules of war still apply. But the rules of love still apply as well. "Love in the Balance" originally appeared in the critically acclaimed anthology All-Star Zeppelin Adventure Stories . "Love in the Balance," 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.

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.

Clark Thatcher is one of the elite: a surgically-enhanced soldier carrying in his very bones the Army's secret weapon. But when he decides that enough is enough, he must decide if he's willing to pay the price—a price higher than even he, with his unique capabilities and all they cost him, ever imagined. A pulse-pounding chase through a dystopian America, "Rewind" won the Writers of the Future contest in 2002. "Rewind," 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.

Legends begin at the nexus of love and and pain and truth. Nerissa Zeebnen-Feersig is an awesome creation to behold: a mechanical, platinum-skinned beauty with a gift for telling stories. Denali Eu is a rogue and a gambler with a dangerous secret. Each takes an incredible journey, and together they give birth to a passionate, impossible story. Nominated for the Hugo and Sturgeon Awards, "The Tale of the Golden Eagle" has been translated into five languages and appeared in Science Fiction: The Best of 2003 . "The Tale of the Golden Eagle," 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.

Walker's got a problem. A human salesman on an alien world, he's got software to sell. But he doesn't understand the language or the culture, and he's running out of resources. Sometimes survival means understanding the difference between what's most valuable and what's most important. Translated into 7 languages, "Tk'Tk'Tk" won the Hugo Award for Best Short Story in 2006. "Tk'Tk'Tk," 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.

A far-future tale of humanity's descendants, struggling to survive in a universe that is running down, and the lone survivor of ancient humanity who helps them to recall their past. "Wind from a Dying Star," 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.

"Zauberschrift" is the story of a humble scribe who, years after the untimely termination of his apprenticeship to a pair of squabbling wizards, must return to a village now menaced by magic gone wrong. It first appeared in the anthology Apprentice Fantastic . "Zauberschrift," 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.