"Brilliant stories.”

—Cory Doctorow, author of Little Brother

"There are so many smart, sweet, funny, troubling treats here about so many things—childhood, chefs, God, barber shops, the atomic bomb—that it’s nearly impossible to pick a favorite. Just read them all! They’re great!"

—Connie Willis, author of To Say Nothing of the Dog

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.