SF story about disabled boy who build spaceship from junkyard parts

[BurtonGuster]

I'm looking for the title and author of a science fiction story written many years ago, by a famous SF author (American I believe).

The story focused on a young, disabled boy (mentally challenged in some way) who played alone. Near his house was a junkyard that he had access to. Over the course of several days he gathered up random machine parts from the junkyard and put them all together. When he was done, the machine he created miraculously lifted off from the ground and hovered in the air for awhile, then landed.

He then proceeded to take the entire thing apart and put every part he had salvaged back where he found it in the junkyard.

Does this sound familiar to anyone? It was a singularly unique story and I'd like to find it again if possible. I did a Internet search for it but could not locate it, not knowing the author or title...

 

[steelyglint]

No disabled boy, but there was a movie in 1985 about a group of kids building their own space craft, entitled 'Explorers'.

Then there is 'Salvage', a pilot movie for a TV series entitled 'Salvage 1' and screened in 1979.

Could have been inspired by a novel, but I can find no mention of it.

.

 

[Ice fyre]

I know what you mean Burton guster, I am sure I have read it, they are mutant humans who are a gestault being. I would have to look it up but it was an older Sci-fi author. Maybe Silverberg.

 

[psikeyhackr]

I read this so long ago I don't remember details.

More Than Human - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

psik

 

[mosaix]

Sounds very familiar.

Probably a short story in Best SF series edited by Edmund Crispin. Would find it for you but I'm away for a week as of tomorrow. If you don't have the answer by the time I'm back, I'll have a search.

 

[BurtonGuster]

Thanks for the replies so far.

To clarify, this was a one-off story, written probably decades ago, by one of the big name authors. Could be anyone from Silverberg to Simak.

It was not made into a novel, movie or television episode of any kind.

It was just a very strange story so has always stuck in my mind. This boy (I believe he was about five or six years old in the story) was home bound due to his disability, but was able to get to this junk yard nearby on his own and collect parts from it, random parts, which he somehow fit together like a great puzzle.

At the end this "ship" lifted off from the ground by generating an unknown power source, it was a revolutionary invention... It hovered, then settled back down. And he then disassembled it, doing everything in reverse order and putting it all back where he found it.

There was no mention in the story of anyone else ever becoming aware of what he had done or accomplished...

Anyone who has a clue to the story title or author, I would be forever greatful.

Thanks for all the answers to date!

 

[Nerds_feather]

Burton Guster LOL!

(I'm a huge Psych fan.)

 

[BurtonGuster]

Burton Guster LOL!

(I'm a huge Psych fan.)

Great! If you're ever in San Bernadino and need a mystery solved, we are the agency for you!

 

[TheDustyZebra]

Yes, I know I've read this story -- just have to see if I can come up with it.

(Psych fan here too.)

 

[apicus]

Hi Burton Guster, Hi everybody,

I remember having red this novel for years.

The title is : The available data on the Worp reaction
Author : Lion MILLER (which is either a pseudo or a one shot writer, I couldn't find anything else written by this guy)
Original publication : The magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction # 28 (september 1953)

If anyone knows more about the author, please post.

 

[northernexposure]

I seem to remember an Azimov (?) story like this. I remember something about the only power source being an ordinary flashlight battery.

 

[sueelleker]

I seem to remember an Azimov (?) story like this. I remember something about the only power source being an ordinary flashlight battery.

Yes, but the Asimov story was a robot-it was supposed to go to the Moon, but ended up on Earth.

 

[High Eight]

Hi Burton Guster, Hi everybody,

I remember having red this novel for years.

The title is : The available data on the Worp reaction
Author : Lion MILLER (which is either a pseudo or a one shot writer, I couldn't find anything else written by this guy)
Original publication : The magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction # 28 (september 1953)

If anyone knows more about the author, please post.

There's this: An edition of The Lady by Conrad Richter for sale at Alibris. Note says the book is inscribed: " "To Lion Miller / winner of the Scripto Award for fiction in the Harrisburg Manuscript Club. With greetings from Conrad Richter 1958."

http://www.alibris.com/booksearch.d...&qwork=3712761&first=1&mtype=B&qsort=p&page=1

Not much, I know, but at least it proves he existed and was a writer (Possibly amateur or semi-pro). Googling 'Scripto Award' just brings up references to the book above. The Harrisburg Manuscript Club certainly existed and there mentions of it all over the internet but no definitive history that I can find.

The only other thing this tells us is that Lion Miller wrote at least one other work after The Available Data on the Worp Reaction because that was published in 1953 and Richter's dedication is dated 1958. Could be the same story, but unlikely. Presumably Richter's book was the prize for the Scripto Award

 

[Altdude]

For what it is worth, this story is in "50 Short Science Fiction Tales" edited by Isaac Asimov, and was/is a great anthology. Altdude

 

[awesomesauce]

There's "The Rocket" by Ray Bradbury where a junkyard owner builds a rocket to take his family to Mars? I don't remember if any of the kids are disabled though.