The bit with alchemists and radioactive materials reminds me of something from the short novel _Day of the Giants_ (by Lester Del Rey, 1959).
A pair of human brothers in the modern era wind up helping the Aesir fight Ragnarok. One brother is an engineer. He works with the dwarves - who are natural techs - to make modern weapons for the gods. Using a scrying mirror to get the plans, he starts building fission bombs. He discovers the dwarves are already familiar with enriched uranium. "It keeps better in small lumps."
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The bit with alchemists and radioactive materials reminds me of something from the short novel _Day of the Giants_ (by Lester Del Rey, 1959).
A pair of human brothers in the modern era wind up helping the Aesir fight Ragnarok. One brother is an engineer. He works with the dwarves - who are natural techs - to make modern weapons for the gods. Using a scrying mirror to get the plans, he starts building fission bombs. He discovers the dwarves are already familiar with enriched uranium. "It keeps better in small lumps."