We now have a half-dozen podcasts for the podcast project, Fresh New Shorts, which is offering new stories weekly. Thanks to our listeners!
Cassini’s daughter is the 6th story in the series. It is mostly set on Ahmic Lake, a large northern lake in Ontario. Anyone who has ever looked out on a still, dark lake covered in reflected stars, or dove into one at night, especially in early fall, will relate to this story.
I have a soft spot for the physicist protagonist. He knows himself, saying, “Some children search for something to connect them with the world; others look for something that distinguishes them. I was the latter.”
He is in love with the girl Madeleine, but also hopelessly in love with the night sky. Physics and a position at the Very Large Array in New Mexico apparently won out, but he is still hurt by the decision.
For those who have had to read a lot of 19th-century American lit, Cassini’s daughter pays homage to the Nathanial Hawthorne short story “Rappaccini’s Daughter.” You can listen to it here.
The Fresh New Shorts project is aimed at providing entertainment while we have more solitary time on our hands. In addition, we want to raise money to help others. All profits from the eBook sales of “A Physicist’s Guide to Love, and other natural phenomena“, the source for the podcasts, will go to local foodbanks.
Enjoy the storytelling podcasts and stay safe!
John Blackmore, Writer 