Hi, I'm Lovar Burton and this is Lovar Burton Reads.

In every episode I hand pick a different piece of short fiction and I read it to you.

The only thing these stories have in common is that I love them and I hope you will too.

We are going to get a little fantastical today with a story by the speculative fiction author

Carlos Hernandez.

It's from his collection entitled The Assimilated Cubans Guide to Quantum Centuria.

I love this title.

Carlos often explores those places where science and religion meet.

The boundaries between life and what only appears to be life.

But the thing that I really love about this story is that it has an amazing sense of humor.

The story is called fantasy impromptu number four in C sharp Minor Opus 66 and it borrows

that name from an actual piece of music written by Frederick Chopin.

It's a very popular piano piece and it was actually published posthumously in 1855 even

though Chopin had instructed that none of his unpublished manuscripts ever be published.

And the story takes us on a reporting assignment with a writer named Gabby.

She'll be writing about a very special and enchanting piano.

So if you're ready, let's take a deep breath.

And begin.

Fantasy impromptu number four in C sharp Minor Opus 66 by Carlos Hernandez.

This isn't any ordinary piano.

This is the infamous Bosendorfer Imperial Concert Grand that Vassala Balusek had custom built

for his combat at Carnegie Hall.

...