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

In every episode of the podcast, I handpick a different piece of short fiction and I read

it to you.

I like to say the only thing these stories have in common is that I love them and I hope

you will too.

I chose this story, Low Energy Economy by Adrian Chikovsky because, well, it really

spoke to me.

You see, I've been thinking a lot about human connection these days and its purpose through

this whole age of COVID.

The story comes from a new anthology of short fiction called Consolation Songs, which

was compiled as a kind of fundraiser for the charity supporting the University College

London Hospitals NHS Trust.

The collection is subtitled Optimistic Speculative Fiction for a Time of Coronavirus.

How about that?

The author of this story, Adrian Chikovsky, is a prolific science fiction and fantasy

author.

He's the winner of the Arthur C. Clark Award and the British Fantasy Award.

He's perhaps best known for his epic fantasy series Shadows of the Apt.

His new novel out now is called The Doors of Eden.

It's a cross timeline evolutionary thriller half a billion years in the making.

Now I love a good story set in space.

This one follows an asteroid minor named Tobler, who's out there cruising along in his pod

...