Cliff's Girl by Fiona Moore (audio)
Summary
Host Kate Baker presents Fiona Moore’s “Cliff’s Girl,” a post-apocalyptic story about Morag, who cares for her former security robot, Seamus. When Seamus malfunctions, Morag’s son Cliff and his partner Mandy attempt repairs, causing the robot to go feral and Mandy to flee. Morag must perform a factory reset on Seamus to track Mandy, confronting themes of loss, adaptation, and the value of memory in a changing world.
Topics discussed
Podcast intro and subscription update
Author bio and story series context
Cliff returns home with Mandy and robot dog
Mandy's background and tea community
Mandy's philosophy on fixing broken robots
Discussion of Seamus's leg malfunction
Casey's wake and funeral customs
Zeb and Di's life and survival strategies
Seamus's erratic behavior and chess incident
Diagnosing Seamus's software conflict
Researching robot history and campus archives
Concerns about Mandy and Cliff's relationship
Cliff's plans to settle down with Mandy
Mandy's theory on limb adaptation
Morag's decision to visit Port Matic
Conversation with Glynn about Mandy's skills
Morag's return and Seamus's shutdown
Cliff explains the factory reset and Mandy's disappearance
Morag searches for Mandy on the hills
Reuniting with Mandy and inviting her to stay
Morag's decision to stay and investigate Seamus
Seamus creates a mandala and podcast outro
Listen ad-free on Castria