I've never read this story before and the first thing that popped into my head was Lord Byron's poem "Darkness". Here's an excerpt:
I had a dream, which was not all a dream.
The bright sun was extinguish’d, and the stars
Did wander darkling in the eternal space,
Rayless, and pathless, and the icy earth
Swung blind and blackening in the moonless air;
Morn came and went - and came, and brought no day,
And men forgot their passions in the dread
Of this their desolation; and all hearts
Were chill’d into a selfish prayer for light:
And they did live by watchfires - and the thrones,
The palaces of crowned kings - the huts,
The habitations of all things which dwell,
Were burnt for beacons; cities were consumed,
And men were gathered round their blazing homes
To look once more into each other’s face;
I wonder if it was Asimov's inspiration. You can read the whole thing here:
http://englishhistory.net/byron/poems/darkness.html I think it would make a great Pseudopod flash piece. Lord Byron wrote it in 1816, the "Year without a Summer" when Mount Tambora's eruption darkened the skies and altered the climate for that summer.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Year_Without_a_Summer Oh, and in the intro Steve mentioned the two "Nightfall" movies. I'd say "Pitch Black" was also based on the premise, inserting a little Vin Diesel action to the concept.
And I'd like to add my hearty "Congrats!" to the chorus. The intros are as interesting and engaging as the stories themselves. Keep up the good work Steve!