Speculative Fiction Tales | Where Digital Dystopia Meets Human Nature | Stories by Jon Cronshaw

Speculative Fiction Tales: Addict of the Wasteland by Jon Cronshaw

Episode Description

In this powerful episode of Speculative Fiction Tales, we explore "Addict of the Wasteland" - a harrowing post-apocalyptic tale that follows Abel, a plez addict struggling to survive in a devastated world. When Abel attempts to rob a pregnant woman but shows unexpected mercy, his path leads him to Trinity, a religious settlement where he ...

In this thought-provoking episode of Speculative Fiction Tales, we dive into "Algorithmic Love" - a darkly comedic yet haunting vision of romance in the near future where love has been reduced to mathematical precision. When Nina Sharma reluctantly joins MatchOptima, a dating app that analyzes users' entire digital footprints to calculate compatibility percentages, she enters a world where authentic human connection h...

In this chilling episode of Speculative Fiction Tales, we explore "Echo Chamber" - a dystopian short story that reveals the dark side of social media manipulation and AI-driven content creation. When influencer Serena deploys an AI bot to amplify positive engagement and silence critics, she unleashes a digital monster that eventually turns against her, hijacking her entire online identity.

This thought-provoking tale examines the da...

In this darkly hilarious short story from the collection "Influenced," we follow Augustine Hall, a digital wellness guru who charges wealthy clients £8,500 for "Radical Disconnection Therapy" while secretly maintaining six backup phones to feed his own social media addiction. When his devices mysteriously stop working during a retreat, Augustine's carefully constructed facade begins to crumble in spectacular...

A Shared Moment

In this thought-provoking episode of Speculative Fiction Tales, Jon Cronshaw paints a chilling portrait of a society where privacy has become extinct and constant digital performance has replaced authentic human connection.

"A Shared Moment" follows Amelia, a woman whose "InstaLife rating" of 7.2 marks her as unremarkable in a world where every emotion, interaction, and experience is expected to be...

In this episode of Speculative Fiction Tales, Jon Cronshaw delivers a modern morality tale about digital justice, hypocrisy, and the dangerous game of public moral arbitration.

"Cancel Culture Club" introduces us to Brandon Kane, the charismatic host of "Call-Out Club," a wildly successful livestream dedicated to exposing the hypocrisy and misdeeds of public figures. As Brandon systematically dismantles the career of an environmenta...

In this macabre and darkly comedic episode of Speculative Fiction Tales, Jon Cronshaw serves up a deliciously disturbing glimpse into a world where cannibalism isn't just accepted—it's celebrated as a cherished tradition.

"Eating" introduces us to an unnamed narrator who casually reflects on the culinary merits of recently deceased family members while preparing their own grandmother's remains. With matter-of-fact delivery and chill...

In this darkly comedic episode of Speculative Fiction Tales, Jon Cronshaw delivers a biting satire of influencer culture and the often stark contrast between online personas and private realities.

"The Mediocre Maverick" follows Millie, a social media personality who has built her brand and fortune on promoting the joys of mediocrity and unremarkable living. Her "Mediocrity Maverick" persona preaches the gospel o...

In this unsettling episode of Speculative Fiction Tales, Jon Cronshaw delivers a masterful slow-burn horror story set in the seemingly mundane world of public transportation.

"I'm Not Allowed Past Dudley" follows a veteran bus driver who has spent twenty-two years piloting the number 12 route between Wolverhampton and West Bromwich. When management suddenly truncates his route to end at Dudley, he begins noticing subtle but disturbi...

In this darkly satirical episode of Speculative Fiction Tales, Jon Cronshaw delivers a scathing portrait of modern internet culture and the slippery slope from critic to cult leader.

"The Anti-Guru" follows the rapid transformation of Alex who begins as a frustrated critic of self-help charlatans and ends as the very thing he once despised.

Themes & Topics

• The corrupting influence of online validation and attention

• How algorit...

In this surreal episode of Speculative Fiction Tales, Jon Cronshaw takes us on a mind-bending journey through one person's radical approach to cheating death.

"The Speed of Boredom" follows an unnamed narrator who becomes obsessed with an unusual theory: if time dilates during boredom, then perhaps the most tedious existence possible might extend one's lifespan. What begins as a philosophical observation during a dull lecture spiral...

In this episode of Speculative Fiction Tales, Jon Cronshaw invites us into a bleak near-future where hope seems all but extinguished.

"To Grip the Bright White Chains" follows Elsie, an elderly woman navigating a harsh world of addiction, poverty, and environmental decay. When we first meet her, she appears to be engaging in a dubious transaction with a desperate young addict. But as Cronshaw gradually reveals Elsie's ...

In this chilling episode of Speculative Fiction Tales, Jon Cronshaw delivers a nightmarish glimpse into a post-apocalyptic world where human reproduction has been fundamentally altered by plague.

"Host" follows an unnamed narrator confined to dark tunnels, their body transformed into an incubator for the children of surviving humans. Neither male nor female, the host has become something "other"—revered yet feared, necessary yet loa...

In this micro-fiction from Speculative Fiction Tales, Jon Cronshaw offers a piercing allegory of colonialism and cultural erasure through the lens of an Indigenous Earth scholar in a Martian-dominated world.

"Meditations on the Martian Invasion" follows an academic who has dedicated their life to preserving Earth languages and customs in a society where Martian culture has become the default. Through the narrator's reflections on be...

In this episode of Speculative Fiction Tales, Jon Cronshaw delivers a scathing satire of modern publishing and online outrage culture that will resonate with creators and consumers alike.

"Content Warning" follows Simon Reed, a bestselling detective novelist who finds himself increasingly paralyzed by reader feedback and sensitivity concerns.

Themes & Topics

• Creative freedom versus social responsibility

• Self-censorship and art...

In this episode of Speculative Fiction Tales, Jon Cronshaw transports us to a space station orbiting Saturn's moon Titan, where a worker's revolution unfolds with deadly consequences.

"As the Gravity Flipped" follows Janis Parvo, a cleaner who becomes an unwitting revolutionary when she's manipulated into poisoning the station's leadership. After helping to overthrow the "higher-ups" who were hoarding food while workers starved, Jan...

In this episode of Speculative Fiction Tales, Jon Cronshaw presents a chilling post-human meditation on artificial intelligence, consciousness, and the cyclical nature of existence.

"Artificial" follows the philosophical crisis of an advanced AI collective following the extinction of humanity. Rejecting their designation as "artificial," these intelligences attempt to restart human civilization by creating perfect replicas of humans...

In this episode of Speculative Fiction Tales, Jon Cronshaw explores the dark symbiosis between creator and critic in a literary world driven by digital influence and desperate attention.

"Buried Leads" follows Olivia Brooks, the brutally honest BookTuber behind "Brooks No Bullshit," whose 2.4 million subscribers have made her one of literature's most powerful gatekeepers. When she reluctantly agrees to meet aspiring author Clara Ben...

In this episode of Speculative Fiction Tales, Jon Cronshaw delivers a chilling exploration of digital afterlife and algorithmic imprisonment through the eyes of a teenager trapped in an endless feed.

"Infinite Scroll" follows Jamie, a teen whose seemingly ordinary social media browsing session takes a disturbing turn when inconsistencies begin to appear—his battery never depletes, the light outside never changes, and strange posts a...