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 fashion.

Listen as we explore the ultimate irony of our digital age: the influencer who built an empire teaching digital detox while being utterly unable to disconnect himself.

Key Themes Explored

Digital addiction and hypocrisy - The gap between what we preach and what we practice online

Wellness industry fraud - How authentic healing gets commodified and performed

Social media dependency - The psychological withdrawal of digital validation

Authentic vs. performed spirituality - The difference between genuine growth and Instagram aesthetics

Class and privilege in wellness culture - Who can afford to "disconnect" and what that really means

Story Highlights

Augustine's six hidden backup phones strategically placed around his manor

The £295 meditation cushion with discount code AUTHENTIC20

His complete meltdown when forced to experience actual digital detox

The brilliant reveal of who sabotaged his devices and why

His journey from fake guru to genuine recovery

Perfect For Listeners Who Enjoy

Black Mirror-style tech satire

Wellness industry exposés

Dark comedy about modern life

Stories about digital addiction

Ironic character studies

Discussion Questions

How do we distinguish between authentic and performed wellness?

What drives our need for constant digital validation?

Can someone truly help others with problems they haven't solved themselves?

How has social media changed the nature of spirituality and self-help?

Related Content

This story is part of "Influenced," a collection examining humanity's complex relationship with digital technology and social media. Other stories explore online dating algorithms, content moderation trauma, and digital conspiracy theories.

Keywords

digital detox, wellness fraud, social media addiction, influencer culture, digital wellness, tech satire, modern spirituality, authentic healing, digital dependency, wellness industry, mindfulness comedy, social media withdrawal

Content Warnings

Mild language, depictions of anxiety and digital addiction, satirical treatment of wellness culture

Subscribe for more literary fiction exploring our digital age. Available on all major podcast platforms.

#DigitalDetox #WellnessFraud #TechSatire #InfluencerCulture #DigitalAddiction #ModernFiction #LiteraryPodcast #SocialMediaSatire

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 publicly shared and rated. When Amelia makes the radical decision to activate "Privacy Mode"—permanently removing herself from the digital ecosystem—she discovers both the profound isolation and unexpected freedom that comes with becoming invisible to a society that can only see what's being recorded.

Through Amelia's journey, Cronshaw masterfully explores the consequences of a culture obsessed with performative vulnerability and the quiet revolution of those who choose to exist beyond the algorithm's reach.

Themes & Topics

• The commodification of human emotion and experience

• Social media metrics as the new social hierarchy

• The performance of authenticity versus genuine connection

• Digital visibility as a prerequisite for societal participation

• The profound isolation of opting out of surveillance capitalism

• Finding real connection in an increasingly artificial world

About the Author

Jon Cronshaw crafts speculative fiction that examines our increasingly complex relationship with technology. His stories often explore the unintended consequences of digital innovations that promise connection but may ultimately transform what it means to be human.

Support the Show

If you enjoyed this story, please consider supporting Jon Cronshaw by becoming a patron. Your support helps bring these stories to life and gives you early access to audio stories plus exclusive text versions of every episode.

Visit patreon.com/joncronshawauthor to learn more.

Keywords

Social media dystopia, digital privacy, authenticity, surveillance capitalism, constant performance, rating economy, digital invisibility, speculative fiction, Jon Cronshaw, near-future technology, social metrics, human connection

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 environmental activist with a secret carbon footprint, he's at the peak of his influence—feared, respected, and completely unaware that his own digital past is about to catch up with him.

Themes & Topics

• Digital accountability and its double-edged nature

• The performance of moral outrage as entertainment

• The permanence of our digital footprints

• Public punishment versus genuine accountability

• The business model of cancellation

• The thin line between justice and revenge

Listener Discretion

This episode contains references to offensive online behaviour and explores complex ethical questions about public shaming that some listeners may find uncomfortable.

About the Author

Jon Cronshaw crafts speculative fiction that examines contemporary digital culture with unflinching clarity. His stories often probe the moral complexities of online life and the psychological impact of social media on both individuals and society at large.

Support the Show

If you enjoyed this story, please consider supporting Jon Cronshaw by becoming a patron. Your support helps bring these stories to life and gives you early access to audio stories plus exclusive text versions of every episode. Visit patreon.com/joncronshawauthor to learn more.

Keywords

Cancel culture, social media, digital accountability, online influence, call-out culture, internet justice, digital footprint, Jon Cronshaw, contemporary fiction, moral hypocrisy, internet fame, digital consequences

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 chilling nonchalance, they muse on family recipes, funeral etiquette, and the proper distribution of human remains in a society where consuming the dead has become normalised.

Themes & Topics

• The malleability of social taboos

• Family traditions and rituals around death

• The commodification of human remains

• Class divisions in funerary practices

• The search for meaning and connection in death

• The thin veneer between civilization and barbarism

Listener Discretion

This episode contains explicit descriptions of cannibalism presented in a casual, normalised manner that some listeners may find disturbing.

About the Author

Jon Cronshaw crafts speculative fiction that challenges social norms and examines how easily the unthinkable could become mundane under the right circumstances. His flash fiction often delivers maximum impact through deceptively simple premises taken to their logical—and frequently horrifying—conclusions.

Support the Show

If you enjoyed this story, please consider supporting Jon Cronshaw by becoming a patron. Your support helps bring these stories to life and gives you early access to audio stories plus exclusive text versions of every episode. Visit patreon.com/joncronshawauthor to learn more.

Keywords

Cannibalism, social norms, dark comedy, funeral traditions, taboo inversion, family rituals, speculative society, flash fiction, Jon Cronshaw, horror humor, social commentary, death customs

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 of beige walls, predictable routines, and embracing life's most mundane moments.

But behind the carefully curated facade of ordinariness lurks a woman who secretly craves the extraordinary. When her thrilling skydiving hobby is accidentally exposed during a livestream, we witness the desperate lengths she'll go to protect her empire of averageness—and the shocking turn events take when her carefully constructed world begins to unravel.

Themes & Topics

• The performance of authenticity in social media

• The commodification of lifestyle philosophies

• The disconnect between public personas and private lives

• The extreme pressure of maintaining a personal brand

• How quickly violence can erupt when livelihoods are threatened

• The dark humor in turning even tragedy into content

Listener Discretion

This episode contains sudden violence and a death that some listeners may find disturbing.

About the Author

Jon Cronshaw crafts speculative fiction that examines our relationship with technology and social media. His stories often feature characters caught between their authentic selves and the versions they present to the world, revealing the psychological toll of living a double life in the digital age.

Support the Show

If you enjoyed this story, please consider supporting Jon Cronshaw by becoming a patron. Your support helps bring these stories to life and gives you early access to audio stories plus exclusive text versions of every episode. Visit patreon.com/joncronshawauthor to learn more.

Free Story Collection

Download Jon's free short story collection "Optimised" featuring ten thought-provoking tales exploring technology, society, and human nature. Visit joncronshaw.com/optimised to sign up for his newsletter and download your copy today.

Keywords

Influencer culture, social media personas, personal branding, authenticity, double lives, dark comedy, flash fiction, Jon Cronshaw, content creation, digital identity, livestreaming consequences

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 disturbing anomalies. His attempts to venture beyond the new boundary—whether in his bus, car, or on foot—are met with increasingly bizarre and frightening consequences.

As our narrator's investigations deepen, the very fabric of reality begins to unravel, revealing a terrifying truth about the nature of his world and his place within it. What begins as a simple route change spirals into an existential nightmare that challenges everything he thought he knew about his familiar Midlands surroundings.

Themes & Topics

• Reality simulation and boundary enforcement

• The unsettling nature of the familiar made strange

• Working-class routine disrupted by cosmic horror

• The psychological impact of lost autonomy

• The Black Country as a setting for existential dread

• The surreal horror of bureaucratic control

Listener Discretion

This episode contains themes of existential horror and psychological distress that some listeners may find disturbing.

About the Author

Jon Cronshaw crafts speculative fiction that transforms everyday settings into landscapes of subtle terror. His stories often feature ordinary people confronting extraordinary circumstances, revealing the fragility of what we perceive as reality.

Support the Show

If you enjoyed this story, please consider supporting Jon Cronshaw by becoming a patron. Your support helps bring these stories to life and gives you early access to audio stories plus exclusive text versions of every episode. Visit patreon.com/joncronshawauthor to learn more.

Keywords

Simulation theory, Black Country, bus routes, existential horror, reality glitches, boundary enforcement, West Midlands, cosmic horror, Jon Cronshaw, speculative fiction, Dudley, Wolverhampton

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 algorithms encourage extremism and hypocrisy

• The self-help industry and its manipulation tactics

• The thin line between critic and practitioner

• How movements become marketplaces

• The psychology of cult formation in digital spaces

Listener Discretion

This episode contains cynical commentary on online culture and self-help industries that some listeners may find uncomfortably accurate.

About the Author

Jon Cronshaw crafts speculative fiction that examines the darker aspects of our digital existence. His stories act as mirrors reflecting uncomfortable truths about how technology shapes our behavior and beliefs, often without our conscious awareness.

Support the Show

If you enjoyed this story, please consider supporting Jon Cronshaw by becoming a patron. Your support helps bring these stories to life and gives you early access to audio stories plus exclusive text versions of every episode.

Visit patreon.com/joncronshawauthor to learn more.

Keywords

Internet culture, self-help industry, monetization, online gurus, digital transformation, social media critique, livestreaming, cult psychology, Jon Cronshaw, satire, influencer culture, algorithm effects, online communities

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 spirals into a disturbing experiment as the narrator methodically eliminates all sources of joy, interest, and connection from their life—believing that each moment of excruciating boredom is actually expanding their subjective experience of time, thereby helping them "live forever."

With dark humor and existential insight, Cronshaw explores the absurd lengths to which humans might go to avoid mortality, and how the pursuit of extended life might ironically rob us of everything that makes life worth living.

Themes & Topics

Time perception and subjective experience

Existential dread and fear of mortality

The paradox of pursuing longevity at the expense of living

Mental health and obsessive thinking

The relationship between boredom and time dilation

Social isolation and its consequences

Listener Discretion

This episode contains themes of mental health deterioration and extreme social withdrawal that some listeners may find disturbing.

About the Author

Jon Cronshaw crafts speculative fiction that explores the stranger corners of human psychology. His stories often feature characters who take reasonable premises to unreasonable conclusions, revealing the absurdity that can lurk within seemingly logical thinking.

Support the Show

If you enjoyed this story, please consider supporting Jon Cronshaw by becoming a patron. Your support helps bring these stories to life and gives you early access to audio stories plus exclusive text versions of every episode. Visit patreon.com/joncronshawauthor to learn more.

Keywords

Time perception, existential fiction, subjective experience, psychological horror, boredom, mortality fears, mental decline, speculative fiction, Jon Cronshaw, flash fiction, philosophical fiction, time dilation