Welcome back to Worlds Without Warning. This week, host Jon Negroni reads aloud his new speculative literary short story, "Paper Dreams." Set in a near-future Silicon Valley, this is a world where dreams are taxed as intellectual property. Blending soft sci-fi and dystopian satire with emotional realism, the story explores grief, surveillance, and the quiet rebellion of a woman whose inner life is no longer her own.

You can find the written version of "Paper Dreams" right here.

About the Author

Jon Negroni is a Puerto Rican author based in the San Francisco Bay Area. His published books include The Pixar Theory (Slimbooks, 2015), a pop culture nonfiction, and his debut novel Killerjoy (5050 Press, 2017). His recent short fiction includes "Men Who Are Strong" (IHRAM Press) and "Upon a Dream," an original fable published in The Fairy Tale Magazine. His upcoming anthology appearances include a cryptid horror tale, a speculative fiction piece for Neon Hemlock, and a superhero story for Oddity Prodigies. He's also the co-founder of the entertainment website, InBetweenDrafts.

Listen toward the end of the show for Jon’s full author’s notes on the making of this story.

• Read "Paper Dreams" with original artwork.
• Explore our full archive of stories and poetry.
• Submit your own story to be featured on Cetera.

About Cetera

Cetera is a literary magazine publishing original short fiction every Thursday. Our stories span literary fiction, speculative tales, horror, sci-fi, fantasy, and weird fiction. All written without AI assistance and curated by editor Natalia Emmons.

Credits

• Host & Author: Jon Negroni
• Editor: Natalia Emmons
• Artwork: Jon Negroni
• Music: "Opportunity Walks" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Share This Episode
If "Paper Dreams" surprised you, please share it with fellow story lovers. The best fiction deserves to be heard, and your enthusiasm helps these stories reach new readers.

Support our show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cinemaholics

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to the very first episode of Worlds Without Warning! Host Jon Negroni introduces the podcast and reads their own speculative fiction story, "Soulmate Season." A tale of cosmic destiny meeting heart-crushing reality when two strangers discover their invisible thread connection at the worst time possible. You can find the written version of "Soulmate Season" right here.

About the Author

Jon Negroni is a Puerto Rican author based in the San Francisco Bay Area. His published books include The Pixar Theory (Slimbooks, 2015), a pop culture nonfiction, and his debut novel Killerjoy (5050 Press, 2017). His recent short fiction includes "Men Who Are Strong" (IHRAM Press) and "Upon a Dream," an original fable published in The Fairy Tale Magazine. His upcoming anthology appearances include a cryptid horror tale, a speculative fiction piece for Neon Hemlock, and a superhero story for Oddity Prodigies. He's also the co-founder of the entertainment website, InBetweenDrafts.

Listen toward the end of the show for Jon’s full author’s notes on the making of this story.

• Read "Soulmate Season" with original artwork.
• Explore our full archive of stories and poetry.
• Submit your own story to be featured on Cetera.

About Cetera

Cetera is a literary magazine publishing original short fiction every Thursday. Our stories span literary fiction, speculative tales, horror, sci-fi, fantasy, and weird fiction. All written without AI assistance and curated by editor Natalia Emmons.

Credits

• Host & Author: Jon Negroni
• Editor: Natalia Emmons
• Artwork: Jon Negroni
• Music: "Opportunity Walks" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Share This Episode
If "Soulmate Season" surprised you, please share it with fellow story lovers. The best fiction deserves to be heard, and your enthusiasm helps these stories reach new readers.

Support our show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cinemaholics

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Get ready for Worlds Without Warning, a new weekly podcast where stories come alive through the voices of their creators.

Worlds Without Warning features original short stories from Cetera Magazine, read aloud by the authors themselves. Each week brings a new tale that might surprise you, move you, or even haunt you a little.

As a subscriber, you can expect:

• Diverse genres: Literary fiction, speculative stories, horror, sci-fi, fantasy, and weird fiction that defies categorization
• Recurring themes: Memory, rebellion, folklore, and worlds that change without warning
• Author insights: Behind-the-scenes looks at inspiration, process, and the wonderfully weird facts that spark imagination
• Quality curation: Every story carefully edited by Natalia Emmons
• Human creativity: All stories written without AI assistance

About Cetera

Cetera publishes original short fiction every Thursday, complete with original artwork and detailed author notes. These are stories written with care, intention, and the belief that fiction can be one of the best forms of surprise.

Links & Resources

• Read the stories: cetera.substack.com
• Submit your work: Visit cetera.substack.com for our open submissions page
• Subscribe: Available wherever you get your podcasts

Credits

• Host: Jon Negroni
• Editor: Natalia Emmons
• Artwork: Jon Negroni
• Music: "Opportunity Walks" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
  Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Support our show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cinemaholics

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.