In a world run by screens and algorithms, Speculative Fiction Tales dares to ask what we’ve already given up.
Jon Cronshaw’s new audio fiction podcast doesn’t look to the far future—it holds up a cracked mirror to the present.
Launching this month on all major podcast platforms, the series delivers unnerving stories where human connection and digital convenience clash.
The opening episode, The Perfect Daughter, paints a near-future where family bonds become another item on the optimisation checklist.
Ellie, a high-flying consultant, finds VoiceEase—an AI service that mimics her voice and personality.
What begins as a shortcut to dodge her mum’s guilt-trips soon spirals into something far darker.
Without knowing it, both women leave their AI doubles to handle the emotional labour—while the real versions grow distant, automated, and eerily hollow.
This first episode sets the tone: sharp, emotionally rich stories about the hidden costs of technological ease.
In Infinite Scroll, Cronshaw imagines a digital afterlife with no peace—just an eternal feed.
A teenager, stuck in a social media loop, can’t even remember his own death.
It’s relentless, calculated engagement—purgatory disguised as entertainment.
Then there’s The Gibson Continuum, a more playful but equally unsettling tale.
Here, a content creator begins seeing ghosts of digital culture past, flickering into his augmented reality feed.
It’s nostalgia turned parasite, feeding on relevance and memory.
What sets Speculative Fiction Tales apart is its quiet horror.
No killer robots. No world-ending AI.
Just the creeping dread that we’ve already let too much slip.
Find Speculative Fiction Tales wherever you listen to podcasts.