Worlds Without Warning

Cetera

Weekly short stories read aloud by their authors. From Cetera Magazine, featuring literary fiction, speculative tales, horror, sci-fi, fantasy, and weird fiction exploring memory, rebellion, folklore, and other worlds without warning. Stories edited by Natalia Emmons and Jon Negroni.

  1. Hành Tinh Thu Doesn’t Welcome You – A Sci-Fi Short Story by C. Inanen

    4D AGO

    Hành Tinh Thu Doesn’t Welcome You – A Sci-Fi Short Story by C. Inanen

    Welcome back to Worlds Without Warning. This week, Jon Negroni reads aloud "Hành Tinh Thu Doesn’t Welcome You" by C. Inanen. He also shares editor's notes on why this story was published on Cetera Magazine. You can find the written version right here. About the Author C. Inanen lives in the Midwest, USA. His work has been most recently published in Yellow Mama magazine. It will also be featured in the March 2026 issue of Close to the Bone, the June 2026 issue of Down in the Dirt magazine, and broadcast January 2026 on YouTube by Antimatter Dreams. He is a contributor to The Yard: Crime Blog. Explore our full archive of stories and poetry. Submit your own story to be featured on Cetera. About Cetera Magazine We publish 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 Author: C. Inanen Host & Narrator: Jon Negroni Editor: Natalia Emmons Artwork: Jon Negroni Music: "Magic Escape Room" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Share This EpisodeIf you enjoyed this story, please share it with fellow story lovers. Your enthusiasm helps these stories reach new readers. Thank you! Support our show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cinemaholics See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    34 min
  2. No Regrets – A Speculative Short Story by Jon Negroni

    JAN 2

    No Regrets – A Speculative Short Story by Jon Negroni

    Welcome back to Worlds Without Warning. This week, Jon Negroni reads aloud his new speculative romance story, "No Regrets." You can find the written version right here. About the Author Jon Negroni is a Puerto Rican author and illustrator based in the San Francisco Bay Area. His published books include The Pixar Theory (Slimbooks, 2015) and his debut fantasy novel Killerjoy (5050 Press, 2017). He's published short fiction for IHRAM Press, The Fairy Tale Magazine, The Vanity Papers, Discretionary Love, and many more. He’s the chief editor of Cetera Magazine, and his work has appeared or is forthcoming in several anthologies, including Neon Hemlock, Oddity Prodigies, Sinister Smile Press, Inked in Gray, and Speculation Publications. He was a finalist for the 2025 BCLF Elizabeth Caribbean-American Writer’s Prize, received an honorable mention for the Rhonda Gail Williford Award for Poetry, and is a Best American Short Stories 2025–nominated writer. Listen toward the end of the show for Jon’s full author’s notes on the making of this story. Explore our full archive of stories and poetry. Submit your own story to be featured on Cetera. About Cetera Magazine We publish 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: "Magic Escape Room" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Share This EpisodeIf you enjoyed this story, please share it with fellow story lovers. Your enthusiasm helps these stories reach new readers. Thank you! Support our show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cinemaholics See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    25 min
  3. You're the Best – A Literary Short Story by Jon Negroni

    12/26/2025

    You're the Best – A Literary Short Story by Jon Negroni

    Welcome back to Worlds Without Warning. This week, Jon Negroni reads aloud his new literary fiction story, "You're the Best." You can find the written version of "You're the Best" 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 fantasy 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. He's the chief editor of Cetera Magazine and his work has appeared or is forthcoming in several anthologies, including Neon Hemlock​, Oddity Prodigies, Inked in Gray, Speculation Publications, and more. He was also a finalist for the 2025 BCLF Elizabeth Caribbean-American Writer’s Prize and is a Best American Short Stories of 2025-nominated writer. Listen toward the end of the show for Jon’s full author’s notes on the making of this story. Read "You're the Best" with original artwork. Explore our full archive of stories and poetry. Submit your own story to be featured on Cetera. About Cetera Magazine We publish 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: "Magic Escape Room" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Share This EpisodeIf you enjoyed this story, please share it with fellow story lovers. Your enthusiasm helps these stories reach new readers. Thank you! Support our show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cinemaholics See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    16 min
  4. Holiday Party – A Literary Short Story By Jon Negroni

    12/21/2025

    Holiday Party – A Literary Short Story By Jon Negroni

    Welcome back to Worlds Without Warning. This week, Jon Negroni reads aloud his new literary fiction story, "Holiday Party." You can find the written version of "Holiday Party" 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 fantasy 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. He's the chief editor of Cetera Magazine and his work has appeared or is forthcoming in several anthologies, including Neon Hemlock​, Oddity Prodigies, Inked in Gray, Speculation Publications, and more. He was also a finalist for the 2025 BCLF Elizabeth Caribbean-American Writer’s Prize and is a Best American Short Stories of 2025-nominated writer. Listen toward the end of the show for Jon’s full author’s notes on the making of this story. Read "Holiday Party" with original artwork. Explore our full archive of stories and poetry. Submit your own story to be featured on Cetera. About Cetera Magazine We publish 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: "Magic Escape Room" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Share This EpisodeIf you enjoyed this story, please share it with fellow story lovers. Your enthusiasm helps these stories reach new readers. Thank you! Support our show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cinemaholics See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    14 min
  5. Someone Lived There Too

    10/30/2025

    Someone Lived There Too

    Welcome back to Worlds Without Warning. This week, Jon Negroni, Natalia Emmons, and Bridget Serdock present their collaborative cozy ghost story, "Someone Lived There Too." Set in an off-season Cape Cod rental cottage, this story follows Rena, an artist struggling with creative paralysis, who discovers that the old house she's staying in hasn't quite let go of its previous inhabitants. Blending slice-of-life grief with gentle supernatural communication and the mundane details of an artist trying to work again, the story explores how we leave traces of ourselves in the spaces we occupy and what happens when a haunted house isn't trying to scare you...it's just lonely. You can find the written version of "Someone Lived There Too" right here. Also Explore our full archive of stories and poetry. Submit your own story to be featured on Cetera. About Cetera Magazine We publish 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 Authors: Bridget Serdock, Natalia Emmons, and Jon Negroni Host: Jon Negroni Editor: Natalia Emmons and Jon Negroni Artwork: Bridget Serdock Music: "Magic Escape Room" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Share This EpisodeIf you enjoyed this story, please share it with fellow story lovers. Your enthusiasm helps these stories reach new readers. Thank you! Support our show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cinemaholics See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    33 min
  6. The Caller isn't Human

    10/23/2025

    The Caller isn't Human

    Welcome back to Worlds Without Warning. This week, Jon Negroni reads aloud his new atmospheric horror story, "The Caller Isn't Human." Set during the graveyard shift at an all-night laundromat, this story follows Ray, a night-shift worker, through the hours between 2 and 4 a.m. when a payphone outside begins ringing at precise intervals, people start vanishing without explanation, and something begins testing the boundaries of the building. Blending cosmic dread with working-class isolation and meticulous attention to disrupted patterns, the story explores liminal spaces, the fragility of the systems we depend on, and what happens when reality quietly stops following rules you didn't know existed. You can find the written version of "The Caller isn't Human" 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 "The Caller isn't Human" with original artwork. Explore our full archive of stories and poetry. Submit your own story to be featured on Cetera. About Cetera Magazine We publish 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: "Magic Escape Room" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Share This EpisodeIf you enjoyed this story, please share it with fellow story lovers. Your enthusiasm helps these stories reach new readers. Thank you! Support our show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cinemaholics See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    31 min
  7. The Petals Beneath Her Tongue

    10/16/2025

    The Petals Beneath Her Tongue

    Special thanks to the Type. Tune. Tint. podcast for sponsoring this week's story.  Welcome back to Worlds Without Warning. This week, Jon Negroni reads aloud his new speculative horror story, "The Petals Beneath Her Tongue." Set in a near-future where emotions can be extracted and sold as consumable flavors, this story follows Vera Salazar, a disgraced influencer who signs a contract with Savorium to monetize her feelings...literally. Blending body horror with corporate exploitation and liturgical imagery, the story explores the commodification of authenticity, forced empathy, and what happens when the boundary between self and other dissolves completely. Content warning: this story contains visceral body horror, medical procedures, and themes of bodily exploitation. You can find the written version of "The Petals Beneath Her Tongue" 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 "The Petals Beneath Her Tongue" with original artwork. Explore our full archive of stories and poetry. Submit your own story to be featured on Cetera. About Cetera Magazine We publish 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: "Magic Escape Room" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Share This EpisodeIf you enjoyed this story, please share it with fellow story lovers. Your enthusiasm helps these stories reach new readers. Thank you! Support our show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cinemaholics See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    32 min
  8. Housekeeping for the Dead

    10/09/2025

    Housekeeping for the Dead

    Welcome back to Worlds Without Warning. This week, Jon Negroni reads aloud his new literary horror story, "Housekeeping for the Dead." Set during the night shift at the Starlight Motel, this story follows a housekeeper who cleans seven rooms while five stay locked, encountering different versions of the same dying woman in each one. Blending grief with supernatural repetition and the mundane details of motel housekeeping, the story explores complicated mourning and what happens when someone can't stop trying to care for a person they've already lost. Content warning: this story deals honestly with terminal illness, death, and watching someone fade slowly. You can find the written version of "Housekeeping for the Dead" 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 "Housekeeping for the Dead" with original artwork. Explore our full archive of stories and poetry. Submit your own story to be featured on Cetera. About Cetera Magazine We publish 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: "Magic Escape Room" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Share This EpisodeIf you enjoyed this story, please share it with fellow story lovers. Your enthusiasm helps these stories reach new readers. Thank you! Support our show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cinemaholics See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    22 min

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Weekly short stories read aloud by their authors. From Cetera Magazine, featuring literary fiction, speculative tales, horror, sci-fi, fantasy, and weird fiction exploring memory, rebellion, folklore, and other worlds without warning. Stories edited by Natalia Emmons and Jon Negroni.