A Butcher's Fable

Welcome back to Worlds Without Warning. This week, Jon Negroni reads aloud his literary folk horror story, "A Butcher's Fable", which was originally published in April and now features a new edit by Natalia Emmons and fresh artwork by the author. Set in the fictional Caribbean coastal town of Bahía Roja, this story follows Juan Albizú, a meticulous butcher whose pristine shop becomes the center of dark secrets when his meat begins to whisper truths the community refuses to acknowledge. Blending Caribbean cultural traditions with Southern Gothic atmosphere and psychological horror, the story explores communal silence, moral complicity, and what happens when guilt finds its voice in the most unexpected places. You can find the written version of "A Butcher's Fable" 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 "A Butcher's Fable" 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: "Magic Escape Room" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://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!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.