Paper Dreams

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 EpisodeIf "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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.