In this darkly comedic episode of Speculative Fiction Tales, Jon Cronshaw delivers a biting satire of influencer culture and the often stark contrast between online personas and private realities.

"The Mediocre Maverick" follows Millie, a social media personality who has built her brand and fortune on promoting the joys of mediocrity and unremarkable living. Her "Mediocrity Maverick" persona preaches the gospel of beige walls, predictable routines, and embracing life's most mundane moments.

But behind the carefully curated facade of ordinariness lurks a woman who secretly craves the extraordinary. When her thrilling skydiving hobby is accidentally exposed during a livestream, we witness the desperate lengths she'll go to protect her empire of averageness—and the shocking turn events take when her carefully constructed world begins to unravel.

Themes & Topics

• The performance of authenticity in social media

• The commodification of lifestyle philosophies

• The disconnect between public personas and private lives

• The extreme pressure of maintaining a personal brand

• How quickly violence can erupt when livelihoods are threatened

• The dark humor in turning even tragedy into content

Listener Discretion

This episode contains sudden violence and a death that some listeners may find disturbing.

About the Author

Jon Cronshaw crafts speculative fiction that examines our relationship with technology and social media. His stories often feature characters caught between their authentic selves and the versions they present to the world, revealing the psychological toll of living a double life in the digital age.

Support the Show

If you enjoyed this story, please consider supporting Jon Cronshaw by becoming a patron. Your support helps bring these stories to life and gives you early access to audio stories plus exclusive text versions of every episode. Visit patreon.com/joncronshawauthor to learn more.

Free Story Collection

Download Jon's free short story collection "Optimised" featuring ten thought-provoking tales exploring technology, society, and human nature. Visit joncronshaw.com/optimised to sign up for his newsletter and download your copy today.

Keywords

Influencer culture, social media personas, personal branding, authenticity, double lives, dark comedy, flash fiction, Jon Cronshaw, content creation, digital identity, livestreaming consequences