the words and worlds of John Robinson
Gene watched the tattoo artist, one Sid Sinowski of No Mercy Tattoos & Body Piercings, mix Luanne’s ashes into the ink. The tattooist grunted from time to time as he worked, scratched at his thick neck which was covered in art like the rest of his exposed skin (save for his scruffy face). Even the …
So there I was relaxing in the recliner after a long day at work. I had my earbuds in watching Z on my tablet. My son was playing with his toys and watching a sitcom on Disney+. He was doing those things until he decided he needed to ask me a question. He tapped me on the …
Jordan Hinshaw was three years old when his dad abandoned him and his mom, Gail. By age ten, he had no living grandparents. His mother had two sisters with whom she was not on speaking terms. She didn’t even know where they lived, or if they were dead or alive. His mom had mentioned great …
Do any children still play cowboys and Indians? My child does not (or hasn't in many moons), but I sure did when I was in short pants. I was either the Lone Ranger or James West. Upon learning that my maternal great-great-grandmother had been full-blooded Cherokee, I switched sides and did my best to negotiate …
I love a good short story, as evidenced by the Stories section of this little corner of the world wide web. Hopefully, if no one judges too harshly, I've written some good ones (or acceptable ones). They aren't all winners, but one does strive for the occasional homer. I'm no great wordsmith and only time …
In my little lab space at work there is a wildlife calendar hanging on the wall. So far this year I have seen an owl, a beaver, a moose, and a group of otters. For the month of May, the wildlife picture is an octopus. It took me by surprise. There’s nothing really wrong with …
I have a soft spot for horror movies (and literature and video games) set during World War II. Maybe the allure is the Nazis, the very epitome of evil, tinkering with forces best left alone and then receiving their grisly comeuppance. It's too good to miss. I'm quite certain it originated with Raiders of the …
"It is what it is." Sometimes that is the best description we can give a movie, a book, or even an album or a song. It is neither more nor less than what is presented for our entertainment. Is it good? Yeah, to a degree. Is it bad? Probably more so than it is good. …
The first literature I read seriously, and voluminously (aside from Little Golden Books), were comic books (nothing against the Poky Little Puppy or Scuffy the Tugboat). While my mother was busy with her stories (Dynasty, Falcon Crest, Knot's Landing), I had mine (Thor, Hawkman, Captain America). While it can be argued that comics are soap …
Film is a universal language. Some of my favorite movies are foreign language films. International horror is a delight. Yet, when I think of great horror films, I don’t instantly think of the former USSR. I’ve not seen a lot of Soviet-era movies (horror or not), a couple of Tarkovsky films have been pretty much …
Curio Macabre 