Carl Robinette explores alienation in his latest flash fiction story, “The Night Crew,” which was recently published by Every Day Fiction. In this story the protagonist is attempting to rise out of his own deepening alienation from the world.
A Reading of “Bystander Boondoggle” Excerpt
Watch Carl Robinette read his short story "Bystander Boondoggle" which was recently published in Mystery Weekly Magazine's November 2020 issue. This story has all the classic suspense tropes, except the protagonist has no interest in solving anything. He's just a bystander waiting for things to get better.
Paranoia, Conspiracy, Thanksgiving – New Fiction in Mystery Weekly Magazine
The bystander is an often overlooked archetype in crime fiction. The exact opposite is true in Carl Robinette’s short story, “Bystander Boondoggle,” which was recently published in Mystery Weekly Magazine. Read and Excerpt from “Bystander Boondoggle”
Brass Knuckle Fiction in Mystery Weekly Magazine – “Nothing Doing”
Daisy Belle is armed with nothing but brass knuckles and a misled sense of justice as she gets to the bottom of nothing. Hold on to your drink and watch Daisy bust open the criminal underbelly of her Southern California beach town as she leaves a trail of empty bottles in her wake.
Revenge & Literature – New Flash Fiction in Mystery Tribune
Carl Robinette explores revenge as a literary concept in his latest work of flash fiction, “Luck & Retribution,” a story published by Mystery Tribune about a hit man who finds the man he’s been hired to kill already circling the drain. It seems Mother Nature has first dibs on revenge in this story.
A Soldier’s Return – “The Hard Rise” in EQMM
In “The Hard Rise,” by Carl Robinette, originally published in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Hank Garnier is already a small-town hero and the rural press in Los Pinos County is not ready to let go of the past. But when so many of his fellow soldiers were cast out as “baby killers” the last thing Hank Garnier wants is to be called is “war hero.”
Western Genre set in the 1960s – “The Hard Type” in EQMM
In Carl Robinette's debut short story “The Hard Type,” originally published by Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, we meet Hank Garnier. A 14-year old boy in the badlands of rural California during the wild 1960s. Will Hank show us the path of righteousness when his manhood is tested violently, or will he succumb to his own viciousness?
8 Big Time Bummers – Baby Idiots Fourth Story
Technology is changing at breakneck speed and it's changing the world around us, or at least it is for some people. For the nameless narrator of this flash fiction story, “8 Big Time Bummers About Buying A New Phone,” mobile technology is for suckers and smartphones are dumb anyway. See what happens when he hits a few speed bumps at his local phone store. In this fourth installment of the Baby Idiots series, our hero will defend the honor of a damsel in destress, even if she’s not a damsel or in distress.
The Spot – Baby Idiots Third Story
Accidents happen. So do intentions. Sometimes the two get mixed up together and somebody’s head happens to smash into a brick wall. In a city where there are more cars than parking spaces, you can’t be too careful about where you leave your vehicle. See what happens when the narrator of “The Spot” defends his own treasured vehicular real estate. Baby Idiots #3
Enjoi – Baby Idiots Second Story
Even in the best-case scenario, every love-based relationship ends with heartbreak. “Happily ever after” never meant anything except one living to see the other die. In this second installment of the Baby Idiots series, we find our nameless narrator love sick and down on his luck, until she comes into his life. But love is fleeting, especially for the narrator of “Enjoi.”
