In The Mutual UFO Network, Pulitzer Prize finalist and master of the craft Lee Martin presents his first short story collection since his acclaimed debut The Least You Need to Know. With Martin's signature insight, each story peers into the nooks and crannies of seemingly normal homes, communities, and families. The footprints of a midnight prowler peel back the veneer of a marriage soured by a long-ago affair. A con man selling faked UFO footage loses his wife to the promise of life outside the ordinary. And a troubled man tormented by his own mind, lies in the street to look at the stars, and in doing so unravels the carefully constructed boundaries between his quiet neighbors. From friendship and family to all forms of love, The Mutual UFO Network explores the intricacies of relationships and the possibility for redemption in even the most complex misfits and loners.
"In Late One Night, Lee Martin crafts a graceful and nuanced story of heartbreak, guilt, and reckoning driven by a small town's quest for justice after an arson fire claims a man's estranged wife and three children. Martin's brilliant characterization and command of language captivate the reader as the story unfolds, revealing lives worn thin by imperfect, desperate acts of love and survival."
The Kenyon Review
"Riveting…a must read."
Christopher Purdy, WOSU All Sides Weekend Books
"In his latest novel, Late One Night, Lee Martin explores how a town unravels into gossip and accusations after a man's wife and three of his seven children die in a fire that destroys their mobile home. . . .if you're looking for a Father's Day gift for someone who loves to read, whether a loving father or a friend who always wishes they had a good one, Martin's work offers something special."
