UFOs and God is not single-themed but a medley of characters kayaking their way through the erratic channels of life. Some of these stories are sharp-edged and made to cut you emotionally to the quick. Others are inviting, like a warm cozy room on a bitterly cold day. A couple-it is hoped-will make you laugh.
In "Wake Up," a man decides each morning whether he is to live or die, while "The Virgin Bank Robber" is an unorthodox love story about a modern Robin Hood couple who are captured by the law. "UFOs and God" is the story of a beloved believer in UFOs and aliens who maintains her beliefs right up until the end, while "War," tells the story of two brave soldiers, one black and one white, who find themselves trapped in the same foxhole during World War II. "Job Search" explores a young person's search for more than a job but a meaningful career. "The Zany World of Al, Nitro, Dynamite & Their Dog Blaze" is a twisted parody of our obsession with violence and destruction as forms of entertainment. After being financially devastated by the 2008 economic crash, Mason Hammer makes a bold decision to live out a long-held dream in "Echoes."
From farm to urban, from World War II to the Digital Age, the places and times, people and events in UFOs and God spotlight the tender underbelly of the human condition in all its glory and despair on these varying stages of fiction.
“Short story readers who relish philosophical and psychological introspection in a diverse array of characters and life-changing yet small events will find this collection thought-provoking in nature and satisfyingly diverse in scope.”
"The stories range from a couple of pages to over thirty. They begin with two boys tossing pebbles and making wishes into a well, and they end with a writer awaiting the return of his wife while he contemplates the lives and scenery surrounding him. While varied and unique from one another, they are united by the frailty yet strength of their humanity. Lane is a seasoned writer, and his skills are on display in UFOs and God."
"UFOs and God opens a window into the human spirit: a masterfully woven tapestry of love, loss, forgiveness, and laughter"
'“UFOs and God by Michael R. Lane is a thought-provoking and meaningful compilation of short stories. These short fictional works each have their own unique qualities, but they all contain a deep and thought-provoking contemplation on emotions and interpersonal relationships. All in all, Lane has compiled an assortment of unique stories that are as entertaining as they are touching, and any reader will feel as if their time reading was well spent."
