Do you like sci-fi or sorcery? Ever read a Lovecraft story and liked it? Do you find yourself gravitating toward the whacky-reading section at your local bookstore? Do you have a penchant for the zany, the rare, the unusual? If so, A. Lee Martinez is for you. And if you don't, you might still give him a try.
Martinez, a novelist from El Paso, Texas, born on January 12, 1973, began writing just shy of turning 18. Upon graduating from Gadsden High School in Anthony, New Mexico, he wrote novels for no apparent reason. Thirteen years later and over a dozen manuscripts, his book Gil's All Fright Diner finally got published. Altogether he has published 15 fantasy novels, a rather unusual genre, one might think, for the New Mexico/El Paso region. Or maybe not. Martinez possesses a creative writing style that is out of the box, if you will pardon the cliché. Yes, yes, writing must be creative, but his style is on the rare and unusual side, able to change how his audience perceives things. Martinez is not your typical writer with the usual plots, his books having been translated into five different languages.
Gil's All Fright Diner, where zombie attacks are common, released in June 2006, won the Alex Award later that year for appealing to an audience of young adults and youth ages 12 to 18. An Amazon patron who purchased Gil's All Fright Diner took the time to write a review. We all know that we write reviews on a purchase only when we are disgruntled or dissatisfied with the product. In this case, the reviewer going by the name of the Irregular Reader begins by saying Martinez employs a style of writing that is "zingy and humorous and sarcastic and witty." Martinez likes to write novels that are a little out there, anything sci-fi, sorcery, or "Lovecraftian,"as the Irregular Reader puts it. The reviewer ends saying, "If you enjoy science fiction, fantasy, or monsters, but would like a light-hearted read rather than something overly serious, Martinez's books are a good bet."
Image caption: A. Lee Martinez at the 2014 SoonerConn courtesy of Amazon.com
Kyle from WeReadBooks posted a review on Monster, another of Martinez's sci-fi books. Kyle had no idea who Martinez was when they checked out the book. They were not sure if they would like the novel. You have to simply dive in and read it. Martinez found a way for his creatures to be in the modem-day world where the brains of regular humans are wired not to comprehend the existence of mystical creatures, a sci-fi fantasy with some humor in it as well. Kyle loved the novel’s concept, calling it a great stand-alone book. The novel engages the audience into wanting more; some describe it as a big Scooby-Doo story mashed into sequence.
Goodreads says A Nameless Witch, a tale of vengeance, true love, and cannibalism, "is yet another of Martinez's novels awash in the supernatural." Martinez, known for his dark humor, did not add much to this novel, but he did add a few philosophical musings making for a more thoughtful book than the rest. Enjoy this sampling:
"Your conscience is your misery."
"My conscience is my burden, but all worthwhile gifts have their price."
"But it could be so simple," the ghoul hissed. "Why hold on to that which only makes your life difficult?"
"Because life is complicated and difficult. Anyone who says otherwise hasn't truly lived."
It certainly makes you think of your conscience. We can relate this to our daily lives, often being so in over our heads. If we think negatively, that is what we become, and what is the price we must pay? Goodreads says this novel remains an overall dark comedy, rating it a four out of five stars.
During an interview with Martinez, Nicole Hill from B&N Reads explores the depths and humor in Martinez's The Last Adventure of Constance Verily. Early in the discussion, Hill states that Martinez has made a name for himself with his "outlandish stories packed with rollicking fantasy concepts. She reflects on how Martinez is a mastermind of the multi-leveled fantasy caper with his writing style, describing novels as "otherworldly horrors and responsibilities suddenly dropped on otherwise normal humans." It is safe to say Martinez likes to challenge himself and his characters and redefines "normal" in today's world.
Kyle White from the Bewildering Stories website says he believes Martinez "shrouds himself in mystery." White says of Martinez, "With the stealth of a super ninja, he swoops in, publishes his books, and disappears as fans devour his highly unusual tales." Martinez does not like to include a signature or a photograph of himself in his books. Despite his popularity from his novels, he prefers to offer a cartoon he drew of himself. Maybe Martinez wants audiences to focus more on his words than how he looks, or since he is into fantasy, perhaps he wants the cartoon to match his writing style.
The online book reviewer MuggleNet reviewed Martinez's The Automatic Detective in 2013. MuggleNet has covered several of Martinez's novels and understands why they are always recommended and why they come up in conversations. The story, a mashup of a sci-fi and fantasy model, MuggleNet says The Automatic Detective is one of those novels that is "an outrageous spoof of the era of pulp-fiction that scatters its in-jokes, machine-gun style, across both genres indiscriminately." The reviewer then writes that while reading the book, his mind's ears began narrating with a voice much like that of Humphrey Bogart or Rod Serling, very crisp and flat. At last, MuggleNet's final words on Martinez's novel: "Whether you read it for the aliens, robots, talking gorillas, and colossal explosions, or for the gritty mystery and suspense, the constant thread of wise-cracking humor is a delightful bonus."
One Martinez novel is about robots, and like any other reader, when you think about robots, you think about them being the bad guy, taking over the world. Martinez uses this to prove that you can write whatever you want and make a character however you want. Instead of the typical robot, Martinez came up with the brilliant idea of making robots have emotions and minds of their own, much like the Robot Model B-9 from Lost in Space. What if the robots often thought about becoming humans and always wondered why they were robots or how their lives might differ if they were humans? We see this in Arnold Schwarzenegger 's The Terminator. Martinez uses a variety of ways to change characters into something other than what the typical viewer or reader expects. He brings much more to the table, sci-fi or fantasy, take your pick, bringing reallife issues and consequences to light. You are not only entertained, but you begin to ponder, something our political leaders don't do too often.
We have seen that many viewers and readers see Martinez as a very rare but talented writer. If you want something different, out of ordinary, pick up an A. Lee Martinez novel. He demonstrates that his sci-fi and fantasy writing is not the everyday routine with overly done storylines and plots. He uses aliens, robots, and monsters, but each character he creates incorporates into the daily, ordinary life we live. These days we see more and more fantasy and whacked-out stories like Martinez's. New generations will find his books and be amazed by them. Who knows, maybe they'll make one of them into a movie. If so, get in line early to buy your movie ticket. The film is sure to sell out.
