On Flying Objects

A prostitute wakes up one morning to discover that her boyfriend has tattooed obscene messages all over her body; a woman hesitantly goes back to her new boyfriend’s flat, only to find it packed with toy soldiers and intricately reconstructed war scenes; a retired pilot flaunts his wealth by keeping pets in the lap of luxury. Whether evading the expectations of adult life or finding themselves drawn to people by whom they’re simultaneously repulsed, the characters in this compilation hold a mirror up to the peculiar failings of masculinity. But as they carouse, argue, philosophize, and binge their way through the streets of Prague, they also offer the reader stark moments of insight and pathos.

Emil Hakl is the author of several books in his native Czech, including collections of poetry and short stories as well as a novel and a novella. He is a former copywriter and editor for the literary magazine Tvar and the recipient of the Magnesia Litera Prize and the Josef Skvorecky Award. Petr Kopet is a translator. Karen Reppin is a translator whose works include English translations of Franz Kafka's Letter to Father and The Metamorphosis.