COMMUNITY News:

A new book invites readers inside the unofficial history of one of America’s most secretive towns. Urban Myths of Los Alamos, by Mark David Albertson with illustrations and contributions by Petr Jandacek, collects the strange, humorous, and unsettling stories that have circulated for decades in the Atomic City.

Los Alamos is best known as the birthplace of the atomic bomb, but life inside a town built on secrecy produced something else as well: folklore. Ghosts in tunnels, monsters at cemeteries, vanished ducks, flying propane tanks, mysterious sirens, and even rumors of Martians helping with the Manhattan Project are among the stories explored in the book.

Rather than attempting to prove or debunk these tales, Urban Myths of Los Alamos examines why they existed at all. The book reveals how humor, exaggeration, and imagination helped residents cope with secrecy, pressure, and the weight of world-altering work.

Author Mark David Albertson grew up in Los Alamos hearing many of these stories firsthand. His co-author, Petr Jandacek—longtime Los Alamos High School teacher, artist, and beloved mentor—brings decades of lived experience and whimsical illustrations that give the book its distinctive voice.

Blending folklore, history, and reflection, Urban Myths of Los Alamos offers readers a deeply human portrait of a town where official answers were often unavailable, and stories filled the gap.

Urban Myths of Los Alamos is now available in print and online.