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Faster Than the Speed of Light
Frank Mackenzie didn't foresee meeting his young prodigy of a professor during a police raid on a seedy bar. Doctor Col Courtland didn't expect his brightest new graduate student to be a blue-collar widower scarred by the Battle of the Bulge. Neither of them anticipated the complications of academic careers conducted beneath the unsympathetic gaze of the F.B.I.
Life in experimental physics may have grown much more exciting for everyone at Clarence Tenn Polytechnic since the Manhattan Project, but Frank and Courtland share illegal desires that make exciting lives dangerous. As the race for the H-Bomb begins and the Red Scare looms, the pair's intellectual triumphs and strengthening friendship are both threatened by the attraction growing between them. They will need to be brilliant in new ways if they expect to overcome the one threat that moves faster than the speed of light.
Life in experimental physics may have grown much more exciting for everyone at Clarence Tenn Polytechnic since the Manhattan Project, but Frank and Courtland share illegal desires that make exciting lives dangerous. As the race for the H-Bomb begins and the Red Scare looms, the pair's intellectual triumphs and strengthening friendship are both threatened by the attraction growing between them. They will need to be brilliant in new ways if they expect to overcome the one threat that moves faster than the speed of light.
270 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2010
1 person is currently reading
327 people want to read
About the author
Lucius Parhelion
32 books22 followersLucius Parhelion writes both free and published works. His free original work is found here:
http://www.e-fic.com/sundog/original....
and his fan fiction is on Archive of Our Own here:
http://archiveofourown.org/users/Parh...
He is also listed on Goodreads as Parhelion:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
This author is very private - he does not use social media or include an "about the author" blurb on his books.
http://www.e-fic.com/sundog/original....
and his fan fiction is on Archive of Our Own here:
http://archiveofourown.org/users/Parh...
He is also listed on Goodreads as Parhelion:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
This author is very private - he does not use social media or include an "about the author" blurb on his books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
April 1, 2014
This is a lovely, slow-burn, historical romance. The story plays out within a university physics department, in the early years after WWII. It has a very realistic feel, from the setting to the political pressures of the time, to the slang and general language. I've been a graduate student, and have relatives who include a physicist and a mathematician, and the atmosphere of the university, with its interactions and conversations, is well done. These theoretical scientists in their labs and classrooms, and pubs and living-rooms, discussing their fascination with the world, and gossiping about department politics, felt spot on.
This story is told from the POV of Frank, a veteran of combat who has returned to school on the GI bill to pursue pure learning, instead of death and destruction. Doctor Col Courtland comes to his attention as more than just a brilliant professor and physics prodigy when they are both caught up in a bust of a gay bar. Courtland's position as a member of a prominent family allows them to bluff their way out of the arrest, and their relationship develops under the constraints of faculty-student ethics, and of an increasingly paranoid political climate.
Courtland has caught the attention of the FBI due to his theoretical work with the Manhattan Project followed by a mildly pacifist statement, and the gay bar incident. With his every move being potentially monitored, having anything more than a tepid friendship with Frank is difficult. The "red scare" and the witch-hunt against gays in public life feel timelessly apt, in these days of the Patriot act and the technological spying of the government on ordinary citizens en mass. At the same time, they are an authentic historical backdrop, and there is no easy fix or convenient collegiate acceptance to be had here.
The writing was smooth, the relationship tension was great, and the secondary characters were fun. The sex was mostly off-page, but the heat between the characters was palpable. I recommend this book highly, especially to fans of Tamara Allen's historical romances. And I intend to track down the rest of the author's (unfortunately short) backlist.
ETA: I loved it just as much on a reread. This story balances intelligence and heart, humor and tension, love and fear, in a very effective mix. A favorite, and one that will stand up to more rereads in the years to come.
This story is told from the POV of Frank, a veteran of combat who has returned to school on the GI bill to pursue pure learning, instead of death and destruction. Doctor Col Courtland comes to his attention as more than just a brilliant professor and physics prodigy when they are both caught up in a bust of a gay bar. Courtland's position as a member of a prominent family allows them to bluff their way out of the arrest, and their relationship develops under the constraints of faculty-student ethics, and of an increasingly paranoid political climate.
Courtland has caught the attention of the FBI due to his theoretical work with the Manhattan Project followed by a mildly pacifist statement, and the gay bar incident. With his every move being potentially monitored, having anything more than a tepid friendship with Frank is difficult. The "red scare" and the witch-hunt against gays in public life feel timelessly apt, in these days of the Patriot act and the technological spying of the government on ordinary citizens en mass. At the same time, they are an authentic historical backdrop, and there is no easy fix or convenient collegiate acceptance to be had here.
The writing was smooth, the relationship tension was great, and the secondary characters were fun. The sex was mostly off-page, but the heat between the characters was palpable. I recommend this book highly, especially to fans of Tamara Allen's historical romances. And I intend to track down the rest of the author's (unfortunately short) backlist.
ETA: I loved it just as much on a reread. This story balances intelligence and heart, humor and tension, love and fear, in a very effective mix. A favorite, and one that will stand up to more rereads in the years to come.
September 13, 2024
3.5 stars
This ended up being a bit of a mixed bag for me. Since I listened to The Lavender Scare: The Cold War Persecution of Gays and Lesbians in the Federal Government earlier this year and American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer last year, I was very interested to see what this book would do with this era of American history. The Cold War/Red Scare paranoia was rife during this time period, and McCarthy added paranoia of LGBT peoples on top of that, so there was a lot to use there for the plot. I did end up liking that part the most, and I appreciated the research and attention to detail that went into it.
I'm torn on the romance though. It was a bit too understated for me. On the one hand, I appreciated that for once, the MCs were able to , and that their relationship was allowed time to grow naturally. On the other hand, I felt like Frank had more meaningful on-page interactions with his undergrad students than he did with Courtland. Maybe that's because a lot of their interactions were summarized. The author didn't really go into any significant details on their physics work or theories, so there was no way to really see how they got along on that front, which is probably a big reason why I didn't really feel UST between them.
This ended up being a bit of a mixed bag for me. Since I listened to The Lavender Scare: The Cold War Persecution of Gays and Lesbians in the Federal Government earlier this year and American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer last year, I was very interested to see what this book would do with this era of American history. The Cold War/Red Scare paranoia was rife during this time period, and McCarthy added paranoia of LGBT peoples on top of that, so there was a lot to use there for the plot. I did end up liking that part the most, and I appreciated the research and attention to detail that went into it.
I'm torn on the romance though. It was a bit too understated for me. On the one hand, I appreciated that for once, the MCs were able to , and that their relationship was allowed time to grow naturally. On the other hand, I felt like Frank had more meaningful on-page interactions with his undergrad students than he did with Courtland. Maybe that's because a lot of their interactions were summarized. The author didn't really go into any significant details on their physics work or theories, so there was no way to really see how they got along on that front, which is probably a big reason why I didn't really feel UST between them.
September 21, 2013
Lucius Parhelion is the kind of pseudonym a gay author would have used in 1948, the year in which "Faster than the Speed of Light" begins. I think it roughly translates into "the light of the sun," and I can't help but think the author is purposely hiding in a way that reflects the world of his characters, Frank and Collis.
Frank Mackenzie is a veteran, having survived World War II with some bad scars and a battered soul. Collis Courtland is a prodigy, guilty over his involvement with the creation of the atomic bomb, and at 23 finds himself newly hired as a professor of physics at the same small California college where Frank is a 32-year-old senior under the GI bill.
Both men love numbers and the cerebral world of physics; and both of them struggle to hide their homosexuality to protect their burgeoning careers in a post-war world increasingly paranoid about communism and national security. Frank can use his late wife as camouflage, while Collis has his rich family's Pasadena money and reputation to protect him. Then they meet, quite by accident, during a police raid at a fairy bar they both thought was safe.
The world of gay men before Stonewall is a topic not familiar in contemporary gay lit, and Parhelion's novel is a surprisingly deep exploration of that world through two fascinating, smart men and a cast of secondary characters who are as real as figures in a 1940s movie. Parhelion portrays the realities of the closet - which was the only way to survive for these men - with a warmly detached eye; not seeking pity, but demanding compassion for his two heroes, who must make their way in a world that will destroy them if they're found out. It seems like an infertile patch in which to plant a love story, and yet Parhelion does it with remarkable grace and realism.
Parhelion works very hard to create an authentic world of the late 1940s, mining history for pop-culture details, as well as its language and mannerisms. He mostly succeeds, but a few awkward bits of language and an overall slight feeling of "look how much I know about this period" kept this, for me, from being five stars.
But that is a fairly small quibble. I was very moved by the story of these two men, anxious for them to find some happiness. But one of the chief feelings I had when I read the last line, full of Collis Courtland's wry humor, was one of tremendous relief that, because of men like this, I didn't have to live the life they did.
Frank Mackenzie is a veteran, having survived World War II with some bad scars and a battered soul. Collis Courtland is a prodigy, guilty over his involvement with the creation of the atomic bomb, and at 23 finds himself newly hired as a professor of physics at the same small California college where Frank is a 32-year-old senior under the GI bill.
Both men love numbers and the cerebral world of physics; and both of them struggle to hide their homosexuality to protect their burgeoning careers in a post-war world increasingly paranoid about communism and national security. Frank can use his late wife as camouflage, while Collis has his rich family's Pasadena money and reputation to protect him. Then they meet, quite by accident, during a police raid at a fairy bar they both thought was safe.
The world of gay men before Stonewall is a topic not familiar in contemporary gay lit, and Parhelion's novel is a surprisingly deep exploration of that world through two fascinating, smart men and a cast of secondary characters who are as real as figures in a 1940s movie. Parhelion portrays the realities of the closet - which was the only way to survive for these men - with a warmly detached eye; not seeking pity, but demanding compassion for his two heroes, who must make their way in a world that will destroy them if they're found out. It seems like an infertile patch in which to plant a love story, and yet Parhelion does it with remarkable grace and realism.
Parhelion works very hard to create an authentic world of the late 1940s, mining history for pop-culture details, as well as its language and mannerisms. He mostly succeeds, but a few awkward bits of language and an overall slight feeling of "look how much I know about this period" kept this, for me, from being five stars.
But that is a fairly small quibble. I was very moved by the story of these two men, anxious for them to find some happiness. But one of the chief feelings I had when I read the last line, full of Collis Courtland's wry humor, was one of tremendous relief that, because of men like this, I didn't have to live the life they did.
July 14, 2011
Not your usual m/m fare, especially not the usual historical. Really, really good. It was more a 4.5 than a 4 stars.
The great:
The dialogue was great: snappy, snarky, and full of good chemistry between Frank and Courtland.I really liked the playful nature of their conversations with each other. Lots and lots of UST, perhaps a bit too much for me. I wanted them to stop being restrained for so long and get together sooner.
The good:
Compared to almost any other m/m historical this felt real. The concern about others finding out, a sense of the dangerous (in a real, felt way not just a told way) nature of a homosexual liaison being discovered by the outside world, and of the constraints on their behavior in a variety of settings in order to keep their relationship private.
I really liked the setting. Post-WWII, physics and the "bomb," McCarthyism and HUAC. Cool and different.
The not as good:
The pacing slowed down in the second half, so the story dragged a bit. Not enough to turn me off but enough to prevent me from giving in 5 stars. For five stars I want to be sucked in and feel giddy at the end of the read. I was able to maintain a bit of distance so 4.5 it was.
Aftertaste: Very satisfied.
I think I need to go out and get me some more Parhelion.
The great:
The dialogue was great: snappy, snarky, and full of good chemistry between Frank and Courtland.I really liked the playful nature of their conversations with each other. Lots and lots of UST, perhaps a bit too much for me. I wanted them to stop being restrained for so long and get together sooner.
The good:
Compared to almost any other m/m historical this felt real. The concern about others finding out, a sense of the dangerous (in a real, felt way not just a told way) nature of a homosexual liaison being discovered by the outside world, and of the constraints on their behavior in a variety of settings in order to keep their relationship private.
I really liked the setting. Post-WWII, physics and the "bomb," McCarthyism and HUAC. Cool and different.
The not as good:
The pacing slowed down in the second half, so the story dragged a bit. Not enough to turn me off but enough to prevent me from giving in 5 stars. For five stars I want to be sucked in and feel giddy at the end of the read. I was able to maintain a bit of distance so 4.5 it was.
Aftertaste: Very satisfied.
I think I need to go out and get me some more Parhelion.
June 29, 2012
4.5 stars.
This was a very good and surprising read and my first from this author.
We are in 1948. Frank is a war veteran and he's attending Clarence Tenn Polytechnic to get his physics degree. Before the war he learned physics by himself and even if he's not a genius, he's very bright and talented. The scar left on his face by a grenade gives him some insecurity, but also a rough look that complements his very relaxed attitude.
One night he is arrested in a gay bar and he ends up sharing the cell and fighting side by side with his professor, the younger genius Doctor Col Courtland. Doctor Courtland is under surveillance by the FBI since he participated in the Manhattan Project. His being allegedly homosexual could be a security risk in a time where the American government is beginning to get obsessed with Communists. Frank and Col gets closer because of their sexual preferences, but also because physics and the theories they try to prove have them spend a lot of time together.
The historical period is well portrayed. Even if Frank and Col are not really shying away from their attraction, they don't act on it because of the danger and because they don't want to compromise their student/professor relationship. Very honorable! Frank is older, but he's the student, and he is more experienced of the world. While Col was locked in the Manhattan Project and spending his youth on books and experiments, Frank was fighting all over Europe. Col comes from a family with money, Frank has humbler origins. Frank was married and he's now a widower and also a ladies' man, but his act is necessary to divert the attention from his trysts with men. Col has fiancée, but they cover for each other, since she's more interested in her female friends.
The whole story seems to have a shine of polite deception that is written with a touch of humor and a bit of sarcasm. Everybody goes to great lengths to keep up appearances, but the struggles of the protagonists are not told with angst. They become like a suit they have to wear to blend in. The everyday's disappointments are kept in the background, but they're there, surrounding everything with melancholy. I think this bittersweet feeling was the best feature of the book.
If you want a steamy read, this is not the book for you. There's a constant sexual tension, but it's toned down with a lot of irony. The only sex scene is written in a sort of playful purple prose and is absolutely not explicit.
I was a bit deceived because I was expecting a sort of espionage story, given the period chosen for it, but it really only served as a background to tell the story of two men who really seem to belong to a distant time. I don't think the author was trying to depict an idealistic time where the deception masked feelings which went maybe deeper, which were maybe more intense because a man had to risk his reputation, his wealth, his everything to love another man. Their love felt so very precious though.
I enjoyed very much the academic setting and I think the author did a great job with all the secondary characters, who were all different and brought something to the story. The writing was fizzling. It read very fast and that's for me a sign that the story, the characters and the writing were gripping. It's not a perfect book, I think some part were a bit longish, but I am very satisfied.
This was a very good and surprising read and my first from this author.
We are in 1948. Frank is a war veteran and he's attending Clarence Tenn Polytechnic to get his physics degree. Before the war he learned physics by himself and even if he's not a genius, he's very bright and talented. The scar left on his face by a grenade gives him some insecurity, but also a rough look that complements his very relaxed attitude.
One night he is arrested in a gay bar and he ends up sharing the cell and fighting side by side with his professor, the younger genius Doctor Col Courtland. Doctor Courtland is under surveillance by the FBI since he participated in the Manhattan Project. His being allegedly homosexual could be a security risk in a time where the American government is beginning to get obsessed with Communists. Frank and Col gets closer because of their sexual preferences, but also because physics and the theories they try to prove have them spend a lot of time together.
The historical period is well portrayed. Even if Frank and Col are not really shying away from their attraction, they don't act on it because of the danger and because they don't want to compromise their student/professor relationship. Very honorable! Frank is older, but he's the student, and he is more experienced of the world. While Col was locked in the Manhattan Project and spending his youth on books and experiments, Frank was fighting all over Europe. Col comes from a family with money, Frank has humbler origins. Frank was married and he's now a widower and also a ladies' man, but his act is necessary to divert the attention from his trysts with men. Col has fiancée, but they cover for each other, since she's more interested in her female friends.
The whole story seems to have a shine of polite deception that is written with a touch of humor and a bit of sarcasm. Everybody goes to great lengths to keep up appearances, but the struggles of the protagonists are not told with angst. They become like a suit they have to wear to blend in. The everyday's disappointments are kept in the background, but they're there, surrounding everything with melancholy. I think this bittersweet feeling was the best feature of the book.
If you want a steamy read, this is not the book for you. There's a constant sexual tension, but it's toned down with a lot of irony. The only sex scene is written in a sort of playful purple prose and is absolutely not explicit.
I was a bit deceived because I was expecting a sort of espionage story, given the period chosen for it, but it really only served as a background to tell the story of two men who really seem to belong to a distant time. I don't think the author was trying to depict an idealistic time where the deception masked feelings which went maybe deeper, which were maybe more intense because a man had to risk his reputation, his wealth, his everything to love another man. Their love felt so very precious though.
I enjoyed very much the academic setting and I think the author did a great job with all the secondary characters, who were all different and brought something to the story. The writing was fizzling. It read very fast and that's for me a sign that the story, the characters and the writing were gripping. It's not a perfect book, I think some part were a bit longish, but I am very satisfied.
July 3, 2022
(Attempted to read May 2016)
A few things from Frank's life in 1947:
He decides to pursue a PhD in Physics.
He gets arrested alongside a senior member of an university's physics department during a police raid of a gay bar.
He finds out that said senior member will be his professor/advisor while working on the PhD.
The FBI ends up investigating him.
DNF at 13%
Let me state for the record that this is a good book. I don't intend to dissuade anyone from giving it a chance. My giving up on it simply means that it wasn't the book for me.
Just from the little I read, I could tell that this was a well-researched book. Parhelion gets a lot of the late 40s vibe really right: the slang, the day-to-day life, the post-WW II paranoia that permeated a lot of things. Frank is a likable character: a man in his early 30s who's a veteran with rough looks but a brilliant mind.
Since being gay was a dangerous thing (even being perceived as one was a huge risk to anyone) , Frank and Col (the professor he gets arrested with) have to obfuscate a lot of what they mean. This dampened a lot of the connection I'd have felt for them as an eventual couple (I did take a peek at the ending just to see if it'd rile up some enthusiasm to keep reading this book and can say that there's an HEA).
The other thing was the amount of talk about physics. Lots and lots of jargon and discussions about observations and theories that went way over my head. This lead to a strong sense of detachment from what I felt was an important part of the story.
So, I began the book feeling a tad confused and, once I realized that I would much rather re-read something else instead of continuing this novel, ended up DNFing it.
Based on other people's reviews (the majority which are overwhelmingly positive), I am definitely in the minority. Again, this is not a bad book. Perhaps it wasn't the right time for me to start reading it (though it's been on my TBR since it was first published).
I hate not finishing books when I know that they're good, but OTOH, I can't rationalize keep pushing myself through a novel that I have zero eagerness to continue. :(
A few things from Frank's life in 1947:
He decides to pursue a PhD in Physics.
He gets arrested alongside a senior member of an university's physics department during a police raid of a gay bar.
He finds out that said senior member will be his professor/advisor while working on the PhD.
The FBI ends up investigating him.
DNF at 13%
Let me state for the record that this is a good book. I don't intend to dissuade anyone from giving it a chance. My giving up on it simply means that it wasn't the book for me.
Just from the little I read, I could tell that this was a well-researched book. Parhelion gets a lot of the late 40s vibe really right: the slang, the day-to-day life, the post-WW II paranoia that permeated a lot of things. Frank is a likable character: a man in his early 30s who's a veteran with rough looks but a brilliant mind.
Since being gay was a dangerous thing (even being perceived as one was a huge risk to anyone) , Frank and Col (the professor he gets arrested with) have to obfuscate a lot of what they mean. This dampened a lot of the connection I'd have felt for them as an eventual couple (I did take a peek at the ending just to see if it'd rile up some enthusiasm to keep reading this book and can say that there's an HEA).
The other thing was the amount of talk about physics. Lots and lots of jargon and discussions about observations and theories that went way over my head. This lead to a strong sense of detachment from what I felt was an important part of the story.
So, I began the book feeling a tad confused and, once I realized that I would much rather re-read something else instead of continuing this novel, ended up DNFing it.
Based on other people's reviews (the majority which are overwhelmingly positive), I am definitely in the minority. Again, this is not a bad book. Perhaps it wasn't the right time for me to start reading it (though it's been on my TBR since it was first published).
I hate not finishing books when I know that they're good, but OTOH, I can't rationalize keep pushing myself through a novel that I have zero eagerness to continue. :(
May 31, 2011
I always love this author's historical stories, where the dramatic tension arises from the main characters' need for complete secrecy in an era that does not accept homosexuality. I get tired of too many contemporary romances where the only drama stems from silly, contrived misunderstandings or abusive ex-boyfriends. In this one, the protags are physicists in post-WWII academia, wrestling with doctoral work, teaching obligations, ethical implications of the work of the Manhattan Project physicists and FBI scrutiny in the McCarthy era vein. These characters are incredibly smart (and I just have a thing for hot geeks!) and very ethical, and their we see a long, slow growth of friendship before the attraction is acted on. Not a lot of explicit man-love, but the consummation is satisfying from an emotional standpoint (if not a prurient one!). I also enjoy characters that do not verbalize ever single little thought in their heads. This author's dialog is wonderful, in my view. Very highly recommended
Want to read
June 17, 2025Somehow Lucius Parhelion's website is still extant, but good luck finding anything by this author that was published by Torquere Press, which went under sometime after the last update to the site. "Faster Than the Speed of Light" is among the missing.
I would be so happy to pay LP some money in exchange for copies of all the work. I once went so far as to send an email (an address is at the bottom of the site's landing page), but that was years ago and crickets.
Thank goodness for the AO3, where at least much of the shorter fiction is archived.
I would be so happy to pay LP some money in exchange for copies of all the work. I once went so far as to send an email (an address is at the bottom of the site's landing page), but that was years ago and crickets.
Thank goodness for the AO3, where at least much of the shorter fiction is archived.
July 22, 2011
I didn't know anything about this book when I picked it up. Some pages in, when I discovered that it was about a brilliant graduate physics student and a young prodigy of a physics professor (swoooon!), included references to real life events in the history of physics and science (oh my god, oh my god), and wasn't scared to talk about *physics* and do all of this in a wry, sophisticated and compellingly stylish way (pass out in excitement), it had a considerable effect on me.
I am now madly, deeply, crazily in love with Lucius Parhelion, whoever he is. An irrational, exuberant infatuation that will, should I read another excellent book from him, lead me to propose like an eight-year old. In fact, let me just take a few moments, if you'll excuse me ... [Dear Mr. Parhelion, if you're reading this, will you please marry me? Sincerely, Your Biggest Fan, NS]....
It's really, really, really rare to see fiction on this kind of subject matter with straight protagonists, never mind gay fiction. It's rare physicists are treated seriously in culture be it books or movies or tv (perhaps outside of science fiction). They're usually a ghastly caricature or unpalatable stereotype (the female scientists on the Big Bang Theory serve as an excellent role model to young girls who might be attracted to science, NOT).
This is a book written by a grown-up for grown-ups; it doesn't condescend to its readers, nor does it treat them like idiots who need to be spared the task of intelligent thought.
Faster than the Speed of Light is set in post-war (1949) America, amidst a climate of McCarthyism (the good Senator was just getting started), the FBI spying on its own, particularly key scientists with "un-American" positions on arms control, and of course, the social intolerance towards homosexuality.
Yes, Edward Teller, the great physicist, really was an unlikeable, paranoid jerk by all accounts, and Robert "Oppie" Oppenheimer did collect a brilliant young cabal of young physicists at Berkeley, and was the poster child of "un-American" and liberal victim of McCarthy-era paranoia. But that's all just tangential colorful background to what is principally a story of the relationship between a physics professor and his student who prove to be remarkable in their abilities and remarkably human in their needs.
I loved the extent to which the author painted the unspoken communication between the two, free expression impossible given the complex constraints on their relationship.
There is a great supporting cast of interesting characters (fellow graduate students, professors) -- well drawn and laugh out loud funny in places.
Is it perfect? No, it's not. Some of the dialogue, turns of phrase sound much too contemporary. The author doesn't quite get the tone of a late forties era scientist convincingly. And yes, the middle might have been a tad slow. But in the grand scheme of things, where the author gets so much right on a cosmic scale, that's Angstrom-sized nitpicking.
I am grateful to the author for choosing to write about all of this. It's hardly a popular choice. Although he's done a fantastic job, I'm unable to tell how much the context and commonality of interests that I had kept me thrilled and emotionally involved, and how inaccessible or boring this might be to a reader without that context or shared interest. I feel it can stand on its own, and will be a great read for most.
At least I hope it does, because I feel violent, violent love for this book and for this author, for choosing to write it.
I am now madly, deeply, crazily in love with Lucius Parhelion, whoever he is. An irrational, exuberant infatuation that will, should I read another excellent book from him, lead me to propose like an eight-year old. In fact, let me just take a few moments, if you'll excuse me ... [Dear Mr. Parhelion, if you're reading this, will you please marry me? Sincerely, Your Biggest Fan, NS]....
It's really, really, really rare to see fiction on this kind of subject matter with straight protagonists, never mind gay fiction. It's rare physicists are treated seriously in culture be it books or movies or tv (perhaps outside of science fiction). They're usually a ghastly caricature or unpalatable stereotype (the female scientists on the Big Bang Theory serve as an excellent role model to young girls who might be attracted to science, NOT).
This is a book written by a grown-up for grown-ups; it doesn't condescend to its readers, nor does it treat them like idiots who need to be spared the task of intelligent thought.
Faster than the Speed of Light is set in post-war (1949) America, amidst a climate of McCarthyism (the good Senator was just getting started), the FBI spying on its own, particularly key scientists with "un-American" positions on arms control, and of course, the social intolerance towards homosexuality.
Yes, Edward Teller, the great physicist, really was an unlikeable, paranoid jerk by all accounts, and Robert "Oppie" Oppenheimer did collect a brilliant young cabal of young physicists at Berkeley, and was the poster child of "un-American" and liberal victim of McCarthy-era paranoia. But that's all just tangential colorful background to what is principally a story of the relationship between a physics professor and his student who prove to be remarkable in their abilities and remarkably human in their needs.
I loved the extent to which the author painted the unspoken communication between the two, free expression impossible given the complex constraints on their relationship.
There is a great supporting cast of interesting characters (fellow graduate students, professors) -- well drawn and laugh out loud funny in places.
Is it perfect? No, it's not. Some of the dialogue, turns of phrase sound much too contemporary. The author doesn't quite get the tone of a late forties era scientist convincingly. And yes, the middle might have been a tad slow. But in the grand scheme of things, where the author gets so much right on a cosmic scale, that's Angstrom-sized nitpicking.
I am grateful to the author for choosing to write about all of this. It's hardly a popular choice. Although he's done a fantastic job, I'm unable to tell how much the context and commonality of interests that I had kept me thrilled and emotionally involved, and how inaccessible or boring this might be to a reader without that context or shared interest. I feel it can stand on its own, and will be a great read for most.
At least I hope it does, because I feel violent, violent love for this book and for this author, for choosing to write it.
February 12, 2011
I reviewed this for Torquere. This wonderful story begins with college graduate Frank and his new boss, young physics genius Doctor Courtland, in jail after a raid on a lavender bar. Set in post-war America, this is the tale of widowed Frank, back from the army and just about to take up a post-graduate position under the watchful of eye of his genius boss and half the F.B.I. The G-men are watching Doctor Courtland, Frank is watching Doctor Courtland and Courtland is most definitely watching Frank.
As he negotiates his way through the minefield of being homosexual in the forties and the politics of working in physics post Hiroshima, Frank finds his life becomes more entwined with Doctor Courtland, from co-authoring articles, to debugging his office and dealing with the other senior staff.
I adored this tale of the complexities of life in post-war America. The scene is skillfully set, so evocative of the era, with the suspicious politics and the need to be discreet about not only being homosexual but also Frank and Courtland's growing attraction to each other.
I was drawn into Frank's world, the people he worked with in the college and the way they all revolved around their young department head, Doctor Courtland. What made this book particularly good for me was the way the two men used language of physics to talk when they weren't sure who was listening.
The sexual tension between the two men is evident from the beginning and I loved the way Frank had to gently and constantly remind Courtland that he really shouldn't be flirting with his junior. Courtland, however, doesn't pay too much attention and he certainly managed to get under Frank's skin.
I found myself cheering on the two men to throw caution to the wind and take that final step. I really wasn't disappointed.
As he negotiates his way through the minefield of being homosexual in the forties and the politics of working in physics post Hiroshima, Frank finds his life becomes more entwined with Doctor Courtland, from co-authoring articles, to debugging his office and dealing with the other senior staff.
I adored this tale of the complexities of life in post-war America. The scene is skillfully set, so evocative of the era, with the suspicious politics and the need to be discreet about not only being homosexual but also Frank and Courtland's growing attraction to each other.
I was drawn into Frank's world, the people he worked with in the college and the way they all revolved around their young department head, Doctor Courtland. What made this book particularly good for me was the way the two men used language of physics to talk when they weren't sure who was listening.
The sexual tension between the two men is evident from the beginning and I loved the way Frank had to gently and constantly remind Courtland that he really shouldn't be flirting with his junior. Courtland, however, doesn't pay too much attention and he certainly managed to get under Frank's skin.
I found myself cheering on the two men to throw caution to the wind and take that final step. I really wasn't disappointed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 9, 2012
This book, which tells the story of two physicists in post-WWII America, was difficult to parse for a number of reasons:
1) A lot of it is about physics and a lot of jargon is employed, since I only tangentially understood most of what was discussed, I felt a bit adrift.
2) It's set in a time-period that I know very little about; the fews years wedged between WWII and the paranoia of the McCarthy era, so again, I barely understood a lot of the vernacular and terminology used.
3) And this reason is related to the era as well, but I felt a lot of the dialogue was wrapped up in innuendo and subtly due the the fact that the main characters couldn't say what they wanted for fear of being spied on.
But I'm giving it 3 stars because I think that it's an interesting book which, although not comfortable for the modern reader, seems very well researched and considered. I also like the characters, by and large. I especially enjoyed Phoebe, a female physicist in the 40s (ooh! alliteration). She was gutsy.
It's not a romance, and perhaps I should've started with that statement. Sure, there are some romantic overtures and the couple you were rooting for does eventually get there, but typical it is not. I think the main things that I took from this novel was about the ridiculous and infective power of paranoia. However, if an object lesson does not interest you, then maybe this book is not what you're looking for.
1) A lot of it is about physics and a lot of jargon is employed, since I only tangentially understood most of what was discussed, I felt a bit adrift.
2) It's set in a time-period that I know very little about; the fews years wedged between WWII and the paranoia of the McCarthy era, so again, I barely understood a lot of the vernacular and terminology used.
3) And this reason is related to the era as well, but I felt a lot of the dialogue was wrapped up in innuendo and subtly due the the fact that the main characters couldn't say what they wanted for fear of being spied on.
But I'm giving it 3 stars because I think that it's an interesting book which, although not comfortable for the modern reader, seems very well researched and considered. I also like the characters, by and large. I especially enjoyed Phoebe, a female physicist in the 40s (ooh! alliteration). She was gutsy.
It's not a romance, and perhaps I should've started with that statement. Sure, there are some romantic overtures and the couple you were rooting for does eventually get there, but typical it is not. I think the main things that I took from this novel was about the ridiculous and infective power of paranoia. However, if an object lesson does not interest you, then maybe this book is not what you're looking for.
February 8, 2013
I *really* liked this book a lot but it definitely will not be everyone's cup of tea.
Set in the immediately after WWII this book explores living as both a gay man and a cutting edge scientist in the era of the Cold War, McCarthyism, the arms race and every moment under the eye of J Edgar Hoover's FBI.
The two main characters are wonderful. I really loved Frank, a scarred WW2 vet who has discovered his true talent - physics.
How can you not love theoretical physics as foreplay.
This book is seriously slow burn - a crockpot of a book that simmers for hours. Don't read this expecting the characters to fall into bed in a few chapters and don't expect graphic sex scenes. Do expect to be imersed into a not so long ago world of fear and paranoia, yet a simpler time for all of that.
Set in the immediately after WWII this book explores living as both a gay man and a cutting edge scientist in the era of the Cold War, McCarthyism, the arms race and every moment under the eye of J Edgar Hoover's FBI.
The two main characters are wonderful. I really loved Frank, a scarred WW2 vet who has discovered his true talent - physics.
How can you not love theoretical physics as foreplay.
This book is seriously slow burn - a crockpot of a book that simmers for hours. Don't read this expecting the characters to fall into bed in a few chapters and don't expect graphic sex scenes. Do expect to be imersed into a not so long ago world of fear and paranoia, yet a simpler time for all of that.
February 14, 2013
This was close to being a really good book. It had a realistic feel to it, it had good historical detail, it had appealing characters, it had intelligent dialog. BUT -- but but -- the plot didn't really go anywhere. Nothing really got resolved, there was no big crisis survived, no big drama to overcome. It was more a slice of life -- yes, folks, this is what gay guys had to live through during that time in our history. The End. I was disappointed by the lack of a real dramatic arc, as you can tell. Otherwise, though, the writing was very good. And did I mention intelligent writing?
“His working hypothesis seems to be that there is no such thing as enough meowing."[....]Courtland scooped up Felix. “Meow meow; meow meow, meow. In conclusion, meow,” he told the cat at close range in his best professorial tones.
In context, I just loved that. ;-)
Oh, and for those who are sensitive about female characters in mm romance -- there's a highly intelligent and sensible female secondary character throughout the book, as well as a beloved but dead wife of one MC. And also a third female character, mother of the other MC, who is sympathetic and intelligent until her son comes out to her. Sigh, you can't have everything.
Because of the lack of plot progression, I'm going to be stingy and give this 3.4 stars -- rounding down to 3. Everything except the lack of development deserves more than 3 stars.
“His working hypothesis seems to be that there is no such thing as enough meowing."[....]Courtland scooped up Felix. “Meow meow; meow meow, meow. In conclusion, meow,” he told the cat at close range in his best professorial tones.
In context, I just loved that. ;-)
Oh, and for those who are sensitive about female characters in mm romance -- there's a highly intelligent and sensible female secondary character throughout the book, as well as a beloved but dead wife of one MC. And also a third female character, mother of the other MC, who is sympathetic and intelligent until her son comes out to her. Sigh, you can't have everything.
Because of the lack of plot progression, I'm going to be stingy and give this 3.4 stars -- rounding down to 3. Everything except the lack of development deserves more than 3 stars.
July 1, 2015
While this book was very intelligent, had the most authentic historical atmosphere, wonderful characters, humor, and a really good plot...it left me wanting in the romance department.
(Minor [expected, as this is billed as a love story] spoiler ahead.)
I understand why it was so extremely slow-burn, and I applaud them for their determination to stick to their morals. But they just stayed too far in the hands-off, strictly friends zone during almost all of the book for the declarations of love and a shared future to really be felt as valid or in line with all their previous behavior. Their relationship felt more like unquenched lust--perhaps obsessive, but not having to do with emotions or desires of the heart--and a close friendship with mutual intellectual admiration. And, then bam, in the last ten minutes suddenly they love each other. And, all their other problems get wrapped up more or less neatly.
It just didn't fit with the tone of the rest of the story, and didn't quench my patient desire for more, either.
Honestly, it would have been more in sync with the rest of the story for them to break up and go their own ways at the end, and I am a die-hard romantic who never says or wants that. But, in this one it would have fit the best.
Overall, it's good, especially if you favor more historical/plot-driven, less romantic stories.
(Minor [expected, as this is billed as a love story] spoiler ahead.)
I understand why it was so extremely slow-burn, and I applaud them for their determination to stick to their morals. But they just stayed too far in the hands-off, strictly friends zone during almost all of the book for the declarations of love and a shared future to really be felt as valid or in line with all their previous behavior. Their relationship felt more like unquenched lust--perhaps obsessive, but not having to do with emotions or desires of the heart--and a close friendship with mutual intellectual admiration. And, then bam, in the last ten minutes suddenly they love each other. And, all their other problems get wrapped up more or less neatly.
It just didn't fit with the tone of the rest of the story, and didn't quench my patient desire for more, either.
Honestly, it would have been more in sync with the rest of the story for them to break up and go their own ways at the end, and I am a die-hard romantic who never says or wants that. But, in this one it would have fit the best.
Overall, it's good, especially if you favor more historical/plot-driven, less romantic stories.
March 16, 2012
I was so excited to see a book about physicists that I jumped at the chance to read it. But ultimately this novel was a disappointment to me. I didn't really see any sexual tension between the two MCs, just a lot of delay. The technical part of the story was good and well-presented; I happen to know somebody in the field plus I take more than a passing interest in the subject matter. But the romance part and the overall characterization was lacking. Plus I found some of the dialogue, especially, to be over-obscured. I know that the author was trying to invoke the incredible caution with which these men, at that time, and in their careers, had to live their lives, and he did that. But the primary obligation of every author is to communicate with the reader! I don't mind having to puzzle a conversation out, only to have a revelation a few pages or even a chapter further on. But to have my brow consistently furrowed and never released was a burden and a chore.
June 3, 2021
4.5 stars
Frank is going to college after the end of WWII on the GI bill. He is on his masters in physics and is swept up in a raid on a lavender bar, along with several other men, including one of the professors of the university's physics department. They get out of the police station with no charges through a combination of both of their strengths, and a sort of friendship is born. But Collis is Frank's advisor, and is being watched by the FBI, so their friendship can't really go anywhere. They work together on physics problems and get to know each other better.
This was a very slow paced story, with a slow developement in friendship and then, slowly, something deeper. Neither Col or Frank were unprofessional, although they did skirt it a little bit with very subtle flirting. I honestly don't know how else to describe it, other than to say it was lovely, with a large focus on physics and developing relationships.
Frank is going to college after the end of WWII on the GI bill. He is on his masters in physics and is swept up in a raid on a lavender bar, along with several other men, including one of the professors of the university's physics department. They get out of the police station with no charges through a combination of both of their strengths, and a sort of friendship is born. But Collis is Frank's advisor, and is being watched by the FBI, so their friendship can't really go anywhere. They work together on physics problems and get to know each other better.
This was a very slow paced story, with a slow developement in friendship and then, slowly, something deeper. Neither Col or Frank were unprofessional, although they did skirt it a little bit with very subtle flirting. I honestly don't know how else to describe it, other than to say it was lovely, with a large focus on physics and developing relationships.
March 6, 2017
Gosh, I love Parhelion's stories. They're my go to reads whenever I'm feeling down. I'm sad that there hasn't been a new release for a long time.
June 17, 2024
I'm a bit disappointed that I didn't like this book as much as I expected. It's just perfect except for the fact that it lacks substance:
There's no real plot. It just revolves around a slice of life (the life of two gay physicists in the post world War II era). I usually don't mind about that if there's a nice development of the romance between the two MCs. But unfortunately that's not what we get here. They're attracted as early as the beginning of the book. Then they work together and become friends. And finally around 80% they decide to have sex, and then time jumps a bit quickly and they declare their love for each other towards the end. So most of the book is taken by their close work relationship and drags around high-level physics, but even that didn't catch my attention because the scientific topics seemed at the same time too detailed and not precise enough. This book is more about friendships between colleagues that about a slow-burn romance.
So everything from the setting to the characters and their dialogues was just perfect, but the overall slow pace made it difficult for me to retain my attention. The writing style is thankfully extraordinarily good.
There's no real plot. It just revolves around a slice of life (the life of two gay physicists in the post world War II era). I usually don't mind about that if there's a nice development of the romance between the two MCs. But unfortunately that's not what we get here. They're attracted as early as the beginning of the book. Then they work together and become friends. And finally around 80% they decide to have sex, and then time jumps a bit quickly and they declare their love for each other towards the end. So most of the book is taken by their close work relationship and drags around high-level physics, but even that didn't catch my attention because the scientific topics seemed at the same time too detailed and not precise enough. This book is more about friendships between colleagues that about a slow-burn romance.
So everything from the setting to the characters and their dialogues was just perfect, but the overall slow pace made it difficult for me to retain my attention. The writing style is thankfully extraordinarily good.
March 1, 2021
3.5 stars.
Faster Than the Speed of Light is a very well written book, with likeable characters. I liked the story. I think, if I'd read this in 2019, I might have rated it outright 4 or even 4.5 stars. I usually like this sort of calm, life stories. But it's February in the year 2021 right now, and I'm living through a turbulent and uncertain times. So I think a lot of the charm in the story was rather lost on me. It's a good think I love to reread. Maybe in a couple of years...
Faster Than the Speed of Light is a very well written book, with likeable characters. I liked the story. I think, if I'd read this in 2019, I might have rated it outright 4 or even 4.5 stars. I usually like this sort of calm, life stories. But it's February in the year 2021 right now, and I'm living through a turbulent and uncertain times. So I think a lot of the charm in the story was rather lost on me. It's a good think I love to reread. Maybe in a couple of years...
August 5, 2019
2nd book from Dr.Zewail's collection, I haven't read on astrophysics outside of academia since I was 11 or so.. It was very entertaining.
August 5, 2013
This was a totally fun read. I was hooked on the couple and the slow buildup of their romance mixed in deftly with the very accurate-sounding historical details. It made me feel like I was getting a real window into what it was like to be gay at the time, and especially what it was like to run in academic, scientific circles. The restraint Frank and Courtland must show in approaching each other as romantic potential is fascinating to me as a modern reader, in the way they manage the budding romance and trying to keep appropriate borders between their personal and professional lives, while at the same time, having to hide their entire sexual orientation from everyone else around them for fear of professional and legal reprisals.
Unlike a book set in the present, where the happy ending would be that the two men come out and are finally okay with being gay, and all right-thinking people around them are okay with it too, this novel quite realistically gives us a qualified happy ending, where these two men will still have to be extremely careful for most of the rest of their lives - until they make it into the 70s ;) - and no one around them, save for their lesbian friend and one mother, will probably ever know that they're gay or that they're a couple. Yet, what's lovely about this book is that despite that, they know they're okay. They're remarkably centered characters, who are clear-eyed and pragmatic and self-confident, despite society telling them it's not okay to be gay. They are such accomplished men in the other spheres of their lives that being gay isn't a source of low self-esteem. Given their conversations about it, they have both come to terms with it for themselves. I really liked that aspect of the book.
I also really enjoyed the side characters. Even the extremely minor characters - the deans and other academics at the university setting, who could have easily been faceless - have memorable quirks and personalities. But I especially liked the intelligent and intrepid grad student Phoebe, who is well fleshed-out for a minor character and gets a much-appreciated feminist C-plot on the side about the trials and tribulations of being a female grad student encountering subtle and not-so-subtle male chauvinism in academia. In a somewhat parallel construction, Phoebe has to carefully manage her love life too, because if she manages it wrong, she may be seen as a waste of time by her male professors, who are always looking out for the possibility that she'll just get married and drop out of her studies. And again, kudos to Parhelion for *not* resolving this minor plot point in a historically inaccurate way. The way it's resolved is effective if not particularly enlightened, but it's illuminating about the times, and makes a lot of sense that this is how a woman of the time would feel it was best to handle it.
Anyway, a great book, snappy dialogue, fun characters, and an intriguing window into a time whose values feel so alien to me, even though it was only about 60 years ago.
Unlike a book set in the present, where the happy ending would be that the two men come out and are finally okay with being gay, and all right-thinking people around them are okay with it too, this novel quite realistically gives us a qualified happy ending, where these two men will still have to be extremely careful for most of the rest of their lives - until they make it into the 70s ;) - and no one around them, save for their lesbian friend and one mother, will probably ever know that they're gay or that they're a couple. Yet, what's lovely about this book is that despite that, they know they're okay. They're remarkably centered characters, who are clear-eyed and pragmatic and self-confident, despite society telling them it's not okay to be gay. They are such accomplished men in the other spheres of their lives that being gay isn't a source of low self-esteem. Given their conversations about it, they have both come to terms with it for themselves. I really liked that aspect of the book.
I also really enjoyed the side characters. Even the extremely minor characters - the deans and other academics at the university setting, who could have easily been faceless - have memorable quirks and personalities. But I especially liked the intelligent and intrepid grad student Phoebe, who is well fleshed-out for a minor character and gets a much-appreciated feminist C-plot on the side about the trials and tribulations of being a female grad student encountering subtle and not-so-subtle male chauvinism in academia. In a somewhat parallel construction, Phoebe has to carefully manage her love life too, because if she manages it wrong, she may be seen as a waste of time by her male professors, who are always looking out for the possibility that she'll just get married and drop out of her studies. And again, kudos to Parhelion for *not* resolving this minor plot point in a historically inaccurate way. The way it's resolved is effective if not particularly enlightened, but it's illuminating about the times, and makes a lot of sense that this is how a woman of the time would feel it was best to handle it.
Anyway, a great book, snappy dialogue, fun characters, and an intriguing window into a time whose values feel so alien to me, even though it was only about 60 years ago.
October 19, 2016
I had almost two separate reactions to this book. One that adored the historical elements and the representation of the time period and world politics. And one that struggled to really get behind the romance. Overall I still really enjoyed this book. It's very well written and well researched.
Frank Mackenzie put in his time during the war. He was lucky to get out with his life after a grenade explosion. After getting out of the military he's put the GI Bill to good use and is finishing up his undergraduate degree in physics ready to move into his postgrad masters program. Getting caught by the police in a bar for the "lavender types" could be the ruin of it all.
Dr. Col Courtland is one of the youngest professors, a child prodigy, and one of the most brilliant minds in the country. He's already been involved in the biggest project to come out of the physics world in years. The Manhattan project wasn't everything Col thought it would be. The only benefit of getting pulled in in the police raid is meeting Frank. Finding out that he's one of the new graduates adds an additional twist to his life.
So the historical elements of this story were really well done. This story takes place in the US in California within the collegiate world of graduate physics just after the discovery of the atomic bomb. The political climate was in an upheaval with Mccarthyism running rampant as the US worried about Russia gaining access to the technology behind nuclear weapons. This story has Frank and Col not only nervous about the FBI worried about Col's alliances, but what the revelation of their homosexuality could do to their futures.
On top of this they aren't in a position to act on their burgeoning feelings for each other. Col may be younger than Frank, but he is his graduate advisor and neither wants to upset their working relationship. Both men are stimulated by the intelligence of the other man. This is a slow burn romance. Most of the story is told with the two men respecting the boundaries their positions put them in. This allows a really strong friendship to develop between these two men.
I loved seeing the science and the relationships between all these characters. The defiance of social norms that many of the characters are fighting to keep even when the danger in being different was never higher. My biggest disappointment with this book was just in the romance. Not to say that I thought Frank and Col didn't suit, just that so much of the science and background cut down on the true romance between these guys. They felt like more friends than lovers, but I still really enjoyed the story. Definitely worth the read.
Frank Mackenzie put in his time during the war. He was lucky to get out with his life after a grenade explosion. After getting out of the military he's put the GI Bill to good use and is finishing up his undergraduate degree in physics ready to move into his postgrad masters program. Getting caught by the police in a bar for the "lavender types" could be the ruin of it all.
Dr. Col Courtland is one of the youngest professors, a child prodigy, and one of the most brilliant minds in the country. He's already been involved in the biggest project to come out of the physics world in years. The Manhattan project wasn't everything Col thought it would be. The only benefit of getting pulled in in the police raid is meeting Frank. Finding out that he's one of the new graduates adds an additional twist to his life.
So the historical elements of this story were really well done. This story takes place in the US in California within the collegiate world of graduate physics just after the discovery of the atomic bomb. The political climate was in an upheaval with Mccarthyism running rampant as the US worried about Russia gaining access to the technology behind nuclear weapons. This story has Frank and Col not only nervous about the FBI worried about Col's alliances, but what the revelation of their homosexuality could do to their futures.
On top of this they aren't in a position to act on their burgeoning feelings for each other. Col may be younger than Frank, but he is his graduate advisor and neither wants to upset their working relationship. Both men are stimulated by the intelligence of the other man. This is a slow burn romance. Most of the story is told with the two men respecting the boundaries their positions put them in. This allows a really strong friendship to develop between these two men.
I loved seeing the science and the relationships between all these characters. The defiance of social norms that many of the characters are fighting to keep even when the danger in being different was never higher. My biggest disappointment with this book was just in the romance. Not to say that I thought Frank and Col didn't suit, just that so much of the science and background cut down on the true romance between these guys. They felt like more friends than lovers, but I still really enjoyed the story. Definitely worth the read.
November 30, 2015
4.5 stars
Having just finished a M/M romance about a particle physicist, I thought… why not another? I mean, it’s not often you find this combination in the genre. While I found some of the science in Harper Fox’s Cold Fusion hard to believe, I had no such problem here.
While Faster Than the Speed of Light has a fair bit of science-speak (don’t worry, you don’t need to know physics!), it really relies mainly on historical happenings. It’s set in the late ’40s— the peak of the HUAC/McCarthy era, or the Red scare— and we’re all pretty familiar with how many prominent Americans were blacklisted (see the recent movie release, Trumbo) for any suspicion of communist leanings. The FBI, led by J. Edgar Hoover, kept very busy with it’s spying— with the aim of rousting out and imprisoning Soviet sympathizers.
Not too surprisingly, American scientists were under watch too. And if you were a physicist with a connection to the Manhattan Project at Los Alamos National Laboratory (working on the atomic bomb), and all its carefully guarded military secrets, your private life was also put under the microscope. Add to this any sexually ‘abnormal’ proclivities, and… double whammy.
In step our two heroes, Col Courtland and Frank Mackenzie. The setting is an imaginary So Cal university. Col is a hot young physics prof fresh from Los Alamos and with no desire to return to work on making the bomb. He’s quite happy with his uni work and supervising his group of talented graduate students. The brilliant Frank heads the pack, but he has some extra interest. He’s fresh from the war and with the scars to prove it; he’s a hunky, motorcycle-riding, leather-jacketed whiz with the slide rule. Col and Frank develop a very slow-simmering attraction accompanied by an ever-present worry about discovery: the FBI is always curious and never far away.
I loved this story. The writing relays the time so well, with wonderful subtlety and humor. I was so sad when the story ended and I had to leave Col and Frank and the other grad students. I would highly recommend this, but be forewarned, it is a quiet, slow-moving story. No explosive sexual encounters, no fireworks, but very entertaining none-the-less.
September 30, 2024
A great story that captures quite well the lavender scare of the 1950s. Not really a time many mm romances are set. It's not about the big dramatic cases, where lives were destroyed, but an interesting case in the physicist community, where the FBI was sniffing around, trying to discover the communists and homosexuals among the scientists.
One of the best things in this one, is that the protagonists are intelligent people: no eternal doubting, no helplessness -based solely on their own stupidity-, no passionate desires that overrun any rational consideration, but a love that is clear in their actions and the way they care for each other. Not very common in mm romance either. Another point I loved were the women. Most are intelligent, self-reliant women, that are no one's daisies.
Just found a typo on the "Fourier transform", I don't remember if the o or the u was missing. The scientific stuff looked convincing, even though sometimes it made me wonder about their specialization. Anyway it was the 1950's, and that's ancient history.
Something different, and really worth the time.
One of the best things in this one, is that the protagonists are intelligent people: no eternal doubting, no helplessness -based solely on their own stupidity-, no passionate desires that overrun any rational consideration, but a love that is clear in their actions and the way they care for each other. Not very common in mm romance either. Another point I loved were the women. Most are intelligent, self-reliant women, that are no one's daisies.
Just found a typo on the "Fourier transform", I don't remember if the o or the u was missing. The scientific stuff looked convincing, even though sometimes it made me wonder about their specialization. Anyway it was the 1950's, and that's ancient history.
Something different, and really worth the time.
March 16, 2011
Phew! Faster Than the Speed of Light is definitely NOT a quick and simple read. And I say that in a most positive and appreciative way. The author asks that the reader engage their brain and become an active participant in the story. Yes, it's a little work, but the rewards are well worth the effort. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Faster Than the Speed of Light in every respect, except one, I could of used a couple of more pages after Frank and Col got together. I wanted more.
I give Faster Than the Speed of Light four stars.
January 13, 2014
4.5 stars
Very well written story with a relationship that develops very realistically between Frank Mackenzie, the WW2 vet taking advantage of the GI Bill and the brilliant boy genius physician Doctor Courtland. The historical setting is very well done. The setting of the academic community during such a turbulent time for scientists adds to the drama of a relationship that still had to be kept very secret. The dialogue is terrific and the secondary characters are real. This isn't a book with a lot of sex but it's romantic and very well done.
Very well written story with a relationship that develops very realistically between Frank Mackenzie, the WW2 vet taking advantage of the GI Bill and the brilliant boy genius physician Doctor Courtland. The historical setting is very well done. The setting of the academic community during such a turbulent time for scientists adds to the drama of a relationship that still had to be kept very secret. The dialogue is terrific and the secondary characters are real. This isn't a book with a lot of sex but it's romantic and very well done.
November 16, 2015
This was one great historical romance with a solid background. I loved Frank and Courtland, they had a good chemistry and their banter was entertaining. The amount of references to various studies and terminology proved to be a bit challenging at times. I admit that physics was never my favourite subject but instead of getting repulsed it made me want to read the scientific books to help me get those guys better.
I will definitely take a look at other books by this author.
Oh, and I loved Special Agent Watcher.
I will definitely take a look at other books by this author.
Oh, and I loved Special Agent Watcher.
December 10, 2011
This is a lovely and quiet sort of romance and captured the feel of the 1940s very well. A lot of the American history and physics talk just went over my head - if not, I think I would have liked this book a bit more. And unfortunately, historical m/m romances always leave me with slight doubts over the HEA just because of the period.
July 29, 2016
ETA January 2013: Once more I've read a book (back in August 2011), I found it excellent and I just left 5 stars here.
Luckily I see now the wonderful review by ns, so I can refer to it ;-).
Luckily I see now the wonderful review by ns, so I can refer to it ;-).
November 22, 2010
2.5 Excellent (and mostly interesting) sense of time and place, but not enough time spend on the personal -- characters, emotions, the development of the relationship -- for me.
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