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Faster Than the Speed of Light

4.07 of 5 stars 4.07 · rating details · 46 ratings · 17 reviews

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 expe...more

ebook, 270 pages

Published November 10th 2010 by Torquere (first published November 2010)

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Jul 14, 2011 Maygirl7 rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Everyone and Chris

Shelves: fictionwise, historical, m-m, keeper

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 con...more

1 like · like · see review

Apr 17, 2013 ARe Cafe rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: vals-picks

Faster Than The Speed Of Light by Lucius Parhelion is a beautifully written novel that in any other month would have been my choice for Top Pick. It should delight fans of the friends-to-lovers theme, those who enjoy a slow build-up to a romantic relationship, those who love historical romances, those who love science, and those who find a de-emphasis on explicit sex to be a refreshing change in the romance genre.

There is much to praise in Faster Than The Speed Of Light (the title refers to the...more Faster Than The Speed Of Light by Lucius Parhelion is a beautifully written novel that in any other month would have been my choice for Top Pick. It should delight fans of the friends-to-lovers theme, those who enjoy a slow build-up to a romantic relationship, those who love historical romances, those who love science, and those who find a de-emphasis on explicit sex to be a refreshing change in the romance genre.

There is much to praise in Faster Than The Speed Of Light (the title refers to the rate at which gossip travels). The dialog is fast-paced, witty, and consistent with the flavor of the times in its slang and in its emotional terseness. We only have one viewpoint character, Frank (in third-person), but he is a marvel of complexity, and we learn much about his love interest Courtland through his perceptive observations. The supporting characters are also memorable, including graduate students Jerry and Phoebe, several eccentric professors in the physics department, and an unforgettable appearance by real life historical figure Edward Teller, otherwise known as the father of the hydrogen bomb.

It’s 1947 and 32 year-old Frank, a World War Two veteran, starts a new life in Los Angeles where he has entered a two-year program to complete his master’s degree in physics. The story opens with him tossed into a holding cell by cops who have raided a gay bar. A 23 year-old kid also arrested at the bar gets put in with him, and the two of them unite in a fistfight against the homophobic drunks sharing their cell. Suddenly Frank realizes that he knows the kid under different circumstances – it’s Dr. Courtland, the youngest professor in the physics department.

After they’re released, Courtland can’t help flirting with Frank, but Frank refuses to have a secret affair – for the time being. First, Courtland is his professor, and Frank wants to wait two years to graduate. Second, the FBI watches everyone in the physics community. The Red Scare is just beginning in which countless citizens will lose their careers due to their alleged ties to Communism and espionage. Gays are considered targets for blackmail due to the illegality of their sexual conduct. If Frank and Courtland get caught together, they risk destroying their careers.

Val for AReCafe(less)

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May 31, 2011 Ashley rated it 5 of 5 stars

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 physicis...more

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Feb 12, 2011 Sue Brown rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: gay-fic

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 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 Fran...more

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Feb 21, 2011 Val Kovalin rated it 4 of 5 stars

4.5 out of 5 stars

just for fun - 6 word plot: Physicists watched by FBI find love. Outstanding M/M historical set during the Red Scare years of 1947 to 1949 in the academic, scientific community in Los Angeles. Complex, appealing characters and fascinating time period. I had no problems with this book. Just so you know, the sex scenes are almost nonexistent, but there is one brief encounter toward the end, and there is definitely sexual tension from beginning to end.

1 like · like · see review

Mar 16, 2012 Elizabeth H. rated it 3 of 5 stars

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,...more

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Jul 21, 2011 ns rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: mm

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, deep...more 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. (less)

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Feb 08, 2013 Holly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, historical

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 seriousl...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 16, 2011 Lee rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: History-buffs, physicists, and lovers of the written word.

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 t

...more

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Feb 13, 2013 Plainbrownwrapper rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mm

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 te...more

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Aug 09, 2012 M rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: history-buff, queer-sorting-hat

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...more

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Jun 29, 2012 Emanuela ~plastic duck~ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: rainbow-gay, glbt, historical, romance

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...more 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.(less)

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Dec 10, 2011 Li rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-new-to-me-author, m-m-romance, historical-romance, romance, read-in-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.

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Oct 13, 2012 Gwendolyn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, professors

I liked this so much. The ending felt kind of abrupt but that was the only issue.

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Nov 21, 2010 Kiki rated it 2 of 5 stars

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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Sep 20, 2011 Aramis rated it 3 of 5 stars

A cute and sweet gay romance with a bit of Nick and Norah dialog. I don't think romance will ever by my thing, but this is about as close as it is likely to come.

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Apr 30, 2011 ~ames~ rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, glbt, e-book, 2011-read

3.75

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May 13, 2013 Mark balson rated it 4 of 5 stars

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