A solid 3.5 stars (I am still not sure if I should round up or down, so it might change as I think about it a bit more)

An interesting novella set in 1947 about two reporters out investigating UFOs in Colorado. Sam is our narrator - young, married (with a kid and another on the way), aspiring to be a truth-teller as a journalist and nursing a massive crush on his newspaper colleague Dean. Sam's inability or maybe unwillingness to process his feelings, his identity, his reality was the center of the story for me. His feelings seemed like UFOs - there but not, elusive, difficult to comprehend, life-changing but not really in the end. He wants to tell the truth, but struggles to do it when it comes to the truth about himself (and while it was a bit frustrating for me as a reader in 21st century, it is very much period-accurate, I suppose).

I would have loved to get to know Dean a bit more, but as Sam is the narrator we only see what he sees in Dean, which is beauty, charm and honesty.

The writing style is quite interesting - at times poetic, at times conversational, at times like a report written by a journalist (which makes sense as that's whose story it is). It did convey the atmosphere of the place and the personality of the main character very well. The only disconnect for me was Wilt in the middle of the novella, but that might be just me.

Overall, a short, enjoyable and bittersweet story with an outstanding title and a very pretty cover.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers and the author for giving me the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I recieved an ARC of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest reviw.

Overall, it was an ok book. I don't regret reading it, but it wasn't all that interesting. Sure, the main character sees some UFO's but it read more like an incident report than a story. Everything happens at the same pace, in the same passive tone. The main character frustrated me, he casually cheated on his wife the whole time with another man, but also makes it clear that he is attracted to his wife and cares for her. He can't understand why Dean is bothered by the fact that he has a wife at home while he is sneaking out to hook up with some other guy. In the end, he is rewarded with a new job and lives out his life happy with his wife without her ever discovering his affair. He never seems to regret his casual affair, it is just undone by Dean leaving town. The ending didn't feel at all satisfying, he just got away with everything, there was no lesson to be learned or longterm consequences. Even the loss of his job just leads to a much better paying job in the long run.

This unconventional novella follows a 1947 newspaper reporter Sam who's married to a woman with one child and another on the way. He meets another up and coming reporter Dean and together they investigate flying saucer sightings in their town... and fall in love. Dean is definitely only interested in men. Sam's sexuality is more fluid. The tale of the saucers -are they real? are they good or do they have the capacity to destroy? All that mirrors the journey the two men go through together. Author Meyers writing held my attention. Love a good historical gay male story. I will look out for more from him.

Thank you The Smash-and-Grab Press and NetGalley for the digital ARC.

10/10 premise, but the execution left wanting
The writing was good but I feel the book went nowhere. I liked the post-war ambiance and the historical tidbits - all the "Red Scare" made me laugh.
The main issue I have is that it failed to connect the UFO part with the gay part, both felt like a subplot. The main character only briefly contemplates that his gay urges, so to speak, were being caused by aliens and them it was just dropped completely. In short, I would appreciate if the story leaned more in either direction or were more purposeful in its premise.

*The Supersonic Phallus* is a quirky, historical novella set during the 1947 UFO craze, blending post-war atmosphere, journalism, and subtle queer romance. While the love story between Sam and Dean is understated, the story shines through its period detail, investigative plot, and character-driven humor, making it a fun, quick read for fans of historical fiction with a light LGBTQ+ subplot.

Very engaging story of two male reporters reporting on suspected UFOs and becoming involved in the time of the Roswell incident. Although a novella, the book does a good job telling an interesting UFO and relationship story while also asking the question is it easier to believe in UFOs then to believe your sexuality isn't what you thought it was. Thought this book was well done.
Thank you to Netgalley and Smash-and-Grab Press for an ARC to provide an honest review.

This book follows journalists Dean and Sam in the small town of Sinai. There have been news lately of UFOs flying about, and they're assigned the story, and sent to get pictures as well. Will they find said UFOs? And will anything come of their continued time together, despite one of them being otherwise committed?

This book was...ok. I haven't read anything set in the 1940s or about UFOs, so that was a cool setting. The author did a good job on the atmosphere and feel on the book. It did make me reflect on how people must have felt at the time, with all the uncertainty already going on in the world and then with unidentified flying objects on top of that.

Overall, the book felt lackluster. There wasn't much in the way of romance, and any frisky scenes basically happened behind closed doors, which was a great disappointment for me. The story was mildly interesting but just that: mildly interesting. There's not much about this book that stands out besides its title, which was sadly and decidedly irrelevant to the rest of the book.

Overall, I think I'd only recommend this book to people who like historical fiction, vague gay romance, and sex scenes behind closed doors.

NetGalley ARC. Grabbed this one because of the fun title and the cool retro cover. Thought it would be campy based on the title, but was actually a solid, straightforward little story of two reporters investigating UFO sightings for their local paper in the 40s. Not a romance novel but had some romantic moments. Quick read, finished in a couple of hours. Fun surprise! Four stars.

Almost a charming novella, almost a science fiction short story, almost a romance, almost a historical fiction. A lot of almost and not a complete anything, but that’s mostly because the story’s plot was an irresolute compact mirror. It’s short, so it’s readable, but nowhere in the realm of entertaining, revealing, philosophical, or satirical. Much like the supersonic phallus, it exists but it doesn’t live or matter, even though it should. Three cheers for theme, but who even were these characters.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a free electronic copy in advance of publication date, I’m able to provide a fair if unblushing review of another artist’s hard work.

What a lovely read! I'm not usually too interested in anything romance related but this was so so tastefully done as a subplot, the main plot on chasing UFO's complimenting the queer and macarthy witch hunts that were rampant in this time?? So well done. This has all the right amounts of description, history, fiction, gorgeousness, I'm so reading this again later with a highlighter in hand!

4.25 stars

This was fun little book to read! A quirky little take on the UFO craze, but with deeper meanings throughout. Enjoyable, laughable moments, but characters that you come to care about without realizing it. If you're looking for a break from reading series after series, this is a great palate cleanser!

This was a weird one for sure. Not my genre, but the idea of a closeted reporter and aliens is probably super on brand for someone! LGBTQIA storylines are always good to have in your pocket for reader's advisory.

This is a neat historical tale about UFO sightings in post-war America, and the two queer journalists chasing the story, and each other. The conflict between Truth and Drama when reporting the news is perennially interesting, and realistically played out here.

Note, it's not in any way a romance, more a character study and self-discovery arc, so I had to adjust expectations once reading. I'd also say that naming two Main Characters Dean and Sam in a story with supernatural elements is a bold decision in this day and age, but it did feel more like "whatever, those are good white American names" rather than undisguised fanfiction.

I read an ARC at NetGalley, and appreciate the author sharing that way. All opinions are my own. 3.75 stars, rounded up at Goodreads.

Firstly - terrific title. Drew me instantly!

This tale is a lovely, humorous, and sad telling of gay experience in the 1940s, against the backdrop of UFOs and post WWII American economic and technological rise.

The cognitive dissonance required of so many in that era was beautifully juxtaposed with the ridiculousness of UFOs. The journey of discovery, fight for truth, the suppression of truth, the lives we lead, and the regrets and joys that can bring.

A short little tale that doesn’t explore characters much beyond the protagonist. Despite this, the commentary on Sam’s life for those few weeks speaks volumes and shows some of the difficulties of what being homosexual was like in an era, thankfully long gone (but dishearteningly, not gone for everyone).

What’s nice about this tale is that it really shouldn’t upset anyone by being “too depressive” or some other silly critic that more serious stories can face. There is a lightness of tone which makes this story fun to read, but if you’re open to it, a small sadness for all those generations of men and women who couldn’t love themselves or others freely.

Very grateful to Netgalley and Smash-and-Grab Press for an ARC to provide an honest review.

This is a solid story. Fascinating and makes you want to keep reading to find out more, and see more of the budding relationship between our protagonists. There's some good tragedy and irony in this, and some great humor.

I will say I expected something much more camp with a title like "The Supersonic Phallus". Still it's not a bad story by any means. Maybe a little slow and repetitive at times, and it didn't blow me away, but still worth a read if you're at all intrigued.

The Supersonic Phallus isn't really a story about flying saucers in the 40's. Instead it's about reporter Sam's struggle with his sexuality as he engages in an affair with fellow reporter Dean while they investigate flying saucer sightings. The book is a quick read covering the week or so of the investigation and while Sam is well developed it would have been nice if Dean had gotten more room to develop (or if we had gotten something from his perspective). The book also neglects to really deal with the fact that Sam is cheating on his pregnant wife. Still it's a nice quick read and if you are interested in historic depictions of queer relationships, I think it's worth checking out.

I didn't know I needed a book about two reporters investigating UFO sightings during the UFO craze, with the UFO being a metaphor for the narrator's queerness, but turns out I did. It wasn't a masterpiece but it was an entertaining read from start to finish, and isn't that the point sometimes?

So i like to read M/M ailien smut this was not that at all despite the title of this book. There was some M/M romance, and some phallus shaped stuff in the sky but they did not really go together. This read more like a slice of life book rather than a romance. Overall i did enjoy the story it just wasn't what i was expecting based on the description.

I was a bit afraid from the book's description that this might be a bit too intellectual and erudite for my tastes. I am pleased to report that I was completely wrong with that impression. While the narrator is prone complex sentences and uncommon words, the book remains easily accessible. The author does a fantastic job in bringing you back to the 1950s, and an even better job fleshing out the main characters and the townsfolk in more depth than is typical in a short book like this one. The main characters, Dean and Sam, are an interesting study in contrasts. Dean experienced things in war no human should have to experience but still presents an optimistic, if reserved, persona. Sam managed to avoid the horrors of war, has a wife, a son, and another baby on the way, and still finds Dean as tempting as the Apple to Eve. How their relationship unfolds, how it ends, and the realizations they both come to are the crux of this exceptional period piece and I won't say anymore about that. I will say that The Supersonic Phallus is a both a fun read and a book that will get you thinking and I highly recommend it.

Thanks to the publisher and author for an eARC via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I would classify this book as speculative fiction with romance in it but definitely not a romance book. The writing style threw me off a bit for awhile - at times it felt like I was reading someone’s bullet notes and not complete sentences. Towards the end I realized that it actually reads like an elderly man sitting down with his grandchildren and telling the, a story. Once I started reading through that lens, it became a less confusing writing style for me.

I enjoyed how the book weaved some factual events (eg Roswell) into the story. The heart of the story is the short lived romance between Dean and Sam, two men attracted to each other in a time when that wasn’t widely accepted. I did struggle with Sam cheating on his wife and justifying it. The story was all told from Sam’s POV and it would be fun to read a version told from Dean’s.

Overall a fun, quick read.

3.5 rounded up to 4 stars.