Faster than the Speed of Love (Family Guy)

Faster than the Speed of Love is a fictional work of literature featured in the animated television series Family Guy. The novel is written by the character Brian Griffin. Faster than the Speed of Love is essentially a Story within a story.

Writing the Novel
Over various episodes of the series, it is alluded to that Brian has spent several years working on a novel. As a running gag, various characters ridicule Brian on this point, implying that the novel will never be completed.

The novel was first mentioned by Stewie in the episode "Brian the Bachelor" (the subject was brought up twice) and again in "Brian Goes Back to College", wherein Stewie mockingly asks him how he is coming along with the novel, his voice growing higher and higher in pitch until it reaches a comic level, only returning to normal after the subject is dropped (though in the latter episode, Stewie goes right into his high voice, with Brian quickly knocking him out in frustration). In Saving Private Brian, Stewie attempts to keep Brian from leaving the army by saying "You dropped out of college and you still haven't finished that novel," pointing out that he believes Brian rarely completes what he sets out to do.

Plot
In the episode "Movin' Out (Brian's Song)", he tells Lois he has finally come up with a plot for the novel and has entitled it Faster Than the Speed of Love who laughs that it is the worst title she as ever heard.

The story is of a boy who has to rescue his father who is a pilot that's been taken captive by a militant islamic country. The boy has to gather old World War II pilots to help rescue the father. One of the pilots is Japanese but is accepted by the other pilots regardless.

Lois is amused that the plot is exaclty the same as that in the Iron Eagle series of films. Brian appears to be unaware of the similarities or even of the existence of the films. It is unclear whether these similarities are a coincidence or a case of Cryptomnesia.

The consistency of the plot is backed up in "The Former Life of Brian". Brian gets stoned with his son Dylan, and reveals details of the novel. All the audience hears of this is "...in chapter 28, the other pilots finally trust the Japanese pilot and let him into their group." This refers to a plot line in the film "Aces: Iron Eagle III".

Publishing
In the episode "420", the book is published. Carter Pewterschmidt bribes Brian into encouraging the abolishing of marijuana. In exchange, Carter finances the publicaion and shipping of the novel. Two million copies are printed, and an Oprah sticker is put on the book to encourage sales.

Critical and Commercial Reception
At the end of "420", the book is mentioned in a news report. The book is reported to have set the record for worst selling novel of all time, not selling a single copy, noted as "thanks to universal panning by literary critics".

Before the novel's publication, in "The Former Life of Brian" Brian recounts the story to his son Dylan (who is stoned at the time). Dylan states that it is an amazing story.