Books by Homer Hickam

From Homer Hickam, the author of the #1 bestselling Rocket Boys adapted into the beloved film October Sky, comes this astonishing memoir of high adventure, war, love, NASA, and his struggle for literary success.

Elsie Lavender and Homer Hickam Sr.?the future parents of Homer Hickam Jr.?were high school sweethearts during the Great Depression. When Homer asked for her hand, Elsie instead headed to Orlando, where she sparked with a dancing actor named Buddy Ebsen (yes, that Buddy Ebsen). But when Buddy headed for New York, Elsie's dreams of a life with him were crushed and eventually she found herself back in the coalfields of West Virginia, married to Homer.Elsie was reminded of those carefree Florida days by Buddy's unusual wedding gift: an alligator named Albert who lived in the only bathroom in their little house. Eventually Homer gave Elsie an ultimatum: ?Me or the alligator!? After giving it some thought, Elsie concluded there was only one thing to do?carry Albert home.

Song Hawkins is a beautiful, tough, but lonely New York City businesswoman who thinks she's met the man of her dreams in Cable Jordan, the superintendent of a West Virginia coal mine.

A kidnapped lunar heiress. A deranged-science syndicate. An imminent asteroid impact. Crater Trueblood has more to rescue than just his ex-girlfriend . . . namely the entire human race.

She was born to kill, born to die. Crescent is a crowhopper---a genetically modified mercenary programmed for ruthless warfare. When she's taken prisoner by Crater Trueblood instead of being killed in battle, she thinks it's a disaster.

`Must-read... A funny yet tragic tale of a husband and wife's car journey across the US with Albert the alligator in tow. Yes, really.' Marie ClaireA journey of a thousand miles. With an alligator on the back seat. And John Steinbeck as a passenger. This is a tale where everything is true,except the bits that are made up.

Previously published in paperback as October Sky.Three years in the life of Homer 'Sonny' Hickam, from the moment he sees the Sputnik satellite overhead in West Virginia to his successful launch of a prizewinning rocket.In 1957, Coalwood, West Virginia, was a town the post-war boom never quite reached, and dominated by the black steel towers of the mine. For fourteen-year-old Homer 'Sonny' Hickam there are only two routes in life: a college football scholarship, or a life underground. But from the moment the town turns out to watch the world's first space satellite, Sputnik, as it passes overhead, Sonny and his friends embark on a mission of their own - to form the Big Creek Missile Agency, and build a rocket.Looking back after a distinguished career as a NASA engineer, Homer Hickam tells the warm, vivid story of youth and ambition that inspired the 1999 film October Sky. It is the tale of a group of teenage boys who dared to imagine a life beyond the confines of the coal pit, and went on to design, build and launch the rockets that would change their lives, and their town, forever.

A MINING COLONY ON THE MOON. A DEADLY MISSION. AND A SECRET BIGGER THAN TWO WORLDS.

Elsie Lavender og Homer Hickam (forfatterens far) gik i samme klasse på en high school i de store kuldistrikter i West Virginia. De dimitterede lige som den store depression startede. Homer bad Elsie om at gifte sig med sig, men hun tog til Orlando hvor hun mødte skuespilleren Buddy Ebsen (ja, den Buddy Ebsen, ham fra dansefilmene). Men da Buddys karriere tager ham til New York, knuses Elsies drøm om et liv sammen med ham. Hun tager tilbage til Virginia, hvor hun gifter sig med Homer. Men livet som kone til en minearbejder er ikke det liv, som Elsie drømte om. Oveni bliver hun konstant mindet om sine sorgløse dage med Buddy på grund af hans noget usædvanlige bryllupsgave; en alligator ved navn Albert, som bor i husets eneste badeværelse. Men da Albert bider Homer, giver Homer Elsie et ultimatum; ”Mig eller alligatoren!” Efter at have tænkt over det, kommer Elise frem til, at der kun er en ting at gøre. At sætte Albert på bagsædet og køre ham hjem. Med Albert på bagsædet er en humoristisk, lidt tragisk, og frem for alt, rørende fortælling om et ungt par og en meget speciel alligators lange eventyr tværs gennem landet. En næsten sand historie om en mand, hans kone og hendes alligator. For alle som elskede bogen Den hundredårige der kravlede ud af vinduet og forsvandt. Af forfatteren til bestselleren Rocket Boys, som filmen October Sky er baseret på. Hvis du kan lide Kathryn Stockett, (Niceville) så kan du også lide Hickam."