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.Homer Hickam’s memoir Rocket Boys and the movie adaptation October Sky have become one of the most popular stories in the world, inspiring millions to pursue a better life. But what happened to Homer after he was a West Virginia rocket boy? In his latest memoir, Homer recounts his life in college where he built the world's biggest, baddest game cannon, fought through some of the worst battles in Vietnam, became a scuba instructor, discovered sunken U-boats, wrote the definitive account of a World War II naval battle, befriended Tom Clancy, made a desperate attempt to save the passengers of a sunken river boat, trained the first Japanese astronauts, taught David Letterman to scuba dive, helped to fix the Hubble Space Telescope, wrote his number one bestselling Rocket Boys, and was on set during the making of October Sky. Although told with humor and wit, Hickam does not shy away from the pain and hardship endured and the mistakes he made during the tumultuous decades since his life in the town he made famous—Coalwood, West Virginia.

Es una historia de romance y p rdida, y un intenso retrato de la vida en un punto extraordinario de la historia de Estados Unidos, es una cr nica de triunfo.

Elsie Lavender och Homer Hickam går i samma highschoolklass i kolrika West Virginia under den stora depressionen i slutet av 1920-talet. Homer friar, Elsie tackar nej och flyttar till Florida där hon förälskar sig i skådespelaren Buddy Ebsen. Hennes dröm om en framtid med Buddy stannar vid en dröm när han drar till New York. Elsie återvänder hem och gifter sig med Homer. I stället för glamorös skådespelarhustru är Elsie nu fru till en kolarbetare. Men hon blir ständigt påmind om det ljuva livet i Florida på grund av Buddys något udda bröllopspresent till Elsie: en alligator vid namn Albert. Elsie låter Albert bo i husets enda badrum. När alligatorn en dag hugger tag i Homers byxor och skrämmer livet ur honom, ställer han ett ultimatum till sin fru: Du får välja antingen mig eller Albert. Elsie inser att det enda rätta är att sätta Albert i baksätet och köra honom tillbaka hem. Med Albert i baksätet är en underhållande, galen och ibland lite tragisk berättelse om ett ungt pars 1000 mil långa äventyr med en alligator i baksätet. *** Homer Hickam är en bästsäljande och prisbelönad författare. Han har skrivit en lång rad böcker, bland annat Rocket Boys som legat etta på New York Times topplista. Den var också förlagan till den populära filmen October Sky. Homer Hickam har varit skribent sedan grundskolan, dessutom är han Vietnamveteran och före detta gruvarbetare. Han har också arbetat som dykinstruktör och ingenjör. I dag delar han sin tid mellan Alabama och Virgin Islands.

Big Fish meets The Notebook in this emotionally evocative story about a man, a woman, and an alligator that is a moving tribute to love, from the New York Times bestselling author of the award-winning memoir Rocket Boys--the basis of the movie October Sky.Elsie Lavender and Homer Hickam (the father of the author) were high school classmates in the West Virginia coalfields, graduating just as the Great Depression began. 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, married to Homer.Unfulfilled as a miner's wife, Elsie was reminded of her carefree days with Buddy every day because of his unusual wedding gift: an alligator named Albert she raised in the only bathroom in the house. When Albert scared Homer by grabbing his pants, he gave Elsie an ultimatum: "Me or that alligator " After giving it some thought, Elsie concluded there was only one thing to do: Carry Albert home.Carrying Albert Home is the funny, sweet, and sometimes tragic tale of a young couple and a special alligator on a crazy 1,000-mile adventure. Told with the warmth and down-home charm that made Rocket Boys a beloved bestseller, Homer Hickam's rollicking tale is ultimately a testament to that strange and marvelous emotion we inadequately call love.

â??Must-readâ?¦ A funny yet tragic tale of a husband and wifeâ??s car journey across the US with Albert the alligator in tow. Yes, really.â?? Marie Claire A 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.

Una historia emocionalmente evocadora acerca de un hombre, una mujer y un caimán es un emotivo tributo al amor, del autor best seller del New York Times de las galardonadas memorias Rocket Boys: la base de la película Cielo de Octubre.Elsie Lavender y Homer Hickam (el padre del autor) eran compañeros de clase en la secundaria en los campos de carbón de West Virginia, graduándose justo cuando comenzaba la Gran depresión. Cuando Homer pidió le propuso matrimonio, Elsie partió para Orlando donde congenió con un actor bailarín llamado Buddy Ebsen (sí, ese Buddy Ebsen). Pero cuando Buddy se mudó para Nueva York, los sueños de Elsie de una vida con él se hicieron trizas, y eventualmente regresó a los campos de carbón, y se casó con Homer.Insatisfecha como esposa de un minero, Elsie recordaba sus despreocupados días con Buddy cada día debido a su inusual regalo de boda: un caimán llamado Albert al que crió en el único baño que había en la casa. Cuando Albert asustó a Homer al agarrarle los pantalones, le dio a Elsie un ultimátum: «¡Yo o ese caimán!». Después de pensarlo un poco, Elsie llegó a la conclusión de que había una sola cosa que hacer: llevar a Albert a casa. Este es el relato divertido, dulce y a veces trágico de una joven pareja y un caimán especial en una loca aventura de mil millas de distancia. Contado con la calidez y el sencillo encanto que hizo de Rocket Boys un querido best seller, el divertido relato de Homer Hickam es el mejor testamento a esa extraña y maravillosa emoción que de modo inadecuado llamamos amor.

Previously published in paperback as October Sky. Three years in the life of Homer â??Sonnyâ?? Hickam, from the moment he sees the Sputnik satellite overhead in West Virginia to his successful launch of a prizewinning rocket.

Big Fish meets The Notebook in this emotionally evocative story about a man, a woman, and an alligator that is a moving tribute to love, from the New York Times bestselling author of the award-winning memoir Rocket Boys--the basis of the movie October Sky.Elsie Lavender and Homer Hickam (the father of the author) were high school classmates in the West Virginia coalfields, graduating just as the Great Depression began. 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, married to Homer.Unfulfilled as a miner's wife, Elsie was reminded of her carefree days with Buddy every day because of his unusual wedding gift: an alligator named Albert she raised in the only bathroom in the house. When Albert scared Homer by grabbing his pants, he gave Elsie an ultimatum: "Me or that alligator " After giving it some thought, Elsie concluded there was only one thing to do: Carry Albert home.Carrying Albert Home is the funny, sweet, and sometimes tragic tale of a young couple and a special alligator on a crazy 1,000-mile adventure. Told with the warmth and down-home charm that made Rocket Boys a beloved bestseller, Homer Hickam's rollicking tale is ultimately a testament to that strange and marvelous emotion we inadequately call love.--Florida Times-Union

'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.

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. Crater is weary of war. He's a miner, not a soldier. He'd rather be mining Helium-3 than battling the infernal crowhoppers. But after he captures Crescent and brings her to Moontown, he's surprised how much he enjoys her company. When she's falsely accused of murder, he becomes an outlaw to help her escape. The unlikely pair escape into the "big suck" and wind up trekking with a caravan of mining pioneers toward a lunar ghost town called Endless Dust. To survive, they must do more than navigate the beautiful, desolate moonscape and battle a persistent band of crowhoppers sent to capture or kill them. They must decide what -- and who -- is truly worth fighting for.

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. Crater is weary of war. He's a miner, not a soldier. He'd rather be mining Helium-3 than battling the infernal crowhoppers. But after he captures Crescent and brings her to Moontown, he's surprised how much he enjoys her company. When she's falsely accused of murder, he becomes an outlaw to help her escape. The unlikely pair escape into the "big suck" and wind up trekking with a caravan of mining pioneers toward a lunar ghost town called Endless Dust. To survive, they must do more than navigate the beautiful, desolate moonscape and battle a persistent band of crowhoppers sent to capture or kill them. They must decide what -- and who -- is truly worth fighting for.

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.Crater is weary of war. He’s a miner, not a soldier. He’d rather be mining Helium-3 than battling the infernal crowhoppers. But after he captures Crescent and brings her to Moontown, he’s surprised how much he enjoys her company. When she’s falsely accused of murder, he becomes an outlaw to help her escape.The unlikely pair escapes into the “big suck” and wind up trekking with a caravan of mining pioneers toward a lunar ghost town called Endless Dust. To survive, they must do more than navigate the beautiful, desolate moonscape and battle a persistent band of crowhoppers sent to capture or kill them. They must decide what—and who—is truly worth fighting for.“Expertly blending space opera and hard sci-fi, romance, and even mystery . . . this is fast-paced, packed with intriguing ideas . . .” —Peter Gutierrez, Booklist Review“Classic Golden Age science fiction high-adventure. It brought back memories of reading Asimov . . . that same sense of wonder. I absolutely loved it.” —Michael Scott, New York Times Best-selling Author, The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series

A sixteen-year-old must battle his way across a thousand miles of deadly lunar terrain and face genetically altered super warriors in his quest to recover an astonishing object that will alter the lives of everyone on the moon . . . and beyond.It’s the 22nd Century. A tough, pioneering people mine the moon produce energy for a desperate, war-torn Earth. Sixteen-year-old Crater Trueblood loves his job as a Helium-3 miner. But when he saves a fellow miner, his life changes forever. Impressed by his heroism, the owner of the mine orders Crater to undertake a dangerous mission. Crater doesn’t think he can do it, but he has no choice. He must go.With the help of Maria, the mine owner’s frustrating but gorgeous granddaughter, and his gillie—a sometimes insubordinate clump of slime mold cells—Crater must fight both human and subhuman enemies to complete his mission.New York Times bestselling author Homer Hickman (Rocket Boys) will take you on a hold-your-breath adventure across the moon, and you’ll never look at the night sky the same way again.The first installment of the Helium-3 series Book #1: CraterBook #2: CrescentBook #3: Crater Trueblood and the Lunar Rescue CompanyBook length: 75,000 wordsIncludes discussion questions for book clubs

As the United States and the Soviet Union went from exploring space to living in it, a space station was conceived as the logical successor to the Apollo moon program. But between conception and execution stood the vastness of space itself, to say nothing of the monumental technological challenges. Homesteading Space, by two of Skylab’s own astronauts and a NASA journalist, tells the dramatic story of America’s first space station from beginning to fiery end. Homesteading Space is much more than a story of technological and scientific success; it is also an absorbing, sometimes humorous, often inspiring account of the determined, hardworking individuals who shepherded the program through a near-disastrous launch, a heroic rescue, an exhausting study of Comet Kohoutek, and the lab's ultimate descent into the Indian Ocean. Featuring the unpublished in-flight diary of astronaut Alan Bean, the book is replete with the personal recollections and experiences of the Skylab crew and those who worked with them in training, during the mission, and in bringing them safely home.

Can their love survive the difference in their circumstances?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. But soon after they impulsively marry, Song realizes they're in big trouble. She can't imagine life outside of New York, and Cable has no intention of leaving his beloved town of Highcoal.Song's visit to the little mining community only makes things worse. It looks like the marriage is over. But in a shocking turn of events, Song realizes it's up to her to put on the red helmet of the new coal miner and descend into the deep darkness. There she faces her greatest challenge with choices and courage that will forever impact the life of Cable and the entire town.Sweet and thoughtful contemporary readStand-alone novelBook length: 86,000 wordsIncludes discussion questions for book clubs

In 1941, Killakeet Island of the wind-swept Outer Banks of North Carolina is home to a tiny, peaceful population of fishermen, clam stompers, oyster rakers, and a few lonely sailors of the Coast Guard. Dominating the glorious, raw beauty of the little island is the majestic Killakeet Lighthouse, which for generations has been the responsibility of one family, the Thurlows. However, Josh Thurlow, the Keeper's son, has forsworn his heritage to become the commander of the Maudie Jane, a small Coast Guard patrol boat operating off Killakeet. Josh is still tortured by guilt, seventeen years after losing his baby brother at sea. Then his life is complicated by the arrival of the beautiful Dosie Crossan, who has journeyed to lonely Killakeet to escape the outside world and perhaps find a purpose in life. While Josh's heart is stirred by the often-vexing Dosie, he continues his search for his brother, even after a wolfpack of German U-boats arrives to soak the island's beaches with blood and oil. One of the U-boats is captained by Otto Krebs, a famed and ruthless undersea warrior. Krebs, a man also scarred by lost love, comes to Killakeet, however, with more than torpedoes and plans for war: He may also have the answer to the mystery that haunts Josh Thurlow. The Keeper's Son is a rousing, romantic tale of the power of the human heart forever searching for redemption.

The shuttle is hijacked. Now the countdown to adventure begins.... In his #1 New York Times bestselling memoir, October Sky, real-life NASA engineer Homer Hickam captured the excitement of America's first space ventures. Now, in this no-holds-barred joyride of a thriller, he straps us into the cockpit of the space shuttle Columbia as a renegade rocket man hijacks the shuttle--and blasts off on a Mach-speed chase into space.... Jack Medaris is a man haunted by his past and driven by a dream: He's risking everything to "borrow" the Columbia--and pilot it to the moon. He didn't plan on an unexpected passenger, beautiful celebrity daredevil and scientist Penny High Eagle. To Penny, this hijacking will test every bit of her mettle as an adventurer--and as a woman. To Jack, the mission is a personal quest--to return to the moon and bring back what America left behind, something so explosive, it could change the future of the world. Now, as the U.S. government scrambles to the chase, and as deadly forces are deployed from earth to stop them, a man and a woman find their fates inextricably entwined. And in the savage emptiness of deep space, their only hope is to join forces to reach the lunar surface. Then comes the hard part. Getting home alive.