Back to the Moon - Hardcover

Hickam, Homer H.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0385334222 ISBN 13: 9780385334228

Publisher: Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers, 1999

Synopsis

In 2002, Jack Medaris--a brilliant, troubled scientist funded by a mysterious consortium--hijacks the Columbia space shuttle before its last routine mission and heads for the moon. By the author of Rocket Boys. Tour.

About this title

From the Author:

Back to the Moon is meant to entertain...
... although it has a serious purpose, that of bringing alive the real personalities of people engaged in the present-day space business. It was also written somewhat in parallel with Rocket Boys (aka October Sky) to allow me a place as a writer to offset the soul-searching required to write the successful memoir. With Back to the Moon, I was able to simply enjoy telling a wild tale but one that was also set very solidly in scientific and engineering fact. All the events in this book could happen from an engineering standpoint. It is indeed feasible to outfit a shuttle to the moon - in fact, nearly anything can be sent to the moon if a large enough rocket engine is attached to it. Jack, Penny, Virgil, Paco, Sam and all the rest of the characters in this book have real-life counterparts that I've met during my years working in space. To compare this work to my memoir, however, is to miss the point of both works: The memoir came from my heart and soul, the techno-thriller from my imagination. Each should be approached as individual works. Any author who allows himself to be constrained to one type of writing is asking for trouble creatively and professionally. Approach Back to the Moon for what it is: a good read meant to entertain and, just perhaps, enlighten as to the possibilities of drama, fun and adventure in space.

About the Author:

Homer H. Hickam, Jr., is the author of the New York Times bestseller Rocket Boys: A Memoir, which received a National Book Critics Circle nomination and was the basis for the critically acclaimed movie October Sky. The author of Torpedo Junction as well as numerous articles for such publications as Smithsonian Air and Space and American History Illustrated, he is a retired NASA engineer, a scuba instructor, and a consultant on a variety of aerospace projects that interest him. He lives with his wife in Huntsville, Alabama--Rocket City, USA.

About this edition

• Publisher: Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0385334222
• ISBN 13: 9780385334228
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 447