Back to the Moon - Homer Hickam, Jr. Book Review

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Review Summaries

"From the author of "October Sky" (aka: "Rocket Boys"), this is the story of former NASA engineer, Jack Medaris, and how he "borrows" the space shuttle Columbia for the first trip to the moon in 30-years. Jack risks his life to sidetrack the shuttle crew and take Columbia on an unscheduled detour to the moon, despite the complications presented by payload specialist, Penny High Eagle. Hickam straps the reader in the cockpit of the space shuttle in believable fashion. From the tension at mission control, to the massive thrust of the rocket engines, to the tiny killing machines awaiting orders to unleash their high-tech fury, here are sights and science of space as you've never seen them before. And at the spiraling tale's isolated center are Jack and Penny, locked in a battle of wit and wills, rocketing weightless through space as their fates grow inextricably intertwined. Winner of the 1999 Bronze Medal for Best Mystery/Thriller from the Southern Writers Guild, this sci-fi thriller from Homer Hickam, a retired NASA engineer, is a no-holds-barred joyride. "
Jay Williams, Resident Homer Hickam, Jr. Scholar

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Overall Review

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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 10%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 20%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 40%

Tone of book - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - science fiction story
Explore/1st contact/ enviro story Yes
Plotlets: - primitive/present day space voyage
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book

Main Character
Identity: - Male
Profession/status: - engineer
Age: - 40's-50's
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence - Very much smarter than other characters
Physique - very athletic

Main Adversary
Identity: - an organization
Profession/status: - mastermind
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - an average amount
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - average physique

Setting
Terrain - Space, need spacesuit
Which planet? - Earth's Moon
Not Earth, in Solar System? Yes

Style
Person? - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
scientific jargon? (SF only) - a significant amount of technical jargon
How much dialogue? - significantly more descript than dialog

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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).

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