science fiction

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

Enter a review
of your own!
Other books by
author Homer Hickam, Jr.

"Back to the Moon"
Message Board
Homer Hickam, Jr. Resident Scholar Profiles
TOP SCHOLAR: Jay Williams

SCHOLARS:
Would you like to be a scholar and make five dollars per review? Click here to submit a review!
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


Click above for the new Obama Girl Parody video!

Overall Review
Our unique search engine breaks down books and movies into
dozens of literary elements, all of which are searchable.
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
Most similar books by Gordonator ranking
Red Thunder by John Varley
In The Beginning by Ben W. Gardner
Doctor Omega by Arnould Galopin
Oxygen by John B. Olson and Randall Ingermanson
Signals by Kevin Randle





Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
Try our new Star Wars & Star Trek puzzle pictures! Click here

Advertise with us
Feedback
Star Wars Revenge of the Sith plot spoilers
Hobbits
The politics game
The lawyer game

3 Book search options!
1) Simple lookup
(title or author)

or
2) Detailed book search
(click here)
or

3) One-click plot searches! Simply click on a plot below!

Animal Story

Clones

Coming of age

Cultural problems, alien culture

Explore/1st contact/ enviro story

Family relations

GIANT monster(s)

Horror story?

Inner Struggle

Lifeform altered?

Mental/magical powers focus

Parody

Political power play

Religious overtones?

Repressive society story

Robots, Computers, VR

Romance

Spying & Investigations

Tech./$$$/Info hunt

Time Travel story?

Training/Apprent.

War or Invasion


Games:
Trivia Masters!

Rescue your favorite
scifi characters from
slavery!


Talk to your favorite
scifi characters!


Eating New Yorkers
Computer Game


Pomeranians

Most recent TV & Movie discussions:

Charmed: Who is cutest, Prue, Phoebe, Piper, or (ug!) Paige? 11/19/2008 1:26:01 PM

Blade Runner: Blade Runner 11/19/2008 12:59:50 PM

Charmed: How can Phoebe Halliwell get an abortion? 11/12/2008 8:07:59 PM

Star Wars Revenge of the Sith Episode III: Who is cuter, Carrie Fisher or Natalie Hershlag? 11/9/2008 10:37:23 PM

A Boy and His Dog: A Boy and His Dog 11/7/2008 1:14:27 PM

Xena: Last Episode: Lesbian Kiss Scene 11/2/2008 2:11:08 PM

Star Wars: Why did they need a floating syringe to interrogate Princess Leia? 10/15/2008 12:45:30 AM

Star Trek Enterprise: Jolene Blalock on T'Pol and Star Trek Enterprise 10/12/2008 3:22:58 AM

Blade Runner: Was Harrison Ford on Tranquilizers or an Actor's Strike When Filming Blade Runner? 9/20/2008 3:18:54 AM

Doctor Who: Who was the best companion? 9/18/2008 6:59:25 AM


Newest slaves:
Helen Hunt 8:31:07 AM
Wolverine Dim Sum (Kelly Hu) 8:28:29 AM
Buck Rogers 8:28:17 AM
Pantherman 8:28:17 AM
Tigerman 8:28:17 AM
Sharice 8:28:17 AM
Wilma Deering (Brunette) 8:27:48 AM
Wilma Deering (Blonde) 8:27:30 AM
Obi Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) 8:27:14 AM
Ming Rocket Captain 8:26:56 AM
All slaves
(click here)


Celebrity interviews:
President George W. Bush 6:32:00 PM
Jan-Michael Vincent 2:16:51 PM
Captain Kathryn Janeway 3:47:46 PM
Jack ONeill (Richard Dean Anderson) 1:39:22 PM
Jennifer Aniston (Friends) 5:01:07 PM
All celebrities
(click here)