Any fans of the book The Rocket Boys?

Cafe Society
1

I have just finished rereading a book that has touched me deeply and
was wondering if any fellow dopers are familiar with the story?

The Rocket Boys (AKA October Sky) by Homer Hickam, Jr. This is an autobiographical tale of a high school boy growing up in the late 50’s,
who enraptured with Sputnik dreams of building rockets and working for NASA. Homer’s mentor is Werner Von Braun and along with his friends starts to design and fly their own rockets.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0385333218/qid=1086904004/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/103-6946395-1619002?v=glance&s=books

The book has many elements I enjoyed. What it was like to live in the small mining town of Coalwood West Virginia. The town and the people really come alive in the narrative, describing the company houses, company money and the company store. This is the real “16 Tons”! The conflict between the Union and management and the tensions in a dying town.

Wanting to escape life as a miner Homer and his friends believe their rockets are a serious matter that may attract attention enough to win scholarships to college and a better life. The methods the boys use to build their rockets are truly fascinating, every detail is described including the insanely dangerous rocket fuels they cook up (if they did this today the boys would be arrested as terrorists). Encouraged by a science teacher who gives them a technical book on rocket design the boys learn calculus, trig and the physics of rocket propellant to design truly engineered vehicles. The Rocket Boys eventually win the National Science Fair for their work and Homer does wind up at NASA.

The book has something for everyone: coal mines, teen romances, father & son conflicts the physics of rocket flight and propulsion and a vivid portrait of life in Coalwood, WV in the late 50s.

Two other books complete Mr. Hickam’s memoir The Coalwood Way, which I did not like as well and Sky of Stone about working in the mine during summer vacation from colledge. If you really want to know what it’s like to earn a living mining coal read Sky of Stone.

BTW Sky features an “older” woman Homer falls for who was, I’m sure a rarity in the late 50s a female mining engineer who I immediately pictured as our own Una Persson. :slight_smile:

So has anyone else enjoyed Mr. Hickam’s Coalwood stories?

2

I liked it.

The “comic relief” bits and wistful romantic interest subplots I could have done without, however. But, all in all, I liked this little autobiographical historical techno-thriller.

3

I enjoyed it a bunch. The snapshot of the time and place were very well done.

It was made into the movie “October Sky” (which is an anagram of Rocket Boys) and starred Toby Macguire.

StG

4

I often confuse Toby Macguire and Jake Gyllenhaal too. :slight_smile:

I haven’t read the books, but enjoyed the movie. Does anyone know if his sort-of meeting of Wernher von Braun really happened as shown in the film? Did Hickam ever meet him again later on?

Eric

5

Yes. Excellent book, and a good film too. It is just the kind of story I love - escaping from a brutal and dying culture via a dream no kid from that culture has any reason to dream about.

I especially liked how the tradesmen in the town helped the kids build their rockets, and of course the teacher who encouraged them.

6

Yes, I loved this book. And I agree that the sequels were not quite as good, nor was the movie.