Winner of the prestigious University of Alabama’s Clarence Cason Award and the Appalachian Heritage Writer’s Award for his memoirs and fiction plus many other writing awards including an honorary Doctorate of Literature from Marshall University, Homer Hickam (also known as Homer H. Hickam, Jr.) is probably best known for his # 1 New York Times best-selling memoir Rocket Boys which was adapted into the ever-popular movie October Sky. He also has legions of fans for his “Josh Thurlow” historical fiction series, plus his many other books. Mr. Hickam, a Vietnam combat veteran, has also been a coal miner, scuba instructor, engineer, and an avid amateur paleontologist.