--- product_id: 23322150 title: "Crater (A Helium-3 Novel)" brand: "homer hickam" price: "AED 68" currency: AED in_stock: true reviews_count: 9 url: https://www.desertcart.ae/products/23322150-crater-a-helium-3-novel store_origin: AE region: United Arab Emirates --- # Crater (A Helium-3 Novel) **Brand:** homer hickam **Price:** AED 68 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Crater (A Helium-3 Novel) by homer hickam - **How much does it cost?** AED 68 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.ae](https://www.desertcart.ae/products/23322150-crater-a-helium-3-novel) ## Best For - homer hickam enthusiasts ## Why This Product - Trusted homer hickam brand quality - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Crater (A Helium-3 Novel) ## Images ![Crater (A Helium-3 Novel) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41mdngTDP6L.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ It was a requested gift for my so *by C***R on Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 20, 2023* Gift 🎁 ### ⭐⭐⭐ Lighter Than Helium *by S***N on Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 25, 2012* Crater never wanted to do anything but scrape his way through the dust on the moon, searching out stockpiles of helium-3 -- a valuable resource for powering the Earth. But when he saves the lives of several dust miners, Colonel Medaris wants him for a special mission. Crater is to retrieve a strange package coming from across space. A package that might just change the future of the entire moon. But with a convoy of truckers, the hard-headed granddaughter of the Colonel, and hundreds of miles to cover -- danger is bound to find him. And it does. Because someone else wants the package. Someone who will kill to get it.Homer Hickam brings his world of hard and technical science fiction to the young adult realm in CRATER, the first in a planned trilogy. The story comes across as part coming-of-age, part science fiction, part old-time western, and part political intrigue. It's a very strange brand, but on the whole, Hickam manages to pull it all off.Colorful, western-type characters fill the pages, from the Sheriff of Moontown, to the roadside inn operators along what is known as the "Dustway" -- a sprawling highway across the moon. But, Hickam has managed to throw in some interesting twists as well -- with genetically engineered races of people, who have seemed to reject their purpose and embrace far more sinister roles. From the warrior-like crowhoppers to the strange mining Umlaps, and something called Demons near the end, Crater definitely has his hands full facing off from one moment to the next.Crater himself seems a bit emotionless at times, and at several key moments, he seems a little bit numb to what is happening around him. He's not exactly a character that changes along the course of the book either, unless you consider seeing the world and realizing there is more to it a sense of character development.The whole book comes across a bit episodic, with only a slightly overarching storyline. Random events occur along the Dustway, as Crater and the truckers travel to meet the ship that will bring the mysterious package. Sometimes this dragged the book down a little, but other times, helped to break the monotony of what could have been a truly boring trek across the empty moonscape. Hickam seems to miss the mark here and there when it comes to the action sequences, telling readers straight up in a simplistic way what is happening, instead of drawing out the tension. He also seems to jump "heads" quite a bit, telling the story from multiple points of view in the same chapter.But even with a few bumps along the way, the story was still able to keep me interested throughout. The ending does come a little abruptly, and definitely leaves some open questions to be answered in the next two books. Overall, Hickam has delivered a hard science fiction novel that, while technical at points, will certainly fascinate readers who wonder exactly what life on the moon might look like. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ A delightful story of an unlikely hero *by G***R on Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 20, 2013* Crater Trueblood is a bright kid, but very naive. On the Moon, naivete' is not an asset, but like the foolish brother in the fairy tales, Crater makes his way across the moon in a most unlikely series of adventures. How about a horse on the moon? A cat? Genetically engineered variations of humans, too, and spacesuits that are alive.Crater's constant companion is a gillie: a biological machine made of slime mold cells that is smarter than it looks. In some ways, the story reminds me of Robert A. Heinlein's Red Planet, but it's no ripoff. The style is light and amusing, and it is written for a juvenile audience while charming any adult readers (like me) who love a good example of juvenile fiction. I really enjoyed this a lot.The story does end a bit abruptly, but it's just obvious that a sequel is in the offing. I'll be happy to read that one, too. In fact, Homer Hickam will be on my list for pleasant reading from now on. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.ae/products/23322150-crater-a-helium-3-novel](https://www.desertcart.ae/products/23322150-crater-a-helium-3-novel) --- *Product available on Desertcart United Arab Emirates* *Store origin: AE* *Last updated: 2026-04-23*