Hawking, Lucy 1969-

Personal

Born November 2, 1969, in England; daughter of Stephen (a physicist) and Jane Hawking; married Alex Mackenzie Smith, 1998 (separated); children: William. Education: Graduated from Oxford University.

Addresses

Home and office—London, England.

Career

Journalist. Autism Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England, administrative staff member. Writer for New York magazine, London Daily Mail, London Telegraph, London Times, and London Evening Standard. Has also worked as a radio journalist.

Writings

Jaded (novel for adults), Headline (London, England), 2004.

Run for Your Life (novel for adults), Plume (New York, NY), 2006.

(With father, Stephen Hawking) George's Secret Key to the Universe, illustrated by Garry Parsons, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 2007.

Sidelights

Journalist and novelist Lucy Hawking spent several years writing for adults, in newspapers an on the radio, before working with her father, physicist Stephen Hawking, on their first book for children. Part of an intended trilogy, George's Secret Key to the Universe is the story of George and Annie's trip through the universe when Annie's father, a scientist, uses a computer to a doorway to any point in the known universe. The book is an adventure story, but also designed to introduce concepts of physics and the far reaches of the universe to a young audience.

George and Annie embark on a series of sometimes dangerous adventures, and soon they discover that a competing scientist wants to steal the computer, called Cosmos, for himself. Not only do Annie and George have their hands full learning about space, the solar system, black holes, and Hawking radiation (named after the noted physicist and coauthor), but the pair must make sure that Cosmos does not fall into the wrong hands—and rescue Annie's father from his competitors. "The authors handily explore a range of themes, among them, the moral responsibilities of science, global warming and space colonization," explained a Publishers Weekly contributor. Noting that Stephen Hawking provides sidebars with science facts throughout the book, Debbie Carton wrote in Booklist that the notes are presented "in very comprehensible terms, but they don't compete with or overwhelm the fast-paced story." School Library Journal critic Steven Engelfried, on the other hand, found the novel to be "a well-intentioned attempt to combine the drama of fiction with the excitement of scientific inquiry," but ultimately, not strong enough as a story to draw in readers. Although a Kirkus Reviews critic was concerned that science facts were set aside for the convenience of the plot, in Internet Bookwatch a contributor called George's Secret Key to the Universe a "gripping adventure."

"Writing this book with my dad, Stephen Hawking was a lot of fun for both of us," Hawking wrote on the George's Secret Key to the Universe Web site. She explained to Caroline Horn of the Bookseller that she wanted primarily to tell an exciting adventure story, but she also wanted to show readers that "science is not boring and hard to understand. It's relevant to the world around them and exciting." To make sure that all the science was accurate, Hawking enlisted not only her father, but Ph.D. student Christophe Galfard to help her make sure that all aspects of the story were scientifically accurate and also held together in an entertaining fashion. "We didn't want people reading it and thinking: ‘Oh, here comes the science,’" she told Horn. "The science and the story drove each other."

Biographical and Critical Sources

PERIODICALS

Booklist, December 1, 2007, Debbie Carton, review of George's Secret Key to the Universe, p. 40.

Bookseller, July 14, 2006, "Hawking for Kids," p. 9; June 29, 2007, Caroline Horn, "A Child of Science," p. 27; August 17, 2007, review of George's Secret Key to the Universe, p. S5.

Internet Bookwatch, March, 2008, review of George's Secret Key to the Universe.

Internet Wire, June 8, 2007, "Daughter of Professor Stephen Hawking Follows His Dream to Experience Weightlessness aboard Zero-G Father's Day Flight."

Kirkus Reviews, October 1, 2007, review of George's Secret Key to the Universe.

Magpies, March, 2008, Lyn Linning, "The Word Spy," p. 34.

Publishers Weekly, October 1, 2007, review of George's Secret Key to the Universe, p. 57.

School Library Journal, December, 2007, Steven Engelfried, review of George's Secret Key to the Universe, p. 132.

Sunday Times (London, England), August 1, 1999, "Stardust Memories," p. N4.

Time (International), October 8, 2007, Eben Harrell, "The Playful Genius," p. 56.

ONLINE

George's Secret Key to the Universe Web site,http://www.georgessecretkey.com/ (February 19, 2009), "Lucy Hawking."