SIGNED by Stephen Hawking, NOT his thumbprint! Includes Certificate of Authenticity! One of the scarcest, most difficult to obtain signatures, Stephen Hawking signs a science fiction novel from 1976, before Hawking was no longer able to write his name due to ALS. Hawking signs this novel, "October the First is Too Late," on the blank page opposite the title page in his stilted, still legible handwriting: "Stephen Hawking" in blue ballpoint. On the back blank page, some "doodles" evidence the same stilted quality, indicating they may have been penned by Hawking as well. Signature was acquired by Professor Antal Bejczy, a NASA scientist who developed the Mars Rover Sojourner and who worked with Hawking at CalTech in the 1970s. Novel is a 1976 paperback printing by author Fred Hoyle, who, apart from his writing pursuits, was principally a theoretical astronomer. Like Hawking, he worked at the Institute of Astronomy in Cambridge and also at CalTech where, during a sabbatical, he developed a theory of stellar nucleosynthesis. Book measures 4.5" x 7.125". Toning to interior pages, and some creasing to covers. Very good. Book #Pv1251