THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH

“Beautiful science fiction . . . The story of an extraterrestrial visitor from another planet is deigned mainly to say something about life on this one.”—The New York Times

T. J. Newton is an extraterrestrial who goes to Earth on a desperate mission of mercy. But instead of aid, Newton discovers loneliness and despair that ultimately ends in tragedy.


Praise for The Man Who Fell to Earth

“Those who know The Man Who Fell to Earth only from the film version are missing something. This is one of the finest science fiction novels of its period.”—J.R. Dunn, author of Full Tide of Night

“An utterly realistic novel about an alien human on Earth . . . Realistic enough to become a metaphor for something inside us all, some existential loneliness.”—Norman Spinrad

“Tevis writes . . . with power and poetry and tension.”—The Washington Post Book World

“Terrific . . . The Man Who Fell to Earth can be seen as the story of a very hip, space-age Passion—about a savior who comes to Earth not to save us but hos own people and who is, in effect, crucified dead and buried.”—Vincent Canby


Walter Tevis was an American novelist and short story writer. Whilst a student at the University of Kentucky, Tevis worked in a pool hall and published a story about the game for an English class. He would later revisit his love for pool in the novels THE HUSTLER (1959) and THE COLOR OF MONEY (1984), both of which would be adapted into multiple award-winning films starring Paul Newman. Among his other works, THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH (1963) and MOCKINGBIRD (1980) are considered masterpieces of science fiction. Tevis died in 1984.