Name: The Man who Fell to Earth
Rating: 4.055555555555555 (18 reviews)
ISBN: 9780141190372

Walter Tevis

'An utterly realistic novel about an alien human on Earth' Norman Spinrad On his first day on Earth, Thomas J. Newton walks into a small Kentucky town to sell a gold ring for $60. Yet this tall, unnaturally frail and strange man needs much more money than this to achieve his ultimate aims. By licensing the plans for unimaginably advanced technology he makes himself a fortune of hundreds of millions of dollars – but in doing so becomes an object of fascination, and even greater suspicion, for others. The Man Who Fell to Earth is a science-fiction classic – a sad, thoughtful allegory of mistrust and sacrifice. 'Beautiful science fiction' The New York Times

The Man who Fell to Earth

Mariam Raji

und Bryce sah, dass er weinte. Einen Moment lang stand er da und starrte auf ihn hinab. Dann ging er um den Tisch herum, kniete sich neben ihn und legte seinen Arm um Newtons Rücken. Er hielt ihn sacht fest, spürte, wie der federleichte Körper unter seinen Händen zitterte. Wie ein zarter, flatternder, verängstigter Vogel.

Thomas Jerome Newton is an extraterrestrial from the planet Anthea, which has been devastated by a series of nuclear wars, and whose inhabitants are twice as intelligent as human beings. When he lands on Earth - in Kentucky, disguised as a human - it's with the intention of saving his own people from extinction. Newton patents some very advanced Anthean technology, which he uses to amass a fortune. He begins to build a spaceship to help the last 300 Antheans migrate to Earth. Meanwhile, Nathan Bryce, a chemistry professor in Iowa, is intrigued by some of the new products Newton's company brings to the market, and already suspects Newton of being an alien. As Bryce and the FBI close in, Newton finds his own clarity and sense of purpose diminishing.

The Man Who Fell to Earth

ikkychan

Long time ago I saw a screenshot of a movie starred David Bowie. The screenshot is from a scene of the movie, in which someone asked a mysteriously reclusive and demure Bowie "What do you do? For a living, i mean" and he answered, smiling his aloof smile, "Oh, i'm just visiting". It stayed in mind from there on.<br /><br />It turned out the movie is based on this novel and i decided to give it a try. I mean, stories about human exploring alien territories is not uncanny as it's done often, but a humanoid alien exploring earth---which is basically alien territory for him---is unusual.<br /><br />The only thing i could say is it hopelessly broke my heart. I don't want to face the inevitable doom at the end as i thoroughly exhausted from the loneliness, alienation, and exasperation of being a failed Mesiah Newton felt. But here i am.

From the bestselling author of The Queen's Gambit, the landmark science fiction novel that inspired the classic 1976 film starring David Bowie and is the basis for the Showtime series A man wanders into town one day seemingly out of nowhere. He starts by peddling valuables just to get by. But he possesses uncanny scientific knowledge, which he uses to develop technologies of a marvelous nature. In time he builds a corporate empire that propels him to unimaginable wealth—but to what end? His rapid ascent to the highest levels of success is remarkable, but the vision of his enterprise begins to falter as he succumbs to afflictions that feel all-too-human, and the true purpose of his presence here on earth is in grave danger of being abandoned.

I feel like this book says that no matter how well intentioned you are out how well equipped you are you can still fail against the juggernaut of bureaucratic government. Or maybe it says that human spirit will always conquer the alien, even if they're intentions are good. Perhaps just that the best laid plans often go awry. 

The ending felt a bit bleak against what was a pretty amusing and positive middle of the book. 

Liam Richardson

I feel like this book says that no matter how well intentioned you are out how well equipped you are you can still fail against the juggernaut of bureaucratic government. Or maybe it says that human spirit will always conquer the alien, even if they're intentions are good. Perhaps just that the best laid plans often go awry. 

The ending felt a bit bleak against what was a pretty amusing and positive middle of the book. 

Walter S. Tevis

The man who fell to earth

Ein Außerirdischer der zu menschlich wird, was ihn letztendlich zerstört. 

Spannend, emotional und lehrreich zugleich

Ein Außerirdischer der zu menschlich wird, was ihn letztendlich zerstört. 

brillantes Buch. 

Spannend, emotional und lehrreich zugleich

B.H. Pitt

Absurdly human and hauntingly prescient for our times--in other words, good sci-fi.

Elke Maasbommel

I love a good science fiction novel. Not because of its space battles. Not because of the inevitable zip-zap flash-crash laser action between good and evil. Not even because of time travelling and parallel universes. (Though I must admit I don't hate those, either.) What fascinates me about science fiction is what they say about real life. Ironically, it is the futuristic setting of science fiction that facilitates close scrutiny of our own society, and Walter Tevis' The Man Who Fell to Earth does exactly that - without including time travel, battles, and laser action - and it does it oh, so well. Why? Read on!
The Man Who Fell to Earth is about Thomas Jerome Newton, an alien from the planet Anthea, who decides to fly to Earth in order to save his family. Forced to stay there due to a malfunctioning spacecraft, he adapts himself to American culture. Aided by his advanced scientific knowledge (he establishes a corporation and manages it without ever showing his face), two friends who are aware of his extraterrestrial identity, and copious amounts of alcohol, his life seems to flourish. While Newton is supposed to be an outsider, it is quite uncanny how prolonged exposure to human society makes him almost like everyone else. Almost, but not quite; his body is not used to the Earth's gravity or the alcohol he consumes. It must come as no surprise that his secret is eventually discovered by the Government - and what happens next shows quite clearly what the real differences are between Newton and the people he's trying to resemble.

Read the entire review here: http://the-openbook.com/2020/11/16/th...

Kane Ingham

jami welch

Lindy

Martin Weitzel

The “beautiful” novel that inspired the film starring David Bowie, from a Nebula Award finalist (The New York Times). The Man Who Fell to Earth tells the story of Thomas Jerome Newton, an alien disguised as a human who comes to Earth on a mission to save his people. Devastated by nuclear war, his home planet, Anthea, is no longer habitable. Newton lands in Kentucky and starts patenting Anthean technology—amassing the fortune he needs to build a spaceship that will bring the last three hundred Anthean survivors to Earth. But instead of the help he seeks, he finds only self-destruction, sinking into alcoholism and abandoning his spaceship, in this poignant story about the human condition by the acclaimed author of Mockingbird. “Beautiful science fiction . . . The story of an extraterrestrial visitor from another planet is designed mainly to say something about life on this one.” —The New York Times “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, author of The Iron Dream “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 This Side of Judgment

The Man who Fell to Earth

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