Gentle, Christ-like alien, Thomas Jerome Newton falls to earth and undertakes a desperate plan to rescue the 300 remaining inhabitants of his war ravaged, resource depleted, dying home planet, Anthea. The tale begins with his landing in a barren Kentucky coalfield, and traces his meteoric rise to the top of the business world, accomplished with advanced Anthean technology and superior Anthean intellect.




The plan works so well, that in a few short years he has amassed enough wealth to construct the ferry ship that will perform a rescue mission to Anthea. But as the project nears completion, after five years of isolation and psychological strain from living amongst earthlings, a gin-soaked, world-weary Newton begins to doubt the plan’s wisdom. In frustration and despair, he states:




“Do you realize that you will not only wreck your civilization, such as it is, and kill most of your people; but that you will also poison the fish in your rivers, the squirrels in your trees, the flocks of birds, the soil, the water? There are times when you seem, to us, like apes loose in a museum, carrying knives, slashing the canvases, breaking the statuary with hammers.”*




With Orwellian overtones, the novel intertwines aching loneliness, stinging social commentary, convincing characters, and a potent plot reminiscent of Star Trek’s most cerebral episodes.




* from “The Man Who Fell to Earth”

As many stories.com writers attest, loneliness and boredom are very real human qualities. This novel weaves three such affected lives into clever, caring, social commentary.

When I finished the book, I wanted to view the film version. While the movie is admirable, and the casting of David Bowie as the alien is inspired, since he truly seems alien, it lacks the emotional intimacy of the novel, which ultimately makes you care.

It caused me to recall occasions such as parties, or business engagements, where I too felt a little like a man who "fell to earth."

This book slugs it out with "The Great Gatsby," "To Kill a Mockingbird,"


"1984," and "Hocus Pocus" for top spot.

At just under 200 pages, it perfectly captures the melancholy mood for a gray, wintery, weekend read; enjoyably bittersweet.




Published in 1963, set in what was then the future, but is now the past, it has timeless qualities essential to great fiction.




** Image ID #412691 Unavailable **

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Created May 04, 2002 at 4:11pm • Submit your own review...