:quality(85)//cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/infobae/4ZLZSEN5AVBOJELDRZB64JZWCA.jpeg "\"The Man Who Fell to Earth\", by Walter Tevis: the classic that captivated David Bowie 1")
Anthea is the planet where Thomas Newton came from in Kentucky, USA. Their world was devastated by nuclear wars and its inhabitants, twice as intelligent as humans, had to overcome the end.
Once on Earth, Newton takes on a humanoid appearance and is given the task of contacting the people of his planet to save them from extinction. His mission, however, and the technology he carries with him, catches the eye of a rather pretentious chemistry professor who believes that Newton is hiding something dangerous beneath the surface.
You may be interested: “The Burrow” by Brian Evenson. Speculative fiction, science fiction or detective novel?
The professor’s name is Nathan Bryce and he is the one who alerts the authorities to fall in love with Newton with everything. Although humans are not as advanced as the Antheans, they can be more dangerous. As Bryce and the US government grow closer to Newton, he must overcome obstacles and fight to achieve his goal: to save his people from certain death.
This is the plot of “The Man Who Fell to Earth” nail one of the most original and moving science fiction novels, written by Walter youthe famous author of “Queen’s Gambit”the novel that served as the basis for the homonymous series, produced by netflix and featuring Anya Taylor Joyin 2020.
About 240 pages, in the Alfaguara edition published by the Penguin Random House editorial group, with the translation by Basi Aroca Gómez, make up this copy that reaches bookstores in Spain and Latin America. It should be noted, in any case, that this is not a novelty, in every sense of the word.
The novel was originally published in 1963, and in the 1970s it was adapted for film by the director Nicolas Roeg. The presented band david bowie as the protagonist, in one of his most memorable performances on the big screen. The musician has always had, in addition, “The Man Who Fell to Earth” as one of his favorite books.
You may be interested: “Anatomy of the Abyss”: a collection of stories within the framework of Latin American history in the midst of chaos and disproportion written by Colombian Roberto Segrov
At the time, it was one of the most disruptive novels of the genre, reversing the way alien themes were approached. This number has gone from a permanent threat, or a higher level entity, to an excuse for the human race to reflect on their mistakes. The alien suddenly became a being that reflected our deepest fears, realizing his terror at contact with the unknown.
Newton, as the protagonist of this novel, is a victim of his inability to adapt to the human world. Although he considers himself as such, and he is so in view of his constant confusion and helplessness in the face of his surroundings, despite his superiority and the finesse of his intelligence, everything threatens him.
Exposed to the same conditions as everyone else on Earth, you will be at the mercy of damage, even physical: sprained ankles, broken bones, pain caused by sudden movements; also emotional: feeling alone and scared, with the constant fear that one’s true identity will be discovered. All this builds up in him and over time he will feel diminished and will eventually be reduced to an apathetic, bitter and sad type, immersed in alcohol.
You may be interested: Brandon Sanderson shares with his readers everything he learned in his “Creative Writing Course”
“I was sick; sick from the long and dangerous journey he had undertaken, sick from all the drugs – the pills, the vaccines, the inhalants – sick from the worry, anticipating the crisis, and terribly sick from the awful burden of his own weight . She had known for years that when the time came, when she finally landed and began to enact this complicated, well-considered plan, she would experience what she was experiencing. Yet this place, despite all he had studied, despite all he had rehearsed the role he had to play, seemed incredibly foreign to him. And the feeling – now that he could feel it – was overwhelming. He lay down on the grass and felt very sick” – (Fragment, “The Man Who Fell to Earth”by Walter Tevis).
Surrounded by beings with atypical behavior, Thomas Newton will see, on more than one occasion, the need to try to understand them. It is a tragedy beyond imagination. And it is that “The Man Who Fell to Earth” Although it is a sci-fi story, it manages to pick up elements from other genres, giving readers the opportunity to connect, beyond the fact that what is being told may become impossible. , and above whether they like it or not. of this type of fiction.
From tone to staging, everything in this novel obeys the mastery of a writer who is stubborn in his manners and excessively attentive to the reader’s journey through the story. There is no doubt that “The Man Who Fell to Earth” It is one of the great pieces of modern literature. It was time for a good Spanish edition to come out.
Continue reading: