Like all Antheans, Newton is super-intelligent, but he has been selected for this mission because he has the physical strength necessary to function in Earth's hotter climate and higher gravity.

Using advanced technology from his home planet, Newton patents many inventions, and amasses incredible wealth as the head of a technology-based conglomerate.

The story of Newton's blinding becomes a public scandal, but he does not pursue retaliation against the government and is left alone in turn and relies on alcohol to cope with depression.

Newton, speaking to Bryce for the last time, explains bitterly that he is unable to continue his spaceship project because of his blindness and because of planetary alignments which have changed during his captivity.

James Sallis declared that The Man Who Fell to Earth was "among the finest science fiction novels," saying "Just beneath the surface it might be read as a parable of the Fifties and of the Cold War.

[4] Other cast members include James Laurenson as businessman Felix Hawthorne, and Robert Picardo as government agent Richard Morse.

Developed by Alex Kurtzman, the series was to be a reimagining of Tevis' novel, following an alien who arrives on Earth at a turning point of human evolution.