The Steps of the Sun - by Walter Tevis (Paperback)

About the Book

"It is the year 2063 and all energy sources have been depleted or declared unsafe. An ice age has begun, China's world dominance is growing, and America is sliding into impotence. Only Ben Belson, a New York financier, has any hope of reversing the decline of civilization. Undaunted by the apathy around him, haunted by emotional problems that are driving him toward suicide, he embarks on a highly publicized search for an extraterrestrial fuel supply. Though he sleeps through the long night of space, fate brings him to his star. What happens there shocks him back into sanity and life."--Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

From the bestselling author of The Queen's Gambit, a dramatic science fiction odyssey in which a billionaire ventures into outer space to save Earth

The year is 2063. Earth's energy resources are dangerously close to being depleted, a new world superpower has upset America's global dominance, and the threat of a new Ice Age looms large. Fortunately, there is one man brave enough--and perhaps foolish enough--to venture beyond the planet to find the mineral resources that will secure the country's future: Ben Belson. One of the richest men in the world, Belson is haunted by personal demons and wanted for his unlawful space travel, but he will stop at nothing to fulfill his crucial mission--and discover a future greater than he could ever have imagined.

Review Quotes

Praise for The Steps of the Sun

"Delightful." --Newsweek

"Tevis's delivery is agreeably fluid and deadpan; and narrator Ben Belson has enough craggy, amiably sardonic appeal to hold the reader's interest." --Kirkus Reviews

"Engaging and effortlessly readable." --Publishers Weekly

About the Author

WALTER TEVIS is the author of The Hustler, The Man Who Fell to Earth, Mockingbird, The Steps of the Sun, The Queen's Gambit, The Color of Money, and the short story collection Far from Home. The Man Who Fell to Earth was the basis for a major motion picture starring David Bowie. The Hustler and The Color of Money were also adapted for film, The Queen's Gambit was the basis of the Emmy Award-winning Netflix series and The Man Who Fell to Earth is the basis of the Showtime series. Tevis died in 1984.