Samfundskritisk science fiction-roman. Thomas Jerome Newton is an extraterrestrial from the planet Anthea, an advanced world that has been devastated by a series of nuclear wars. When he lands on Earth, disguised as a human, it's with the intention of saving his own people from extinction. Patenting advanced Anthean technology, he soon begins to amass the fortune he needs to help his people. But there are some who are suspicious of Newton's company's innovative products, and suspect there is more to this man than meets the eye.