Walter Tevis books in order

A man wanders into town one day seemingly out of nowhere. He starts by peddling valuables just to get by. But he possesses uncanny scientific knowledge, which he uses to develop technologies of a marvelous nature. In time he builds a corporate empire that propels him to unimaginable wealth—but to what end? 

His rapid ascent to the highest levels of success is remarkable, but the vision of his enterprise begins to falter as he succumbs to afflictions that feel all-too-human, and the true purpose of his presence here on earth is in grave danger of being abandoned.

In the future, the human race has ceased to progress. Granted endless leisure by widespread automation, the masses devote themselves solely to the pleasures of the here and now, to drugs that dull their senses and electronic bliss that disconnects them from reality. 

Theirs is a world that is without meaning or purpose, without art, children, or reading, and overseeing the bleak persistence of humanity is an intelligent machine whose only wish is to extinguish its own existence.

But when two ordinary people begin to fight the system, hope for the human race glimmers in their journey as they attempt to realize the full potential of humanity.

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.

Eight year-old orphan Beth Harmon is quiet, sullen, and by all appearances unremarkable. That is, until she plays her first game of chess. Her senses grow sharper, her thinking clearer, and for the first time in her life she feels herself fully in control. By the age of sixteen, she’s competing for the U.S. Open championship. But as Beth hones her skills on the professional circuit, the stakes get higher, her isolation grows more frightening, and the thought of escape becomes all the more tempting.

The author of the competitive pool thriller The Hustler and the groundbreaking sci-fi novel The Man Who Fell to Earth, Walter Tevis was also a master of the short story. His work was published in Playboy, Redbook, Cosmopolitan, and many other magazines. This anthology collects some of his best short work. Full of wit, surprise, dark humor, and deep emotion, these stories pack a punch—and are ideal for fans of his longer work or those looking for an introduction to one of America’s most iconic sci-fi writers.

Walter Tevis is widely regarded as a master for both his gritty poolhall novels and his brilliant rendering of the world of competitive chess. This long overdue collection establishes Tevis's rightful place as a maestro of the short form, as well. Bringing together the 1981 short story collection Far From Home with a host of other previously unpublished stories from journals and magazines, this entertaining collection showcases Tevis's characteristic perceptiveness, empathy, and range.

In one story, a man receives a phone call from his future self and follows their instructions to unpredictable, calamitous results. In another, a famous actor and a young actress showcase their talent for acting both on and off the stage. Here also are five short stories set in poolhalls, including one that features Fast Eddie Felson and another that was the basis for the novel The Hustler. Here also is his first fictional foray into chess, with a ranked chess player finding fellowship in the prison yard with another player.

In all of them, Tevis reminds again and again why his writing has long been revered for its roving curiosity and innate humanity.

To the strangers he plays in darkened pool halls, at first “Fast” Eddie Felson seems like a sloppy pool player with bright eyes and an extraordinary grin. But when real money is on the line, they see that Eddie is a hustler of the first order. But Eddie’s got ambitions and wants to quit his two-bit hustling for the big time. And when he sets his sights on Minnesota Fats, the best pool player in the country, he knows this match will be a true test of his skill—and he knows he can win. But what Eddie doesn’t know is that the game of pool isn’t all about skill. It’s about guts and stamina, and, above all, character.

Twenty years after he conquered the underground pool circuit as The Hustler, "Fast" Eddie Felson is playing exhibition matches with former rival Minnesota Fats in shopping malls for prizes like cable television.

With one failed marriage and years of running a pool hall behind him, Eddie is now ready to regain the skills needed to compete in a world of pool that has changed dramatically since he left. The real challenge comes when Eddie realizes that in order to compete with a new wave of young players, he must hone his skills in the unfamiliar game of nine-ball as opposed to the straight pool that had once won him fame. 

The Big Bounce is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Walter S. Tevis is in the English language, and may not include graphics or images from the original edition. If you enjoy the works of Walter S. Tevis then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection.

Three science fiction novels from the Nebula Award–nominated author of The Hustler and The Color of Money.

The Man Who Fell to Earth

After his home planet is devastated by war, an alien disguised as a human comes to Earth on a mission to save his people. He begins amassing wealth needed to build a spacecraft to bring his people to join him, but his plans get sidelined when he descends into alcoholism.

Mockingbird

On a post-apocalyptic Earth where humanity has suffered devastating losses, people are drugged from childhood on, there is no art, and reading is illegal. A suicidal machine runs the world, while the passion between two humans provides the only hope for humankind.

The Steps of the Sun

When the world’s richest man travels to the stars in search of the mineral wealth America needs to get it out of an energy crisis, he finds more than he bargains for—and gets more than he ever believed was possible . . .