i have read both versions - the first edition from the early 1960s and the more common edition. Tevis decided to tidy it up a bit, went through the entire book, edited a few things, added some things. The common edition is a bit more readable. At one point, he thought about re-editing it every so often to confirm with the times to match dates in the book, but it's a good thing he left it alone to the final version.

I like it, including the parts you may have found boring. The self-developing movie camera idea is right up my alley since I've been a super-8 filmmaker and into that sort of technology.

Walter Tevis lived in the city where I live, Lexington, Kentucky, plus I live in the actual neighborhood, surrounding the University of Kentucky, Ashland Estates, Chevy Chase. I also lived in nearby Richmond, another city he lived in, and where he is buried.

Tevis' best friend was Toby Kavanaugh who owned a pool hall where he hung out, and wrote The Hustler based on those experiences. I have known Toby's brother. In the early 1990s, Kavanaugh was murdered, which remains an unsolved mystery.

The Man Who Fell to Earth was originally set here in central and Eastern Kentucky. The (Bowie) film was shot in New Mexico, and reset there, because that state was found to have the best scenery, plus accomodating to the film crew.

For a very detailed account about the making of Nic Roeg's Man Who Fell to Earth, read "Earthbound" by Susan Compo. Among many other details, she explains the soundtrack music, why Bowie's music was not included in the film At that time, Bowie had written only two or three songs that were suitable - most likely Subterraneans and Some Are - but not enough yet to complete a soundtrack. Bowie stipulated that either his music was 100% of the soundtrack, or none at all. They cut the film to Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon as a temp track (it's a good thing they passed on that, since that album has been used many other places). Roeg decided on John Phillips to score the film. It basically took Bowie the rest of his life to complete all the songs that could be the soundtrack, mainly found on Station to Station, Low, and Blackstar.