Footfall

''NOBODY DOES IT BETTER THAN NIVEN AND POURNELLE. I LOVED IT!'' --Tom Clancy They first appear as a series of dots on astronomical plates; heading from Saturn directly toward Earth. Since the ringed planet carries no life; scientists deduce the mysterious ship to be a visitor from another star. The world's frantic efforts to signal the aliens go unanswered. The first contact is hostile: the invaders blast a Soviet space station; seize the survivors; and then destroy every dam and installation on Earth with a hail of asteriods. Now the conquerors are descending on the American heartland; demanding servile surrender--or death for all humans. ''ROUSING . . . THE BEST OF THE GENRE.'' --The New York Times Book Review From the Paperback edition.