When the inhabitants of the colony world Newmanhome find their star system displaced by a cosmic entity, they must fight to survive against forces that treat galaxies as mere playthings. Viktor Sorricaine leads the desperate effort to understand the nature of Wan-To, a vast, ancient intelligence that views humanity as insignificant. As the planet is propelled toward the end of time, the narrative explores the immense physical and temporal scales of the universe. The story utilizes a multi-generational framework to track the characters' struggle against an adversary that operates on a scale beyond human comprehension.

This work is often discussed for its ambitious scope and the collaborative dynamic between two prominent figures in the science fiction genre. The narrative is noted for its focus on the 'big idea' approach, prioritizing the implications of cosmic-scale physics over intimate character development. Readers typically highlight the sense of scale and the imaginative depiction of an entity that views star systems as toys. The book serves as a representative example of late-twentieth-century hard science fiction, emphasizing the vastness of time and space as central narrative drivers.