THE BIG EMPTY

A novel
By Loren C. Steffy

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What happens when the promise of progress threatens the soul of a community?

The Big Empty is a sweeping, character-driven novel of ambition, tradition, and the collision of old and new in the heart of West Texas.

Acclaimed author Loren C. Steffy delivers a gripping, deeply human story set against the stark, mesmerizing backdrop of the West Texas plains. When a cutting-edge computer chip factory descends on the fading ranch town of Conquistador, two worlds collide: the proud, weathered ranchers fighting for survival and the ambitious newcomers chasing opportunity and reinvention.

Meet Trace Malloy, a third-generation cowboy whose life is tethered to the land, and Blaine Witherspoon, a Silicon Valley executive determined to build a legacy—no matter the cost. As drought, economic uncertainty, and culture clashes ignite tensions, both men are forced to confront what they're willing to sacrifice for family, pride, and the future.

The Big Empty is storytelling is as expansive and unflinching as the Texas sky—rich with authenticity, empathy, and insight.

“The Big Empty captures a moment when Big Tech seemingly promised everything. By turns funny and painful, Steffy’s story builds like an accelerating freight train, reaching a fast-paced climax.”<

“Like the titular land itself, Steffy’s novel is uncompromising in spotlighting the strains that the drive toward material achievement puts on the individual in the face of nature’s whims.”

“The story hurls forward with a steady momentum, culminating in a heady—yet still persuasively realistic—climax. At the end, what lingers are the characters themselves, whom Steffy peers into with such love and empathy that readers can't help but root for them.”