What do you think?
Rate this book
Relic
The last known human searches the galaxy for companionship in a brilliant standalone novel from the legendary author of the Pip & Flinx series.
Once Homo sapiens reigned supreme, spreading from star system to star system in an empire that encountered no alien life and thus knew no enemy . . . save itself. As had happened many times before, the basest, most primal human instincts rose up, only this time armed with the advanced scientific knowledge to create a genetically engineered smart virus that quickly wiped out humanity to the last man.
That man is Ruslan, the sole surviving human being in the universe. Rescued from the charnel house of his home planet by the Myssari--an intelligent alien race--Ruslan spends his days as something of a cross between a research subject and a zoo attraction. Though the Myssari are determined to resurrect the human race, using Ruslan's genetic material, all he wants for himself and his species is oblivion. But then the Myssari make Ruslan an extraordinary In exchange for his cooperation, they will do everything in their considerable power to find the lost home world of his species--an all-but-mythical place called Earth--and, perhaps, another living human.
Thus begins an epic journey of adventure, danger, heartbreak, and hope, as Ruslan sets out in search of a place that may no longer exist--drawn by the slimmest yet most enduring hope.
Once Homo sapiens reigned supreme, spreading from star system to star system in an empire that encountered no alien life and thus knew no enemy . . . save itself. As had happened many times before, the basest, most primal human instincts rose up, only this time armed with the advanced scientific knowledge to create a genetically engineered smart virus that quickly wiped out humanity to the last man.
That man is Ruslan, the sole surviving human being in the universe. Rescued from the charnel house of his home planet by the Myssari--an intelligent alien race--Ruslan spends his days as something of a cross between a research subject and a zoo attraction. Though the Myssari are determined to resurrect the human race, using Ruslan's genetic material, all he wants for himself and his species is oblivion. But then the Myssari make Ruslan an extraordinary In exchange for his cooperation, they will do everything in their considerable power to find the lost home world of his species--an all-but-mythical place called Earth--and, perhaps, another living human.
Thus begins an epic journey of adventure, danger, heartbreak, and hope, as Ruslan sets out in search of a place that may no longer exist--drawn by the slimmest yet most enduring hope.
309 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 14, 2018
547 people are currently reading
1796 people want to read
About the author
Alan Dean Foster
498 books2,033 followersBestselling science fiction writer Alan Dean Foster was born in New York City in 1946, but raised mainly in California. He received a B.A. in Political Science from UCLA in 1968, and a M.F.A. in 1969. Foster lives in Arizona with his wife, but he enjoys traveling because it gives him opportunities to meet new people and explore new places and cultures. This interest is carried over to his writing, but with a twist: the new places encountered in his books are likely to be on another planet, and the people may belong to an alien race.
Foster began his career as an author when a letter he sent to Arkham Collection was purchased by the editor and published in the magazine in 1968. His first novel, The Tar-Aiym Krang, introduced the Humanx Commonwealth, a galactic alliance between humans and an insectlike race called Thranx. Several other novels, including the Icerigger trilogy, are also set in the world of the Commonwealth. The Tar-Aiym Krang also marked the first appearance of Flinx, a young man with paranormal abilities, who reappears in other books, including Orphan Star, For Love of Mother-Not, and Flinx in Flux.
Foster has also written The Damned series and the Spellsinger series, which includes The Hour of the Gate, The Moment of the Magician, The Paths of the Perambulator, and Son of Spellsinger, among others. Other books include novelizations of science fiction movies and television shows such as Star Trek, The Black Hole, Starman, Star Wars, and the Alien movies. Splinter of the Mind's Eye, a bestselling novel based on the Star Wars movies, received the Galaxy Award in 1979. The book Cyber Way won the Southwest Book Award for Fiction in 1990. His novel Our Lady of the Machine won him the UPC Award (Spain) in 1993. He also won the Ignotus Award (Spain) in 1994 and the Stannik Award (Russia) in 2000.
Foster began his career as an author when a letter he sent to Arkham Collection was purchased by the editor and published in the magazine in 1968. His first novel, The Tar-Aiym Krang, introduced the Humanx Commonwealth, a galactic alliance between humans and an insectlike race called Thranx. Several other novels, including the Icerigger trilogy, are also set in the world of the Commonwealth. The Tar-Aiym Krang also marked the first appearance of Flinx, a young man with paranormal abilities, who reappears in other books, including Orphan Star, For Love of Mother-Not, and Flinx in Flux.
Foster has also written The Damned series and the Spellsinger series, which includes The Hour of the Gate, The Moment of the Magician, The Paths of the Perambulator, and Son of Spellsinger, among others. Other books include novelizations of science fiction movies and television shows such as Star Trek, The Black Hole, Starman, Star Wars, and the Alien movies. Splinter of the Mind's Eye, a bestselling novel based on the Star Wars movies, received the Galaxy Award in 1979. The book Cyber Way won the Southwest Book Award for Fiction in 1990. His novel Our Lady of the Machine won him the UPC Award (Spain) in 1993. He also won the Ignotus Award (Spain) in 1994 and the Stannik Award (Russia) in 2000.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 368 reviews
August 11, 2018
Originally posted at: https://1000yearplan.com/2018/08/11/r...
In Alan Dean Foster’s new novel, Relic, there is only one known human left in the universe. Ruslan is found by the alien Myssari, wandering the crumbling wasteland of his home planet Seraboth after a super virus called the Aura Malignance wiped out all other human life from every human occupied system in the galaxy. The worst part is, the virus was engineered by humans as a kind of doomsday weapon, which, it would appear, lived up to its billing. Now, the various alien species who populate the rest of the galaxy are moving in to claim the territories the nearly extinct human civilization left behind, and the discovery of any remaining humans becomes a political football between two of the expanding groups: the aforementioned Myssari and the more aggressive Vrizan. Both want to reseed humanity, and while the Myssari appear to have benevolent intentions, the Vrizan’s motives are more uncertain. The problem is, Ruslan isn’t sure the human race deserves to exist anymore, and he certainly doesn’t want to be its new progenitor. Eventually, he strikes a deal with the Myssari: He will let them use their cloning technology to restore the human race, if they agree to help him find the location of the human home world, which had long ago been lost to history.
Foster writes with an easy confidence one would expect from someone who has written more than a hundred novels and novelizations in a career than will soon span half a century. The plot runs on the kind of motor an experienced hand can build: efficient and engrossing in a seemingly effortless way. Foster gets down to business right away, laying out the history that led humanity to its demise and leading right into the major dramatic question Ruslan faces. He sets a clear goal for the story and charges ahead until all the questions are answered and obstacles overcome. Even if the storytelling is too clean and straightforward at times, there is comfort to be had in being in the hands of a seasoned pro.
Despite my general enjoyment of the book, little issues nagged at me from the corners, and compounded as the novel progressed. Though Ruslan spends most of his time in the company of the Myssari and even counts many of them as friends, I never felt that enough effort went into distinguishing them as individuals beyond a few prescribed personality traits. Their society appears entirely homogenized in terms of culture, motivation, and their intentions toward Ruslan and the restoration of humanity. Additionally, much needed tension arises in the form of obstacles placed in their path by the Vrizan, but most of these conflicts are resolved too quickly and easily, and more than once the Vrizan back down at the first sign of push back from the Myssari, even though the Myssari are described as a less militant and technologically inferior race. The most significant issue I had, though, was that the novel rather quickly becomes enamored with its search for the possibility of other living humans, and while this provides much of the excitement that made the novel upbeat and hopeful rather than cynical and depressing, it sidelines one of the main thematic threads that hooked me from the start: the idea of one lone human contemplating and coping with the tragedy of his uniqueness.
In the end, Relic is a well-written, well-structured and reasonably satisfying novel that doesn’t quite elevate itself above the fray.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Del Rey Books for the opportunity to read this ARC.
In Alan Dean Foster’s new novel, Relic, there is only one known human left in the universe. Ruslan is found by the alien Myssari, wandering the crumbling wasteland of his home planet Seraboth after a super virus called the Aura Malignance wiped out all other human life from every human occupied system in the galaxy. The worst part is, the virus was engineered by humans as a kind of doomsday weapon, which, it would appear, lived up to its billing. Now, the various alien species who populate the rest of the galaxy are moving in to claim the territories the nearly extinct human civilization left behind, and the discovery of any remaining humans becomes a political football between two of the expanding groups: the aforementioned Myssari and the more aggressive Vrizan. Both want to reseed humanity, and while the Myssari appear to have benevolent intentions, the Vrizan’s motives are more uncertain. The problem is, Ruslan isn’t sure the human race deserves to exist anymore, and he certainly doesn’t want to be its new progenitor. Eventually, he strikes a deal with the Myssari: He will let them use their cloning technology to restore the human race, if they agree to help him find the location of the human home world, which had long ago been lost to history.
Foster writes with an easy confidence one would expect from someone who has written more than a hundred novels and novelizations in a career than will soon span half a century. The plot runs on the kind of motor an experienced hand can build: efficient and engrossing in a seemingly effortless way. Foster gets down to business right away, laying out the history that led humanity to its demise and leading right into the major dramatic question Ruslan faces. He sets a clear goal for the story and charges ahead until all the questions are answered and obstacles overcome. Even if the storytelling is too clean and straightforward at times, there is comfort to be had in being in the hands of a seasoned pro.
Despite my general enjoyment of the book, little issues nagged at me from the corners, and compounded as the novel progressed. Though Ruslan spends most of his time in the company of the Myssari and even counts many of them as friends, I never felt that enough effort went into distinguishing them as individuals beyond a few prescribed personality traits. Their society appears entirely homogenized in terms of culture, motivation, and their intentions toward Ruslan and the restoration of humanity. Additionally, much needed tension arises in the form of obstacles placed in their path by the Vrizan, but most of these conflicts are resolved too quickly and easily, and more than once the Vrizan back down at the first sign of push back from the Myssari, even though the Myssari are described as a less militant and technologically inferior race. The most significant issue I had, though, was that the novel rather quickly becomes enamored with its search for the possibility of other living humans, and while this provides much of the excitement that made the novel upbeat and hopeful rather than cynical and depressing, it sidelines one of the main thematic threads that hooked me from the start: the idea of one lone human contemplating and coping with the tragedy of his uniqueness.
In the end, Relic is a well-written, well-structured and reasonably satisfying novel that doesn’t quite elevate itself above the fray.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Del Rey Books for the opportunity to read this ARC.
December 8, 2021
4.5 Stars for Relic (audiobook) by Alan Dean Foster read by Marc Thompson. I really enjoyed this story. It went off in directions that I wasn’t expecting. The narration was great too.
November 17, 2021
Relic is the story of the last man alive after a manufactured plague has gone awry and killed all the rest of the humans on an interstellar level. He's been adopted as a curiosity/pet/specimen by a race of aliens, and they travel from one planet to another researching the lost human civilizations and he cooperates with them with the understanding that he'll eventually help recreate the species if they'll help him search for the lost home-world, Earth. (It's never made clear why they would want to resurrect humanity.) Soon another race of aliens is discovered that wants him to work with them, and then more lost humans are discovered, and then Earth is eventually located... and things get a little hard to accept. It's a pretty enjoyable book with some good ideas (that are lessened a bit by some inconsistencies), but it's much more slowly paced than the Humanx novels, with not as convincing races or individual characters as the Pip & Flinx books.
September 23, 2018
Alan Dean Foster's "Relic" is a decent book that's marred by many inconsistencies. At first, I thought those inconsistencies might have been because the book was one of Foster's earlier works. But, it turns out that the book is brand new (published in 2018). So, I have no idea why Foster built them into the thing. In general, the writing is fine and the story interesting (though some of the alien behavior is a bit silly and cliche). But, the inconsistencies just drive my rating down to only an OK 3 stars out of 5. Here are some of them:
- On the very first page of the book, Foster describes the rough history of mankind. It sounds like it covers thousands, if not tens of thousands of years. Yet, the apparent technology of humans doesn't seem all that advanced.
- Foster kindly explains the use of a made up pronoun for the protagonist's third gender friend. But, he then forgets to use that pronoun for a while, remembers for a bit, and then just stops using it altogether.
- The plague that wipes out humanity appears to have died out decades earlier. Yet, two survivors are, essentially, children.
- Foster repeatedly uses "millions" or "hundreds of millions" to describe the number of people who died from the plague. Yet, all of humanity on all the planets across a vast swath of the galaxy died. That number should have been on the order of hundreds of billions, if not trillions.
- A psychologically scarred girl grows to speak alien languages better than the aliens themselves. Yet, at one point, starts speaking in her child-like, psychologically-scarred vocabulary as an adult in an alien language.
- Foster repeatedly says that human technology at the end was about the same as the current alien technology. Yet, when talking about the natural resources of Earth, he says human technology was too primitive to denude it of resources and advanced alien technology could continue to gather resources.
- Then, he introduces a human-made door of a material the aliens had never seen (which protected technologies the aliens didn't have).
- And, then, he locks that door with a human DNA check (but not an individual human's DNA) even though humanity had never run across any alien life anywhere.
- And, finally, there are 3 billion events that had to happen for a certain part of the book to be true. Even performing each of those highly complex events once per second (which is ridiculous), it would have taken almost 100 years to perform all of those events. Yes, the events could be done at multiple locations. But, that number of locations is just not reasonable.
Again, an OK book. But, those inconsistencies just knocked it out of the running.
- On the very first page of the book, Foster describes the rough history of mankind. It sounds like it covers thousands, if not tens of thousands of years. Yet, the apparent technology of humans doesn't seem all that advanced.
- Foster kindly explains the use of a made up pronoun for the protagonist's third gender friend. But, he then forgets to use that pronoun for a while, remembers for a bit, and then just stops using it altogether.
- The plague that wipes out humanity appears to have died out decades earlier. Yet, two survivors are, essentially, children.
- Foster repeatedly uses "millions" or "hundreds of millions" to describe the number of people who died from the plague. Yet, all of humanity on all the planets across a vast swath of the galaxy died. That number should have been on the order of hundreds of billions, if not trillions.
- A psychologically scarred girl grows to speak alien languages better than the aliens themselves. Yet, at one point, starts speaking in her child-like, psychologically-scarred vocabulary as an adult in an alien language.
- Foster repeatedly says that human technology at the end was about the same as the current alien technology. Yet, when talking about the natural resources of Earth, he says human technology was too primitive to denude it of resources and advanced alien technology could continue to gather resources.
- Then, he introduces a human-made door of a material the aliens had never seen (which protected technologies the aliens didn't have).
- And, then, he locks that door with a human DNA check (but not an individual human's DNA) even though humanity had never run across any alien life anywhere.
- And, finally, there are 3 billion events that had to happen for a certain part of the book to be true. Even performing each of those highly complex events once per second (which is ridiculous), it would have taken almost 100 years to perform all of those events. Yes, the events could be done at multiple locations. But, that number of locations is just not reasonable.
Again, an OK book. But, those inconsistencies just knocked it out of the running.
April 27, 2020
4.5 stars for this book. When you read the premise of this book you cannot help but think this is going to be a poor science fiction story that wants to laugh at itself but what you get is a story that gets more and more complex as it progresses, all along you will find aliens that are novel in the way the author brought them to life and you will not be able not to feel a little bit sad about the reality of humanity presented in this book especially the eerie comparison to current times. At the ending I couldn’t help but feel happy at the outcome of the main character and a little bit proud of humanity. Just believe me this book is a lot more complex than what it portrays to be.
May 11, 2018
Been meaning to check out this guy for a while. Kind of mostly associate him with all the novelizations, but Foster is nothing if not productive, his body of work is genuinely ginormous and he’s been at it for considerably longer than I’ve been alive, so yeah…lots of books, mostly as mentioned novelizations and serials. I’m not interested in either, but when his latest standalone appeared on Netgalley, it was meant to be. And it was good. A sure sign of the book’s quality for me is whether it merits thought when I’m away from it (if I can’t managed my preferred one sitting reads) and this one certainly did. Took a while to get through (2 days, long sittings), the book was dense, but so well done, it was completely enjoyable, entertaining and fun. Relic refers to the last man in the universe, or so he and his minders believe him to be. Earthmen ambitiously colonized other words (from one of which he hails originally), but then orchestrated their own demise, leaving behind a lonely survivor. An intelligent alien race has adopted him sort of and has been taking care of him, sustaining his life beyond its natural bounds and studying him for decades, meeting almost every need but that of a genuine companionship of the same species. They wish to perpetuate his species (despite the implies violence with which they imploded) and they are not the only intelligent lifeforms after the same thing, their charge wishes to find another one of his kind and maybe even the world he’s never seen but instinctively longed for, Earth itself. Sounds like a quest. It is a quest. Intergalactic adventures ensue. But not the action propelled boombastic sort, more like a slow burning, character driven, world building kind. It’s quite leisurely paced, but it’s meticulously crafted, the planets and civilizations and their inhabitants and their actions and their motivations are well realized and vividly described, creating a very immersive reading experience straight down to the surprisingly happy ending or at least a very optimistic one. Even if some of the pacing may not be to your liking, you gotta admire Foster’s imagination, the aliens and their respective cultures and dialects alone are awesome. I enjoyed this book so much and would absolutely recommend it for science fiction fans. Thanks Netgalley.
July 27, 2023
3.4⭐
The last guy alive ( as far as anyone knows) is rescued by some triangular aliens and becomes a kind of living fossil ( or "relic"). Two adolescent survivors are eventually found, complicating matters immensely. The triangles get into a spat with bendy alien lizards over who owns the humans. Then everybody goes to Earth. Good, clean fun!
The last guy alive ( as far as anyone knows) is rescued by some triangular aliens and becomes a kind of living fossil ( or "relic"). Two adolescent survivors are eventually found, complicating matters immensely. The triangles get into a spat with bendy alien lizards over who owns the humans. Then everybody goes to Earth. Good, clean fun!
October 11, 2018
The writing was good and the concept was good, but the story just never got off the ground for me. It was like reading the back of a cereal box, something to look at while you are doing something else.
September 7, 2018
This book has some serious issues, mankind is alone in the universe err... except for at least one set of natives we forgot about. And less than 100 years after the magic plague kills everyone but one survivor, humanspace becomes swarmed with other alien races. There's some other hokey stuff, but it would be a major spoiler if I discussed them. I was tossed up if I should rate this as a 1 star, but some of the alien interaction was decent. A marginally OK read, I recommend trying almost any other Foster book than this one.
January 10, 2019
Decent enough science fiction from Alan Dean Foster. There is nothing particularly groundbreaking about the 'last man' concept, and some of the plot here left me scratching my head (ages of those involved for instance, saying no more because of spoilers but if you read it you'll know what I mean).
However, a relatively satisfying way to spend an afternoon.
However, a relatively satisfying way to spend an afternoon.
August 13, 2018
I haven’t read any sci-fi books in 15 years and the only other books I read by Alan Dean Foster (who is a best-selling author of over a hundred books) back in the day were Quozl (From Amazon - Rabbitlike aliens from outer space colonize Earth during humankind’s WWII in a delightfully funny and thought-provoking sci-fi adventure) and Glory Lane (From Amazon - Seeth, Miranda, and Kerwin discover that the fate of the universe is in their hands following a bizarre encounter with an alien at a bowling alley). As I remember, they were both entertaining and amusing reads that kept my interest.
Relic is more serious space-based science fiction but how can anyone not be intrigued by a book that begins with this:
Humankind has been wiped out by the Aura Malignance — the plague. Apparently humans developed the disease but it is not known whether it originated on Earth or not.
Out of hundreds of human worlds, there is only one sole survivor, immune to the illness. His name is Ruslan; he has forgotten his other names.
The Myssari, am alien race, found him wandering on his home planet of Seraboth and rescued him. They restored and renewed him to the point that Ruslan feels better than he has in decades. He does not want for anything, thanks to his generous hosts. In fact, Ruslan told them that alcohol is necessary for his optimal functioning so they make sure it is always available to him.
Although the Myssari are kind and even overly polite, Ruslan feels he is at times, treated like a specimen, an artifact, a relic. The Myssari are steadfast in their determination to revive the homo sapiens species and to do so through cloning Ruslan, with or without his cooperation plus other bioengineering techniques, such as introducing genetic variation from dead humans. Yet Ruslan cannot quite comprehend why they want to bring back humans after they caused themselves to go extinct. The Myssari have a simple answer — because knowledge is valuable and important.
Relic is an engrossing story that i found unpredictable. The book starts out slowly but stick with it because it picks up and by the end, it does so in a big way. It is well written and well thought out with highly developed and interesting characters. Although the beginning may seem grim, I guarantee that the end is far from it.
Thank you to Del Rey Books and NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.
Relic is more serious space-based science fiction but how can anyone not be intrigued by a book that begins with this:
He was the last one. The others, the rest, the balance, the remainder: they were all gone now, in their mass and multitudes. Memories and ghosts of memories.
Humankind has been wiped out by the Aura Malignance — the plague. Apparently humans developed the disease but it is not known whether it originated on Earth or not.
Whatever you may think of us, it can’t be any worse than what we thought of ourselves. Arrogance was the end of humanity, not the plague.
Out of hundreds of human worlds, there is only one sole survivor, immune to the illness. His name is Ruslan; he has forgotten his other names.
He could not even recall if Ruslan was a first name, a last, or something else. Not that it mattered. There were no other Ruslans with whom to be confused. There were no others at all.
The Myssari, am alien race, found him wandering on his home planet of Seraboth and rescued him. They restored and renewed him to the point that Ruslan feels better than he has in decades. He does not want for anything, thanks to his generous hosts. In fact, Ruslan told them that alcohol is necessary for his optimal functioning so they make sure it is always available to him.
Although the Myssari are kind and even overly polite, Ruslan feels he is at times, treated like a specimen, an artifact, a relic. The Myssari are steadfast in their determination to revive the homo sapiens species and to do so through cloning Ruslan, with or without his cooperation plus other bioengineering techniques, such as introducing genetic variation from dead humans. Yet Ruslan cannot quite comprehend why they want to bring back humans after they caused themselves to go extinct. The Myssari have a simple answer — because knowledge is valuable and important.
...the important philosophical point that no intelligence should be lost. We firmly believe that every species, no matter their individual or collective failings has by their inherent uniqueness something important to contribute to the ongoing advance of civilizations. This therefore includes humankind.
Relic is an engrossing story that i found unpredictable. The book starts out slowly but stick with it because it picks up and by the end, it does so in a big way. It is well written and well thought out with highly developed and interesting characters. Although the beginning may seem grim, I guarantee that the end is far from it.
Thank you to Del Rey Books and NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.
August 13, 2018
In Relic, Alan Dean Foster tells the story of the last human being in the universe. Humans have expanded to multiple planets by the time they engineer a virus that is able to kill all humans across the galaxy save for Ruslan, a middle-management type who wanders his doomed planet alone before being discovered by another intelligent species from far off in the universe. The aliens are set on re-populating the worlds with a new generation of humans in the name of science and knowledge, but Ruslan is not so sure a species that managed to extinguish itself is worth reviving.
This was such an interesting and fun story. Through strong plot lines and writing, Foster does a great job describing what it might be like to be the lone human survivor in the hands of a scientifically curious (and entirely too polite) race of aliens. There is some great commentary on the human condition that is only highlighted by the vastly different Myssari race. Using humor, cynicism, and a great deal of action, Foster weaves together a story that is ultimately hopeful at a time when the human condition in the U.S. is filled with anxiety and divisiveness. The reader is left believing that perhaps all is not lost, after all.
I definitely enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone who loves sci fi and needs a bit of a pick-me-up.
This was such an interesting and fun story. Through strong plot lines and writing, Foster does a great job describing what it might be like to be the lone human survivor in the hands of a scientifically curious (and entirely too polite) race of aliens. There is some great commentary on the human condition that is only highlighted by the vastly different Myssari race. Using humor, cynicism, and a great deal of action, Foster weaves together a story that is ultimately hopeful at a time when the human condition in the U.S. is filled with anxiety and divisiveness. The reader is left believing that perhaps all is not lost, after all.
I definitely enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone who loves sci fi and needs a bit of a pick-me-up.
July 13, 2022
Not sure why I finished this book, but I guess I’m glad I did. The premise of it—the last human discovered and taken to be studied by aliens—really intrigued me.
I was hoping the book wouldn’t go in the (obvious) direction I thought it would, but alas, I cannot always get what I want. I wanted a bleak and dark look at humanity and this guys future (basically The Road, but with aliens)—that’s not what I got (and that’s okay!).
The writing was fine, if a bit annoying at times; I’m guessing author was a big fan of thesaurus.com. I wouldn’t ever re-read it, but it was a perfectly fine sci fi book.
I was hoping the book wouldn’t go in the (obvious) direction I thought it would, but alas, I cannot always get what I want. I wanted a bleak and dark look at humanity and this guys future (basically The Road, but with aliens)—that’s not what I got (and that’s okay!).
The writing was fine, if a bit annoying at times; I’m guessing author was a big fan of thesaurus.com. I wouldn’t ever re-read it, but it was a perfectly fine sci fi book.
May 7, 2018
I'm still contemplating this one.
April 26, 2019
DNF
An interesting idea but a boring read, in my opinion.
An interesting idea but a boring read, in my opinion.
May 6, 2018
Alan Dean Foster is an extraordinary writer who continues to surprise this reader after 25 years of reading his work. His imagination and research combined makes for interesting reading. I was happy to see his latest book #Relic available as an ARC on #NetGalley. What a satisfying story.
Imagine a virus that attacks only humans and every human it attacks it kills. You watch your family, your friends, your neighbors as they die from this virus. It is so lethal, it kills every human on earth and everywhere else they have colonized. There are still alien races flourishing on other planets. Earth is abandoned but not destroyed. This is what Ruslan experienced. He is the last human left, a living artifact, a relic. What happens to one who is immune to this virus?
We are taken many years into the future to read what happens to Ruslan when he is discovered by an alien race. I was hooked right from the beginning of this book. This story was a treat for my mind. I found myself wondering how can this story come to a satisfying conclusion? It was far better than anything I could have imagined. Look for this book that is scheduled for publication August 14, 2018.
Imagine a virus that attacks only humans and every human it attacks it kills. You watch your family, your friends, your neighbors as they die from this virus. It is so lethal, it kills every human on earth and everywhere else they have colonized. There are still alien races flourishing on other planets. Earth is abandoned but not destroyed. This is what Ruslan experienced. He is the last human left, a living artifact, a relic. What happens to one who is immune to this virus?
We are taken many years into the future to read what happens to Ruslan when he is discovered by an alien race. I was hooked right from the beginning of this book. This story was a treat for my mind. I found myself wondering how can this story come to a satisfying conclusion? It was far better than anything I could have imagined. Look for this book that is scheduled for publication August 14, 2018.
September 7, 2020
A great story about the last human being rescued by aliens who are fascinated by humanity and want to explore their story through visiting various planets that humanity have settled on.
After a while constantly being asked questions about your culture and technology begins to drag on Ruslan as he misses contact with fellow humans.
A big twist at the end.
After a while constantly being asked questions about your culture and technology begins to drag on Ruslan as he misses contact with fellow humans.
A big twist at the end.
April 24, 2018
3.5 stars, rounded up for an innovative story idea.
Ruslan is the sole human survivor of a disease that claimed every human on every human settled planet. He is rescued by an alien race that assists him in a quest to find other survivors in exchange for his knowledge of the human species.
This was an innovative story line that I thoroughly enjoyed.
The Good:
Meeting two interesting alien species and a few new worlds.
New discoveries of other survivors (or maybe not), some tension between the alien races about the ownership of the human specimen.
Fairly well paced storyline (there were a few slowing paragraphs when depressed Ruslan was thinking too much, see “The Bad”).
The Bad:
- Ruslan was not described as an upbeat human being, but borderlined depressive most of the time.
- The Myssari, the alien race that rescued Ruslan, was, of course, interested in him in a scientific way. However, after having him live among them for decades one would think they quit calling him (in his presence) a “specimen” – this detachment was getting unbelievable and tiring.
- This book was filled with words that were either made up to explain an alien world, or ones the author seems to expect the average reader to know.
Ruslan is the sole human survivor of a disease that claimed every human on every human settled planet. He is rescued by an alien race that assists him in a quest to find other survivors in exchange for his knowledge of the human species.
This was an innovative story line that I thoroughly enjoyed.
The Good:
Meeting two interesting alien species and a few new worlds.
New discoveries of other survivors (or maybe not), some tension between the alien races about the ownership of the human specimen.
Fairly well paced storyline (there were a few slowing paragraphs when depressed Ruslan was thinking too much, see “The Bad”).
The Bad:
- Ruslan was not described as an upbeat human being, but borderlined depressive most of the time.
- The Myssari, the alien race that rescued Ruslan, was, of course, interested in him in a scientific way. However, after having him live among them for decades one would think they quit calling him (in his presence) a “specimen” – this detachment was getting unbelievable and tiring.
- This book was filled with words that were either made up to explain an alien world, or ones the author seems to expect the average reader to know.
March 23, 2018
Ruslan is the last surviving human. A genetically engineered virus, meant as a tool of war, has wiped out the rest of the human population across the universe. The aliens who are keeping him alive want his help as they clone additional humans in order to prevent extinction. In exchange, he has asked to see Earth, the origin planet of humanity that has long been lost from memory. Along the way as they search for clues about Earth's location, they hear rumors of other surviving humans on other planets, and Ruslan begins to wonder if perhaps he isn't alone.
This is a good story, with a slow, measured pace ideal for epic space operas with lots of world-building. Fans of long, detailed stories that are short on action but long on character development and description will love this novel.
Recommended for: adults
Red Flags: N/A
Overall Rating: 4/5 stars
Read-Alikes: C.S. Lewis's Martian Chronicles, The Sparrow,
I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley for the purposes of review.
This is a good story, with a slow, measured pace ideal for epic space operas with lots of world-building. Fans of long, detailed stories that are short on action but long on character development and description will love this novel.
Recommended for: adults
Red Flags: N/A
Overall Rating: 4/5 stars
Read-Alikes: C.S. Lewis's Martian Chronicles, The Sparrow,
I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley for the purposes of review.
August 11, 2024
I've read a lot by Alan Dean Foster. I enjoy his science fiction stories, no great concepts, but he is a good world-builder, which I appreciate. For me, his best work is set in the universe of The Humanx Commonwealth, with many of his books featuring a youth named Flinx. "Relic" is a stand-alone and not set in that universe. The relic of the title is the last human, a man named "Ruslan." A genetically engineered virus has wiped out humanity--not only on Earth, but on all the planets colonized by the human race. Except for Ruslan, who was on one of the colony worlds. He is found wandering among the ruins by an alien race, the Myssari. They are determined to help "the last man" find any other surviving humans. They will even help him to find his long-lost home world of Earth. I have to say I find the last man in the universe trope fascinating. I don't know what it says about me, but, anyway, Foster has done a great job with the trope...
November 21, 2021
A page turner this is not. I've ready one other Alan Dean Foster book and I don't know of it's a coincidence, but I'm just not a fan of his writing style. RELIC is about the supposed last human named Ruslan. A scientific race promised to help find the "mythical" Earth in exchange for his genetic material to try and revive humanity. But one of my biggest questions was, to a more advanced race than humanity, in the far future, how could Earth be so mysterious and unknown? The story never explains it to satisfactory levels other than just not knowing or finding the information being difficult. It felt like a contrived excuse for motivation and conflict. Another more militaristic race also wants Ruslan but I found the whole story to be boring and grasping at straws for drama. The ending also rips off the video game Mass Effect and I rolled my eyes to the conclusion of the story.
May 12, 2018
Review Copy
In RELIC Alan Dean Foster does what he has so well for over 40 years: created brand new alien species and new environments and plots to contain them.
Foster is known for writing series - from his early days of the Spellsinger, Icerigger and Pip & Flinx series to the all encompassing Humanx Commonwealth - RELIC is unlike all of these. It is a standalone novel that is quite enthralling in its complexity. It boasts a slow build up to an explosive end that I found stunning and unexpected.
If you're a fan of sf who has never read Alan Dean Foster, why not? You can start here then work your way back through the humor or the fantasy or whatever suits your mood. It's all there.
In RELIC Alan Dean Foster does what he has so well for over 40 years: created brand new alien species and new environments and plots to contain them.
Foster is known for writing series - from his early days of the Spellsinger, Icerigger and Pip & Flinx series to the all encompassing Humanx Commonwealth - RELIC is unlike all of these. It is a standalone novel that is quite enthralling in its complexity. It boasts a slow build up to an explosive end that I found stunning and unexpected.
If you're a fan of sf who has never read Alan Dean Foster, why not? You can start here then work your way back through the humor or the fantasy or whatever suits your mood. It's all there.
September 10, 2018
Overall it was enjoyable twist on the last man in earth concept with lots of interesting science fiction explorations but lacked enough focus to make it truly suck you in. In the end it felt more like an outline for a great series instead of one in its own right. Narrator Marc Thompson gives a strong performance particularly in allowing you to feel the emotions of the main character and voicing the alien species.
August 29, 2018
I really enjoyed the story but he might have been a bit more concise. There were quite a few spots when the action needed to move ahead briskly, but he ground out details that didn't help. The story, however, was interesting and fun. I'd read a sequel, if one exists.
August 31, 2023
This was an interesting book, didn't love it but I was in for the ride
December 17, 2023
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.
A lone human is the last of his species, and as an invaluable scientific specimen, is the subject of ongoing disputes between two rival alien races who are each intent on studying humanity. Shenanigans ensue.
The unfailingly gentle and accommodating Myssari have treated him very well for years, but are relentless in their view of Ruslan as “property,” a “specimen,” and a “research subject,” and seem to think of him as little more than a smart, cosseted pet. The Vrizan are more humanoid in both general body plan and temperament. Despite their aggressiveness and willingness to use underhanded and even violent methods to achieve their ends, the Vrizan seem more able to recognize Ruslan's inherent personhood and repeatedly offer him the choice to come live with them instead. Considering the other things the Vrizan have done, it is questionable whether they can be trusted. But even offering an illusion of choice is not something that ever occurred to the Myssari. So... who are the real villains here?
I thought a lot about Octavia Butler's Xenogenesis trilogy while vreading this. This scenario is more extreme, with a single surviving human instead of a few thousand, but they examine the same basic questions – when an alien species is attempting to revive the nearly extinct Homo sapiens, does the right of an individual human to self-determination still matter? What about the right to give or withhold consent to have your biological material used in the effort? And does a species that destroyed itself with a terrible biological weapon even deserve a second chance? And do the few remaining specimens get to weigh in on that, or have they forfeited all choice in the matter by destroying themselves? Of course, one of the major differences between this story and Xenogenesis is that what the Oonkali are creating in Xenogenesis is Humanity 2.0, with all of its destructive tendencies bred out through cross-breeding with the Oonkali, whereas here, the Myssari are working on version 1.1 – the same basic stock with a few tweaks here and there.
Very near the end, I felt I had a handle on the “big idea” this story was meant to explore, which I thought was an examination of the will to dominance and violence that is an innate characteristic of both humanity and the Vrizan (i.e., those very same destructive qualities the Oonkali edited out in Xenogenesis). We see it illustrated on both a small and large scale – if there are three humans alive, they'll find a reason to form factions and fight, and if there are three sapient species alive, they'll do the same. But I felt confused by the actual ending – although it was a feel-good ending, it seemed to badly distract from the point of the story, if indeed I was on the right track about what the point was.
I've always enjoyed Foster's narrative voice. Something about him reminds me of Robert Heinlein, with that innate sense of underlying good humor (even when a story is not overtly funny, as this one is not) and rollicking adventure, and he avoids the worst of the many annoyances about reading Heinlein.
Audio Notes: The narrator is quite good, and this could have been a really good audio... but for the many very annoying directorial choices on how to portray the various characters' voices. You can do alien voices that are alien, and distinct to each alien character, without making them all as annoying as shit. Exhibit A: Dawn and the other books of the Xenogenesis trilogy. And the decision to do all of Ruslan's dialog in an affected Clint-Eastwood-like growl was the worst of all.
A lone human is the last of his species, and as an invaluable scientific specimen, is the subject of ongoing disputes between two rival alien races who are each intent on studying humanity. Shenanigans ensue.
The unfailingly gentle and accommodating Myssari have treated him very well for years, but are relentless in their view of Ruslan as “property,” a “specimen,” and a “research subject,” and seem to think of him as little more than a smart, cosseted pet. The Vrizan are more humanoid in both general body plan and temperament. Despite their aggressiveness and willingness to use underhanded and even violent methods to achieve their ends, the Vrizan seem more able to recognize Ruslan's inherent personhood and repeatedly offer him the choice to come live with them instead. Considering the other things the Vrizan have done, it is questionable whether they can be trusted. But even offering an illusion of choice is not something that ever occurred to the Myssari. So... who are the real villains here?
I thought a lot about Octavia Butler's Xenogenesis trilogy while vreading this. This scenario is more extreme, with a single surviving human instead of a few thousand, but they examine the same basic questions – when an alien species is attempting to revive the nearly extinct Homo sapiens, does the right of an individual human to self-determination still matter? What about the right to give or withhold consent to have your biological material used in the effort? And does a species that destroyed itself with a terrible biological weapon even deserve a second chance? And do the few remaining specimens get to weigh in on that, or have they forfeited all choice in the matter by destroying themselves? Of course, one of the major differences between this story and Xenogenesis is that what the Oonkali are creating in Xenogenesis is Humanity 2.0, with all of its destructive tendencies bred out through cross-breeding with the Oonkali, whereas here, the Myssari are working on version 1.1 – the same basic stock with a few tweaks here and there.
Very near the end, I felt I had a handle on the “big idea” this story was meant to explore, which I thought was an examination of the will to dominance and violence that is an innate characteristic of both humanity and the Vrizan (i.e., those very same destructive qualities the Oonkali edited out in Xenogenesis). We see it illustrated on both a small and large scale – if there are three humans alive, they'll find a reason to form factions and fight, and if there are three sapient species alive, they'll do the same. But I felt confused by the actual ending – although it was a feel-good ending, it seemed to badly distract from the point of the story, if indeed I was on the right track about what the point was.
I've always enjoyed Foster's narrative voice. Something about him reminds me of Robert Heinlein, with that innate sense of underlying good humor (even when a story is not overtly funny, as this one is not) and rollicking adventure, and he avoids the worst of the many annoyances about reading Heinlein.
Audio Notes: The narrator is quite good, and this could have been a really good audio... but for the many very annoying directorial choices on how to portray the various characters' voices. You can do alien voices that are alien, and distinct to each alien character, without making them all as annoying as shit. Exhibit A: Dawn and the other books of the Xenogenesis trilogy. And the decision to do all of Ruslan's dialog in an affected Clint-Eastwood-like growl was the worst of all.
January 5, 2019
Read for January book group.
This wasn't quite what I expected. I either didn't read the jacket blurb or I forgot what the jacket blurb said. What I thought I was getting into was the Unidentified Object In Space theme.
What I got was a moderately interesting story about Ruslan, purportedly the last human alive after the Aura Malignace virus swept through humanity, killing every human on every human settled planet. Why Ruslan was immune, he doesn't know. Ruslan was found by the Mysarri, a gentle and polite race of tripodal aliens who were beyond excited to have a live specimen to study and talk to. Ruslan fully understands his role in Mysarri society - he's a valued and prized specimen. When pressure increases to start cloning Ruslan in the name of preservation, he balks, then strikes a deal - if the Mysarri will search for the location of Old Earth, he'll consent to being cloned. This sets off a chain of events that will change everything.
I think what kept my attention with this one was it was so very different from anything I've read previously. The plot was steady, Ruslan is a mature character (by "mature" I mean he's probably over 60), the aliens were interesting, and like a gentle but steady current when canoeing, I found myself being pulled along with no resistance.
Ruslan and his alien keepers visit a couple of previously human settled worlds in search for clues of Old Earth, and what happens on those worlds was just enough to keep the plot from bogging down. The world building too, was kinds neat.
This isn't to say the book isn't without a few quirks, but if I name those quirks, I think I'd be giving away a couple of pleasant plot twists and I don't want to do that. I will say, though, there is a number reveal in the book that I felt was too high. It was kinda neat, but, still, unrealistically high.
I'm not sure this could be quantified as a space opera, even though it spanning multiple planets and possibly galaxy's. Definitely "last man on earth" trope. Not an action book. It's a well written book that kept me engaged more than the last several scifi books have. Recommended.
This wasn't quite what I expected. I either didn't read the jacket blurb or I forgot what the jacket blurb said. What I thought I was getting into was the Unidentified Object In Space theme.
What I got was a moderately interesting story about Ruslan, purportedly the last human alive after the Aura Malignace virus swept through humanity, killing every human on every human settled planet. Why Ruslan was immune, he doesn't know. Ruslan was found by the Mysarri, a gentle and polite race of tripodal aliens who were beyond excited to have a live specimen to study and talk to. Ruslan fully understands his role in Mysarri society - he's a valued and prized specimen. When pressure increases to start cloning Ruslan in the name of preservation, he balks, then strikes a deal - if the Mysarri will search for the location of Old Earth, he'll consent to being cloned. This sets off a chain of events that will change everything.
I think what kept my attention with this one was it was so very different from anything I've read previously. The plot was steady, Ruslan is a mature character (by "mature" I mean he's probably over 60), the aliens were interesting, and like a gentle but steady current when canoeing, I found myself being pulled along with no resistance.
Ruslan and his alien keepers visit a couple of previously human settled worlds in search for clues of Old Earth, and what happens on those worlds was just enough to keep the plot from bogging down. The world building too, was kinds neat.
This isn't to say the book isn't without a few quirks, but if I name those quirks, I think I'd be giving away a couple of pleasant plot twists and I don't want to do that. I will say, though, there is a number reveal in the book that I felt was too high. It was kinda neat, but, still, unrealistically high.
I'm not sure this could be quantified as a space opera, even though it spanning multiple planets and possibly galaxy's. Definitely "last man on earth" trope. Not an action book. It's a well written book that kept me engaged more than the last several scifi books have. Recommended.
December 28, 2018
2.75 Based on blurb I expected more evolutionary biology re aliens not to mention ethnography. Also wouldn't each human society have been very different and spoken different languages? Timelines for plague were unclear. Seemed instantaneous but sometimes there apparently was more time. How was there enough time for all those preparations on Earth? And did they say they'd lost contact w Earth for 10k years? Yet the plague seemed more fast moving and recent than that. So, weird. Finally, terraforming I believe wipes out the previous iteration of a planet. So not sure so much "native" life would be present in these places. Am I wrong about that? And some species seem quite sentient, w the capacity to have evolved past the "primitive and savage" level of the Natives
...how offensive, seriously. Knocking it to 1 star come to think of it. Poorly thought out, boring, lazy world building. Sorry so disorganized, typing on phone.
...how offensive, seriously. Knocking it to 1 star come to think of it. Poorly thought out, boring, lazy world building. Sorry so disorganized, typing on phone.
June 14, 2018
I really enjoyed this story, which is as much a space story as it is a homecoming tale. The protagonist has a nice story arc and the ending was unexpected and quite interesting.
November 30, 2019
This was a fun book to read; I think it was better than I anticipated or expected. The majority of the books I have read by this author have been movie adaptations; I also read Cachlot, too, and that was not what I expected (from what I remember). In any case, it starts out pretty slow, and it has some moments of, "How does that work again?" Overall, though, it had a good flow. It held my interest throughout the entire book, which was a plus, as well.
It was interesting to read, because it felt like it turned a "common trope" upside-down (in my opinion). As it was a different perspective, I found it fun and fascinating. I thought the author did a good job with the different perspectives and characteristics of the alien characters in the book. While are two primary alien groups in the book with which Ruslan interacts, the book mentions that there are several more races scattered throughout the galaxy.
There were some "minor quibbles" I had with the book.
It was a fun book to read, despite some if its "mistakes" and inconsistencies. I found myself enjoying it far more than I thought I would (especially after the author's last two dismal failures in the Star Wars universe), so I am glad that I took a chance on reading it.
It was interesting to read, because it felt like it turned a "common trope" upside-down (in my opinion). As it was a different perspective, I found it fun and fascinating. I thought the author did a good job with the different perspectives and characteristics of the alien characters in the book. While are two primary alien groups in the book with which Ruslan interacts, the book mentions that there are several more races scattered throughout the galaxy.
There were some "minor quibbles" I had with the book.
It was a fun book to read, despite some if its "mistakes" and inconsistencies. I found myself enjoying it far more than I thought I would (especially after the author's last two dismal failures in the Star Wars universe), so I am glad that I took a chance on reading it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 368 reviews