Relic, Alan Dean Foster
Relic, Alan Dean Foster
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Relic

Author: Alan Dean Foster

Narrator: Marc Thompson

Unabridged: 12 hr 30 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 08/14/2018


Synopsis

The last known human searches the galaxy for companionship in a brilliant standalone novel from the legendary author of the Pip & Flinx series.

“A provocative read.”—The Washington Post

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 known 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 offer: 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.

Praise for Relic

“Relic is a thrilling and thoughtful epic. With Alan Dean Foster’s trademark invention in both the psychology and physiology of his aliens, he also enriches the narrative with their complex cultures. The plot spans galaxies!”—Hugo and Nebula Award–winning author Greg Bear

“The stunning plot of Foster’s stand-alone novel will intrigue readers for not only the ‘last man in the universe’ trope but also the well-developed alien species. A true first contact novel on many different levels.”—Library Journal

“Foster’s sympathetic novel successfully surveys human frailty, the tendency not to learn from history, and an enduring capacity for adaptation and emotional attachment.”—Publishers Weekly

“Foster’s high-concept novel is a gripping tale of serenity amid sorrow.”—World Magazine 

About The Author

Alan Dean Foster has written in a variety of genres, including hard science fiction, fantasy, horror, detective, western, historical, and contemporary fiction. He is the author of several New York Times bestsellers and the popular Pip & Flinx novels, as well as novelizations of numerous films, including Transformers, Star Wars, the first three Alien films, and the most recent one, Alien: Covenant. Foster and his wife, JoAnn Oxley, live in Prescott, Arizona, in a house built of brick that was salvaged from an early-twentieth-century miners’ brothel. He is currently at work on several new novels and media projects.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Gary on August 11, 2018

Originally posted at: [URL not allowed] 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......more

Goodreads review by Howard on December 08, 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.......more

Goodreads review by Craig on 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 an......more

Goodreads review by Carlos on April 26, 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......more

Goodreads review by Bandit on 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 novel......more


Quotes

“A provocative read.”The Washington Post

Relic is a thrilling and thoughtful epic. With Alan Dean Foster’s trademark invention in both the psychology and physiology of his aliens, he also enriches the narrative with their complex cultures. The plot spans galaxies!”—Hugo and Nebula Award–winning author Greg Bear

“The stunning plot of Foster’s stand-alone novel will intrigue readers for not only the ‘last man in the universe’ trope but also the well-developed alien species. A true first contact novel on many different levels.”Library Journal

“Foster’s sympathetic novel successfully surveys human frailty, the tendency not to learn from history, and an enduring capacity for adaptation and emotional attachment.”—Publishers Weekly

“Foster’s high-concept novel is a gripping tale of serenity amid sorrow.”—World Magazine 
 
“[Relic] is nuanced, with a surprise lurking behind every shadow, making it impossible to put down.”—BookPage