Relic by Alan Dean Foster

Relic by Alan Dean Foster

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Jacket Blurb: 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.


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.



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