In a race against time and disbelief, Ruslan takes a journey unlike any he has ever faced, testing his courage and the strength of that small glimmer of hope ... 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.
In Relic, Alan Dean Foster keeps his distance when writing about the plight of poor Ruslan, the last human alive after a biological weapon wipes out humanity ... Ruslan and the Myssari [alien species that wants to clone him] examine each other with quiet, clinical precision. Because of this, it can be difficult to connect to the characters or feel their despair, loneliness or hope. Still, the questions Foster raises about whether humanity should survive make this a provocative read.
As he journeys through the galaxy, Ruslan’s search leads him to discoveries he could never dream of and provokes conflicts he could never expect. The story is brisk and engaging, and Relic’s world, where alien scientists pore over the ghostly remnants of a fallen human civilization, should satisfy not only existing fans of Foster’s work but also any sf reader looking for an entertaining new space-opera read.
Foster...tenderly explores humans’ need for companionship, home, and control of their own destinies in this gentle evaluation of people at their best and worst ... Despite a few missed opportunities for heightened drama, Foster’s sympathetic novel successfully surveys human frailty, the tendency not to learn from history, and an enduring capacity for adaptation and emotional attachment.
