{
    "id": 340341,
    "slug": "relic",
    "nstc": null,
    "title": "Relic",
    "subtitle": null,
    "collection_title": null,
    "collection_part_number": null,
    "annotation": null,
    "description": "<b>The last known human searches the galaxy for companionship in a brilliant standalone novel from the legendary author of the Pip &amp; Flinx series.</b><br /><b>&ldquo;A provocative read.&rdquo;&mdash;<i>The Washington Post</i></b><br />Once <i>Homo sapiens</i> 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.<br />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&mdash;an intelligent alien race&mdash;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&rsquo;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&mdash;an all-but-mythical place called Earth&mdash;and, perhaps, another living human.<br />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&mdash;drawn by the slimmest yet most enduring hope.<br /><b>Praise for <i>Relic</i></b><br />&ldquo;<i>Relic</i> is a thrilling and thoughtful epic. With Alan Dean Foster&rsquo;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!&rdquo;<b>&mdash;Hugo and Nebula Award&ndash;winning author Greg Bear</b><br />&ldquo;The stunning plot of Foster&rsquo;s stand-alone novel will intrigue readers for not only the &lsquo;last man in the universe&rsquo; trope but also the well-developed alien species. A true first contact novel on many different levels.&rdquo;<b>&mdash;<i>Library Journal</i></b><br />&ldquo;Foster&rsquo;s sympathetic novel successfully surveys human frailty, the tendency not to learn from history, and an enduring capacity for adaptation and emotional attachment.&rdquo;<b><i>&mdash;Publishers Weekly<br /></i></b>&ldquo;Foster&rsquo;s high-concept novel is a gripping tale of serenity amid sorrow.&rdquo;<b>&mdash;World Magazine&#160;</b>",
    "imprint": null,
    "language_code": "eng",
    "original_language_code": null,
    "page_count": 305,
    "duration_seconds": null,
    "publication_date_first": "2018-08-14",
    "publication_date_latest": "2018-08-14",
    "cover_url": null,
    "editions": [
        {
            "isbn": "9781101967638",
            "product_form": "BB"
        }
    ],
    "ratings_count": 0,
    "read_count": 0,
    "review_count": 0,
    "favorite_count": 0,
    "reading_status_read_count": 0,
    "reading_status_reading_count": 0,
    "reading_status_want_to_read_count": 0,
    "rating_average": null,
    "ratings_distribution": {
        "1": 0,
        "2": 0,
        "3": 0,
        "4": 0,
        "5": 0
    },
    "created_at": "2025-09-19T13:23:37+00:00",
    "updated_at": "2025-10-29T00:27:08+00:00",
    "publisher": {
        "id": 4199,
        "slug": "ballantine",
        "name": "Ballantine",
        "created_at": "2025-09-19T13:08:55+00:00",
        "updated_at": "2025-09-19T15:10:07+00:00"
    },
    "contributors": [],
    "genres": [],
    "subjects": [
        {
            "scheme_identifier": "32",
            "scheme_version": null,
            "main_subject": false,
            "subject_code": "333",
            "created_at": "2025-09-19T13:23:37+00:00",
            "updated_at": "2025-09-19T13:23:37+00:00"
        }
    ]
}