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

“A provocative go through.”-The Washington Post

Once Homo sapiens reigned supreme, spreading from star system to star program within an empire that came across no alien life and thus understood no enemy . save itself. As had happened many times before, the basest, most primal human being instincts rose up, only this time armed with the advanced scientific knowledge about Relic to create a genetically engineered intelligent computer virus that quickly wiped out humanity to the last man.

That man is Ruslan, the sole known surviving human being in the universe. Rescued in the charnel house of his home planet by the Myssari-an smart alien race-Ruslan spends his times as something of a cross between a research subject matter and a zoo attraction. Though the Myssari are established to resurrect the human race, using Ruslan’s hereditary material, all he desires for himself and his varieties is oblivion. But the Myssari make Ruslan a fantastic offer: In exchange for his assistance, they will perform everything in their considerable power to find the dropped home world of his species-an all-but-mythical place called Earth-and, maybe, another living individual.

Thus begins an epic journey of adventure, danger, heartbreak, and hope, as Ruslan models out searching for a place that may no more exist-drawn with the slimmest however most enduring wish.

Praise for Relic

“Relic is an exciting and thoughtful epic. With Alan Dean Foster’s trademark invention in both the mindset and physiology of his aliens, he also enriches the narrative using their complex ethnicities. 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 genuine first contact book on many different amounts.”-Collection Journal

“Foster’s sympathetic book successfully surveys human frailty, the tendency never to learn from background, and an enduring convenience of adaptation and psychological attachment.”-Web publishers Weekly

“Foster’s high-concept novel is a gripping story of serenity amid sorrow.”-Globe Magazine