Author: Andrew Clawson
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 270
Book Description
A mythical king. A long-lost manuscript. A relic worth killing for. Harry Fox hunts artifacts for the Italian mob. When a forgotten manuscript suggests Great Britain's most famous king may not be fiction, Harry plunges headlong on a dangerous path to uncover the truth. Little does he know a shadowy alliance with ties to three of mankind's most powerful organizations follows his every move, desperate to stop him before he can uncover the truth behind the legend.Surrounded by enemies and able to trust no one, Harry barrels across the globe and discovers the myth of King Arthur is far more real than anyone ever imagined. Can Harry survive to reveal the true story of this legendary man, or will the ancient forces chasing him add his name to their long list of victims?
The Arthurian Relic
Author: Andrew Clawson
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 270
Book Description
A mythical king. A long-lost manuscript. A relic worth killing for. Harry Fox hunts artifacts for the Italian mob. When a forgotten manuscript suggests Great Britain's most famous king may not be fiction, Harry plunges headlong on a dangerous path to uncover the truth. Little does he know a shadowy alliance with ties to three of mankind's most powerful organizations follows his every move, desperate to stop him before he can uncover the truth behind the legend.Surrounded by enemies and able to trust no one, Harry barrels across the globe and discovers the myth of King Arthur is far more real than anyone ever imagined. Can Harry survive to reveal the true story of this legendary man, or will the ancient forces chasing him add his name to their long list of victims?
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 270
Book Description
A mythical king. A long-lost manuscript. A relic worth killing for. Harry Fox hunts artifacts for the Italian mob. When a forgotten manuscript suggests Great Britain's most famous king may not be fiction, Harry plunges headlong on a dangerous path to uncover the truth. Little does he know a shadowy alliance with ties to three of mankind's most powerful organizations follows his every move, desperate to stop him before he can uncover the truth behind the legend.Surrounded by enemies and able to trust no one, Harry barrels across the globe and discovers the myth of King Arthur is far more real than anyone ever imagined. Can Harry survive to reveal the true story of this legendary man, or will the ancient forces chasing him add his name to their long list of victims?
Relics and Writing in Late Medieval England
Author: Robyn Malo
Publisher: University of Toronto Press
ISBN: 144266326X
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 381
Book Description
Relics and Writing in Late Medieval England uncovers a wide-ranging medieval discourse that had an expansive influence on English literary traditions. Drawing from Latin and vernacular hagiography, miracle stories, relic lists, and architectural history, this study demonstrates that, as the shrines of England’s major saints underwent dramatic changes from c. 1100 to c. 1538, relic discourse became important not only in constructing the meaning of objects that were often hidden, but also for canonical authors like Chaucer and Malory in exploring the function of metaphor and of dissembling language. Robyn Malo argues that relic discourse was employed in order to critique mainstream religious practice, explore the consequences of rhetorical dissimulation, and consider the effect on the socially disadvantaged of lavish expenditure on shrines. The work thus uses the literary study of relics to address issues of clerical and lay cultures, orthodoxy and heterodoxy, and writing and reform.
Publisher: University of Toronto Press
ISBN: 144266326X
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 381
Book Description
Relics and Writing in Late Medieval England uncovers a wide-ranging medieval discourse that had an expansive influence on English literary traditions. Drawing from Latin and vernacular hagiography, miracle stories, relic lists, and architectural history, this study demonstrates that, as the shrines of England’s major saints underwent dramatic changes from c. 1100 to c. 1538, relic discourse became important not only in constructing the meaning of objects that were often hidden, but also for canonical authors like Chaucer and Malory in exploring the function of metaphor and of dissembling language. Robyn Malo argues that relic discourse was employed in order to critique mainstream religious practice, explore the consequences of rhetorical dissimulation, and consider the effect on the socially disadvantaged of lavish expenditure on shrines. The work thus uses the literary study of relics to address issues of clerical and lay cultures, orthodoxy and heterodoxy, and writing and reform.
Difficult pasts
Author: Mimi Ensley
Publisher: Manchester University Press
ISBN: 1526157888
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 278
Book Description
Medieval romances were widely condemned by early modern thinkers: the genre of questing knights and marvellous adventure was decried as bloody, bawdy and superstitious. Despite such proclamations, though, the Middle English romance genre remained popular across the early modern period. Difficult pasts examines the reception of Middle English romances after the Protestant Reformation in England, arguing that the genre’s popularity rested not in its violent or superstitious qualities, but in its multivocality. Incorporating insights from book history, reception history and cultural memory studies, Ensley argues that the medieval romance book became a flexible site of memory with which early modern readers could both connect with and distance themselves from the recent ‘difficult past’, a past that invited controversy and encouraged divided perspectives. Central characters in this study range from canonical authors like Geoffrey Chaucer and Edmund Spenser to less studied figures, such as printer William Copland, Elizabethan scribe Edward Banister and seventeenth-century poet and romance enthusiast, John Lane. In uniting a wide range of romance readers’ perspectives, the book complicates clear ruptures between manuscript and print, Catholic and Protestant, or medieval and Renaissance. Difficult pasts reveals how the romance book offers a new way to understand the simultaneous change and continuity that defines post-Reformation England.
Publisher: Manchester University Press
ISBN: 1526157888
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 278
Book Description
Medieval romances were widely condemned by early modern thinkers: the genre of questing knights and marvellous adventure was decried as bloody, bawdy and superstitious. Despite such proclamations, though, the Middle English romance genre remained popular across the early modern period. Difficult pasts examines the reception of Middle English romances after the Protestant Reformation in England, arguing that the genre’s popularity rested not in its violent or superstitious qualities, but in its multivocality. Incorporating insights from book history, reception history and cultural memory studies, Ensley argues that the medieval romance book became a flexible site of memory with which early modern readers could both connect with and distance themselves from the recent ‘difficult past’, a past that invited controversy and encouraged divided perspectives. Central characters in this study range from canonical authors like Geoffrey Chaucer and Edmund Spenser to less studied figures, such as printer William Copland, Elizabethan scribe Edward Banister and seventeenth-century poet and romance enthusiast, John Lane. In uniting a wide range of romance readers’ perspectives, the book complicates clear ruptures between manuscript and print, Catholic and Protestant, or medieval and Renaissance. Difficult pasts reveals how the romance book offers a new way to understand the simultaneous change and continuity that defines post-Reformation England.
Blackbird Rising
Author: Keri Arthur
Publisher: KA Publishing PTY LTD
ISBN: 064849733X
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 353
Book Description
A modern fantasy novel inspired by the King Arthur legend… For hundreds of years, the Witch King’s sword has been buried in stone awaiting the next hand to draw it. Many have tried. None have succeeded. Gwen is the last in a long line of De Montfort witches whose duty it is to protect the sword of all power. But when she returns to King Island to perform the blessing, a mysterious pulse of blue light tells her that someone has attempted to draw the sword. Before she can investigate any further, demons attack. She only survives with the help of a mysterious stranger who disappears as quickly as he appears. Gwen and her grandmother, Moscelyne, soon discover that minor gateways into Darkside—the traditional home of both demons and dark elves—are being forced open by magic. Even worse, someone is now sending demons after the Witch King’s heirs. As vital artifacts are stolen by Darkside and the deaths draw altogether too close to home, Gwen and Mo—with the help of old gods and an ancient order of knights once thought dead—scramble to unravel the clues and stop the murderous would-be king from claiming the crown. If they fail and the wrong hand draws the sword of power, he can unlock the main gateway into Darkside and unleash utter hell onto an unsuspecting and unprepared England…. What people are saying about Keri Arthur’s Novels: Blackbird Rising was an intense and richly detailed novel. One that I still haven’t been able to get out of my head, and it’s been almost a week. I loved this novel and Arthur’s take on Arthurian legend, and the long term impact that lore would have. Quirky Cats Fat Stacks (of Books) OMG. This was one hell of a final showdown that had me on the edge of my seat!!! I love this series, it is absolutely amazing and the characters are so addictive! Rhonda, Goodreads, for Deadly Vows. BLACKBIRD BROKEN will have your heart in your throat from the beginning to the end. And when you come to the last word I guarantee you will want more! Annetta Sweetko, Fresh Fiction The Witch King’s Crown Series: -Witches -Magic -Shapeshifters -Demons -Urban Fantasy Romance -Fantasy Romance -Sword in the Stone -Knights of the Round Table -Action and Adventure -Lady in the Lake -Strong Female Lead
Publisher: KA Publishing PTY LTD
ISBN: 064849733X
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 353
Book Description
A modern fantasy novel inspired by the King Arthur legend… For hundreds of years, the Witch King’s sword has been buried in stone awaiting the next hand to draw it. Many have tried. None have succeeded. Gwen is the last in a long line of De Montfort witches whose duty it is to protect the sword of all power. But when she returns to King Island to perform the blessing, a mysterious pulse of blue light tells her that someone has attempted to draw the sword. Before she can investigate any further, demons attack. She only survives with the help of a mysterious stranger who disappears as quickly as he appears. Gwen and her grandmother, Moscelyne, soon discover that minor gateways into Darkside—the traditional home of both demons and dark elves—are being forced open by magic. Even worse, someone is now sending demons after the Witch King’s heirs. As vital artifacts are stolen by Darkside and the deaths draw altogether too close to home, Gwen and Mo—with the help of old gods and an ancient order of knights once thought dead—scramble to unravel the clues and stop the murderous would-be king from claiming the crown. If they fail and the wrong hand draws the sword of power, he can unlock the main gateway into Darkside and unleash utter hell onto an unsuspecting and unprepared England…. What people are saying about Keri Arthur’s Novels: Blackbird Rising was an intense and richly detailed novel. One that I still haven’t been able to get out of my head, and it’s been almost a week. I loved this novel and Arthur’s take on Arthurian legend, and the long term impact that lore would have. Quirky Cats Fat Stacks (of Books) OMG. This was one hell of a final showdown that had me on the edge of my seat!!! I love this series, it is absolutely amazing and the characters are so addictive! Rhonda, Goodreads, for Deadly Vows. BLACKBIRD BROKEN will have your heart in your throat from the beginning to the end. And when you come to the last word I guarantee you will want more! Annetta Sweetko, Fresh Fiction The Witch King’s Crown Series: -Witches -Magic -Shapeshifters -Demons -Urban Fantasy Romance -Fantasy Romance -Sword in the Stone -Knights of the Round Table -Action and Adventure -Lady in the Lake -Strong Female Lead
Relics from the Crucifixion
Author: J. Charles Wall
Publisher: Sophia Institute Press
ISBN: 1622823273
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 145
Book Description
The Jews usually burned the crosses used by the Romans after executions but following Jesus' crucifixion they quickly threw the Cross in a ditch to get it out of sight before the feast of Passover. That preserved the True Cross, and memory of the events preserved its location. Disgusted with continued Christian veneration of the spot, pagan Roman Emperor Hadrian erected on the Cross's burial site a statue to Venus, hoping thereby to obliterate their memory. It didn’t work. Indeed, because of the statue, when the Empire became Christian, St. Helena knew the exact spot where she would find the very Cross on which Christ died. All relics from Christ's crucifixion have a similarly fascinating story, all of which are told here in this 1910 work by the enterprising Catholic investigator Charles Wall. Among the things you’ll discover in these pages: The miracle that revealed to St. Helena which of the three discovered crosses was that of JesusThe horse’s bit made from a nail of the True Cross, and the successes it brought the horse’s riderThe nails — and why there are so many in existence todayA history of the fortunes the Crown of Thorns to those who held them, and a list of towns where thorns are foundWhere, in 1492, workman accidentally discovered again the actual board on which “King of the Jews” was writtenThe modest Frenchman who saved a holy nail from profanation during the French RevolutionDrawings of the spear of Longinus, and reports of its later use in battlesRelics of Jesus’s actual blood from the Crucifixion: and why it makes sense that some still existsThe veil of Veronica, Christ’s seamless robe, and much more!
Publisher: Sophia Institute Press
ISBN: 1622823273
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 145
Book Description
The Jews usually burned the crosses used by the Romans after executions but following Jesus' crucifixion they quickly threw the Cross in a ditch to get it out of sight before the feast of Passover. That preserved the True Cross, and memory of the events preserved its location. Disgusted with continued Christian veneration of the spot, pagan Roman Emperor Hadrian erected on the Cross's burial site a statue to Venus, hoping thereby to obliterate their memory. It didn’t work. Indeed, because of the statue, when the Empire became Christian, St. Helena knew the exact spot where she would find the very Cross on which Christ died. All relics from Christ's crucifixion have a similarly fascinating story, all of which are told here in this 1910 work by the enterprising Catholic investigator Charles Wall. Among the things you’ll discover in these pages: The miracle that revealed to St. Helena which of the three discovered crosses was that of JesusThe horse’s bit made from a nail of the True Cross, and the successes it brought the horse’s riderThe nails — and why there are so many in existence todayA history of the fortunes the Crown of Thorns to those who held them, and a list of towns where thorns are foundWhere, in 1492, workman accidentally discovered again the actual board on which “King of the Jews” was writtenThe modest Frenchman who saved a holy nail from profanation during the French RevolutionDrawings of the spear of Longinus, and reports of its later use in battlesRelics of Jesus’s actual blood from the Crucifixion: and why it makes sense that some still existsThe veil of Veronica, Christ’s seamless robe, and much more!
Rewriting Medieval French Literature
Author: Leah Tether
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
ISBN: 3110638622
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 388
Book Description
Jane H. M. Taylor is one of the world's foremost scholars of rewriting or réécriture. Her focus has been on literature in medieval and Renaissance France, but rewriting, including continuation, translation, and adaptation, lies at the heart of literary traditions in all vernaculars. This book explores both the interdisciplinarity of rewriting and Taylor's remarkable contribution to its study. The rewriting and reinterpretation of narratives across chronological, social and/or linguistic boundaries represents not only a crucial feature of text transmission, but also a locus of cultural exchange. Taylor has shown that the adaptation of material to conform to the expectations, values, or literary tastes of a different audience can reveal important information regarding the acculturation and reception of medieval texts. In recent years, numerous scholars across disciplines have thus turned to this field of enquiry. This collection of studies dedicated to the rewriting of medieval French literature from the twelfth to the twenty-first centuries by Taylor’s friends, colleagues, and former students offers not only a fitting tribute to Taylor’s career, but also a timely consolidation of the very latest research in the field, which will be vital for all scholars of medieval rewriting. With contributions from Jessica Taylor, Keith Busby, Leah Tether, Logan E. Whalen, Mireille Séguy, Christine Ferlampin-Acher, Ad Putter, Anne Salamon, Patrick Moran, Nathalie Koble, Bart Besamusca, Frank Brandsma, Richard Trachsler, Carol J. Chase, Maria Colombo Timelli, Laura Chuhan Campbell, Joan Tasker-Grimbert, Jean-Claude Mühlethaler, Michelle Szkilnik, Thomas Hinton, Elizabeth Archibald.
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
ISBN: 3110638622
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 388
Book Description
Jane H. M. Taylor is one of the world's foremost scholars of rewriting or réécriture. Her focus has been on literature in medieval and Renaissance France, but rewriting, including continuation, translation, and adaptation, lies at the heart of literary traditions in all vernaculars. This book explores both the interdisciplinarity of rewriting and Taylor's remarkable contribution to its study. The rewriting and reinterpretation of narratives across chronological, social and/or linguistic boundaries represents not only a crucial feature of text transmission, but also a locus of cultural exchange. Taylor has shown that the adaptation of material to conform to the expectations, values, or literary tastes of a different audience can reveal important information regarding the acculturation and reception of medieval texts. In recent years, numerous scholars across disciplines have thus turned to this field of enquiry. This collection of studies dedicated to the rewriting of medieval French literature from the twelfth to the twenty-first centuries by Taylor’s friends, colleagues, and former students offers not only a fitting tribute to Taylor’s career, but also a timely consolidation of the very latest research in the field, which will be vital for all scholars of medieval rewriting. With contributions from Jessica Taylor, Keith Busby, Leah Tether, Logan E. Whalen, Mireille Séguy, Christine Ferlampin-Acher, Ad Putter, Anne Salamon, Patrick Moran, Nathalie Koble, Bart Besamusca, Frank Brandsma, Richard Trachsler, Carol J. Chase, Maria Colombo Timelli, Laura Chuhan Campbell, Joan Tasker-Grimbert, Jean-Claude Mühlethaler, Michelle Szkilnik, Thomas Hinton, Elizabeth Archibald.
The Emerald Tablet
Author: Andrew Clawson
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781956333022
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :
Book Description
An ancient Persian relic. A message etched in stone. A deadly quest across the globe to reveal the forbidden truth.Recovering ancient relics for the Italian mob can be deadly. When Harry Fox narrowly outwits a thieving artifacts dealer to escape with his life, he quickly discovers he came away with more than he bargained for. The stone tablet with a strange tale etched on it tells of lost knowledge from the cradle of civilization - the ancient Persian Empire.When the lure of lost treasure proves too great, Harry launches himself into an expedition unlike any the world has ever seen. As he races across oceans unraveling the truth behind King Xerxes opaque story of power and greed, Harry quickly discovers he is not the only one chasing a long-buried secret which stretches back thousands of years and ties to the father of medicine - Hippocrates.Harry is forced to sidestep a shadowy pharmaceutical company's private security force while staying one step ahead of American and Egyptian authorities, all while unraveling a mystery which has confounded mankind for millennia.If Harry Fox thought hunting artifacts for the mob was dangerous, he has no idea what's in store as he hurtles toward disaster to uncover the truth behind the Emerald Tablet.
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781956333022
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :
Book Description
An ancient Persian relic. A message etched in stone. A deadly quest across the globe to reveal the forbidden truth.Recovering ancient relics for the Italian mob can be deadly. When Harry Fox narrowly outwits a thieving artifacts dealer to escape with his life, he quickly discovers he came away with more than he bargained for. The stone tablet with a strange tale etched on it tells of lost knowledge from the cradle of civilization - the ancient Persian Empire.When the lure of lost treasure proves too great, Harry launches himself into an expedition unlike any the world has ever seen. As he races across oceans unraveling the truth behind King Xerxes opaque story of power and greed, Harry quickly discovers he is not the only one chasing a long-buried secret which stretches back thousands of years and ties to the father of medicine - Hippocrates.Harry is forced to sidestep a shadowy pharmaceutical company's private security force while staying one step ahead of American and Egyptian authorities, all while unraveling a mystery which has confounded mankind for millennia.If Harry Fox thought hunting artifacts for the mob was dangerous, he has no idea what's in store as he hurtles toward disaster to uncover the truth behind the Emerald Tablet.
Medieval Afterlives in Contemporary Culture
Author: Gail Ashton
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 144116068X
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 369
Book Description
With contributions from 29 leading international scholars, this is the first single-volume guide to the appropriation of medieval texts in contemporary culture. Medieval Afterlives in Contemporary Culture covers a comprehensive range of media, including literature, film, TV, comics book adaptations, electronic media, performances, and commercial merchandise and tourism. Its lively chapters range from Spamalot to the RSC, Beowulf to Merlin, computer games to internet memes, opera to Young Adult fiction and contemporary poetry, and much more. Also included is a companion website aimed at general readers, academics, and students interested in the burgeoning field of Medieval afterlives, complete with: - Further reading/weblinks - 'My favourite' guides to contemporary medieval appropriations - Images and interviews - Guide to library archives and manuscript collections - Guide to heritage collection See also our website at https://medievalafterlives.wordpress.com/.
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 144116068X
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 369
Book Description
With contributions from 29 leading international scholars, this is the first single-volume guide to the appropriation of medieval texts in contemporary culture. Medieval Afterlives in Contemporary Culture covers a comprehensive range of media, including literature, film, TV, comics book adaptations, electronic media, performances, and commercial merchandise and tourism. Its lively chapters range from Spamalot to the RSC, Beowulf to Merlin, computer games to internet memes, opera to Young Adult fiction and contemporary poetry, and much more. Also included is a companion website aimed at general readers, academics, and students interested in the burgeoning field of Medieval afterlives, complete with: - Further reading/weblinks - 'My favourite' guides to contemporary medieval appropriations - Images and interviews - Guide to library archives and manuscript collections - Guide to heritage collection See also our website at https://medievalafterlives.wordpress.com/.
King Arthur's Modern Return
Author: Debra N. Mancoff
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317714148
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 263
Book Description
The Arthurian legend closes with a promise: On a distant day, when his country calls, the king will return. His lost realm will be regained, and his shattered dream of an ideal world will, at last, be realized. This collection of original essays explores the issue of return in the modern Arthurian legend. With an Introduction by noted scholar Raymond H. Thompson and 13 essays by authors from the fields of literature, art history, film history, and folklore, this collection reveals the flexibility of the legend. Just as the modern legend takes the form current to its generation, the myth of return generates a new legend with each telling. As these authors show, return can come in the form of a noble king or a Caribbean immigrant, with the mystery of an art theft or a dying boy's dream.
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317714148
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 263
Book Description
The Arthurian legend closes with a promise: On a distant day, when his country calls, the king will return. His lost realm will be regained, and his shattered dream of an ideal world will, at last, be realized. This collection of original essays explores the issue of return in the modern Arthurian legend. With an Introduction by noted scholar Raymond H. Thompson and 13 essays by authors from the fields of literature, art history, film history, and folklore, this collection reveals the flexibility of the legend. Just as the modern legend takes the form current to its generation, the myth of return generates a new legend with each telling. As these authors show, return can come in the form of a noble king or a Caribbean immigrant, with the mystery of an art theft or a dying boy's dream.
Relic
Author: Alan Dean Foster
Publisher: Del Rey
ISBN: 1101967641
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 276
Book Description
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
Publisher: Del Rey
ISBN: 1101967641
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 276
Book Description
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