The Last Human

A Novel

By: Zack Jordan

Narrated by: Bahni Turpin

Length: 17 hrs and 19 mins

Publisher's summary

The last human in the universe must battle unfathomable alien intelligences - and confront the truth about humanity - in this ambitious, galaxy-spanning debut

"A good old-fashioned space opera in a thoroughly fresh package." (Andy Weir, author of The Martian)

"Big ideas and believable science amid a roller-coaster ride of aliens, AI, superintelligence, and the future of humanity." (Dennis E. Taylor, author of We Are Legion)

Most days, Sarya doesn't feel like the most terrifying creature in the galaxy. Most days, she's got other things on her mind. Like hiding her identity among the hundreds of alien species roaming the corridors of Watertower Station. Or making sure her adoptive mother doesn't casually eviscerate one of their neighbors. Again.

And most days, she can almost accept that she'll never know the truth - that she'll never know why humanity was deemed too dangerous to exist. Or whether she really is - impossibly - the lone survivor of a species destroyed a millennium ago. That is, until an encounter with a bounty hunter and a miles-long kinetic projectile leaves her life and her perspective shattered.

Thrown into the universe at the helm of a stolen ship - with the dubious assistance of a rebellious spacesuit, an android death enthusiast on his sixtieth lifetime, and a ball of fluff with an IQ in the thousands - Sarya begins to uncover an impossible truth. What if humanity’s death and her own existence are simply two moves in a demented cosmic game, one played out by vast alien intellects? Stranger still, what if these mad gods are offering Sarya a seat at their table - and a second chance for humanity?

The Last Human is a sneakily brilliant, gleefully oddball space-opera debut - a masterful play on perspective, intelligence, and free will, wrapped in a rollicking journey through a strange and crowded galaxy.

©2020 Zack Jordan (P)2020 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"Easily the most fun read I’ve had all year! Plays out like a kill squad of Bene Gesserit on a spree in Peter Hamilton’s Confederation, using a Hitchhiker’s Guide to navigate." (Clint McElroy, number one New York Times best-selling co-author of The Adventure Zone)

"If it's strange-realistic alien perspectives that you seek, The Last Human delivers characters who spring from the page with empathy, danger, cryptic motives, and chills, all of it amid plenty of action and mystery, in a galaxy of wondrous possibilities." (David Brin, New York Times best-selling author of The Postman and the Uplift Saga)

"Brimming with sly humor, intelligence, and big ideas." (Sue Burke, author of Semiosis)

the summits and valleys

this was a curious minds Rollercoaster, the second you think you know whats going on, that your mind has wrapped everything up. your forced to expand.


this was a fabulous listen, and I'm sad the book ended. I hope there's more in the future.

exciting and thought provoking

The ending tries to come across as profound, but is not. Even so, a good ride!

Great story

I first saw this story as a web comic on Imgur. I'm glad I picked the book up, cause it is amazing.

Great Story

Really interesting story. No lazy, tired troupes in this book. Also excellent performance. Can’t wait for the follow up

Matrix, but in space

Big metaphysical ideas, story sometimes confusing to follow, underdeveloped side characters, fascinating worldbuilding, excellent performance.

Really loved the first half

The audio performance in this book is awesome. The first half of the story was really great...but the second half. Typically I don't like to leave bad reviews...and the 2nd half wasn't bad it just wasn't for me I guess. At some point the book just went a different route than I expected.

Again I didn't hate the book...it just wasnt for me. The world building is really amazing and the concept of the network and the little stories it told from time to time was really interesting and reminded me of Hitchhiker's Guide. I actually would be interested in a book about the network but told in little snippets and stories about other species.

Fun, well worth it...and narrator is AWESOME

Zack Jordan takes some interesting ideas about the nature of intelligence and really runs with them, having a lot of fun along the way...even if some situations are a bit too easily resolved. But Bahni Turpin's performance *really* made it worthwhile, and was easily the best I've ever heard on an audiobook. She clearly distinguishes characters with completely different and unique voices, not merely raising or lowering her pitch, and it never comes across as silly - just very, very well acted. Thoroughly enjoyable.

Quite Good

If the story has you feeling like it's meandering with no real focus, don't worry! It all *mostly* wraps up nicely in the end. And honestly, that feel represents the character quite well; a lonely girl in an ever confusing game of cloak and daggers. Definetely recommend!

awesome

Fantastic book. Lot's of crazy twists and turns. I highly recommend it. I'll be looking for other Zach Jordan books.

Mind blowing!!

An exceptional story of technology stretched to new heights by human imagination. The narration is magnificent and transports the listener into a wonderful universe. A great example of concept expanding science fiction. Thank you!