Only You Can Save Mankind: Johnny Maxwell, Book 1

By: Terry Pratchett

Narrated by: Tony Robinson

As the mighty alien fleet from the very latest computer game thunders across the computer screen, Johnny prepares to blow them into the usual million pieces. But then they send him a message: "We surrender". They're not supposed to do that! They're supposed to die. And computer joysticks don't have "Don't Fire" buttons....

It's hard enough trying to save Mankind from the Galactic Hordes. It's even harder trying to save the Galactic Hordes from Mankind. But it's only a game, isn't it. Isn't it?

Here is a hugely entertaining and thought-provoking new adventure from the master of comic fantasy, Terry Pratchett.

© Terry and Lyn Pratchett; (P) RHCB Audio

Critic reviews

"A wonderful new Pratchett-style fantasy: funny and thrilling enough for anyone." (Daily Mail)

Excellent

This is an earlier work by Terry Pratchett and - unlike the "DiscWorld" novels - firmly rooted in contemporary planet earth. It kept me and my kids (12 & 16) entertained and laughing on a long car journey. The narration is beautifully judged and the whole thing shows that the mark of good writing for children is that it can be enjoyed by adults too. For those who have not yet sampled the delights of Pratchett's other books and for those who want to stimulate a love of reading in their kids, this is a great buy.

boring

kinda got bored with the plot. It needed more substance. which makes me sad I was really excited about this book.

Short, Sweet, and Entertaining

I was a little skeptical when I decided to purchase this audiobook. It's only 2 hours 47 minutes, which is around the length of one of today's "epic" movies. For over $10.00, this seems rather steep for an audiobook, when you can buy 50+hour books for the same credit...
As far as the story goes: it's an interesting take on "do unto others..." but with a video game twist. I liked its non-violent approach to solving problems, and I feel that it would have been a good read for a kid 8 to 15, especially when said kid is slightly violent. (Don't get me wrong, I video game all the time and I don't think that video games cause violence, but it's a nice view on an alternate solution)

The narration is very good as well, and I didn't feel like I was just being read to.

All in all this was a nice story. Was it worth $10+? No, I don't think so, (which is mainly why I rated it 4 instead of 5) but I had a bunch of extra credits that were just sitting around so I went for it. If you're a Pratchett fan, you'll enjoy this story. If you're older than 15 or you prefer more "grown up" stories, check out his Diskworld series.