Did it feel like a natural outgrowth of the book to that point? Well, yes, in some ways – Jordan’s ideas about intelligence tiers set up some of the later concepts in subtle ways – but it’s still a major change in the very type of book we thought this was. What I thought was an adventure novel got more and more ambitious, getting into questions of free will, the nature of intelligence, human nature, and the nature of life itself. …and then the book changes in a far, far bigger way, changing from a fun space opera romp into something more philosophical, complex, mind-bending, and existential. It’s imaginative, weird, and a ton of fun… The book has a way of constantly evolving and changing around you, as new characters appear and old ones evolve, situations change, realities shift, and so much more. That’s only amplified by his conceit of tiered intelligences, where each tier is so far beyond the others as to almost be incomprehensible – a writing choice that only underlines humanity’s insignificance in the universe.Īll of that sets up a really fun premise, as Sarya finds herself beset on all sides, trying to figure out her place in the universe, and just maybe see if there are other humans still alive somewhere. Jordan gives us a universe that’s vibrant and complex, as well as giving readers the feeling of being tossed into a world that’s so more immense than our own. With a slew of inventive, weird species and a rich universe anchored by the Network, Jordan builds an immersive, rich universe within pages, and that dazzling scope of imagination never lets up over the course of the book. Valente’s Space Opera, and to some degree, Jordan provides that for us. That, as well as some of the tone of the early chapters, might lead you to expect a space opera with shades of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy or even Catherynne M. And when a higher tier intelligence – in other words, an intelligence that’s basically like a god to something below it – recognizes Sarya for what he is, a series of events kicks off with ramifications for literally all life as anyone knows it. Now Sarya has to disguise herself as a low-intelligence species, pretending to be something she’s not, because humans? Well, they’re viewed with horror and terror – remembered as one of the most terrifying species that ever existed in the annals of the Network (a networked intelligence that pretty much regulates life across the cosmos and nicely keeps the peace).

That she even exists is a bit of a fluke she was saved by one of the Widows, which are among the most lethal species that exist, and adopted in an atypical moment of emotion. It’s the story of Sarya, who is quite literally the last human being in the universe.

You can’t accuse Zack Jordan’s The Last Human of having a misleading title.

The last human zack jordan