This is an absolutely cracking whiz-bang of a story. Set in an unreality, that is actually scarily real, it plays with your mind and really, really makes you think! Johnny Maxwell loves video games, while shooting invading spaceships, he finds himself contacted by an alien race, suddenly the game is real, can Johnny save the day? This is as valid today, as when it was first written in the early 1990’s, though Terry Pratchett made some updates, along with an authors note in 2013. He explains that Only You Can Save Mankind was written during the first Gulf War when TV computer games about war were in their infancy, the news was showing constant, sometimes even live updates about the war, and so the lines between pretend and real were become very blurred indeed. Terry Pratchett excels in setting questions about mankind for you to ponder without you realising it, all the while enjoying a wild fantastical ride. No one else quite has his magical touch, his books are so witty, thoughtful and wise. Only You Can Save Mankind is the first in a quite spectacular trilogy and another must read from the the truly wonderful Terry Pratchett.
From the pen of Sir Terry Pratchett, beloved and bestselling author of the Discworld fantasy series, comes a reality-bending tale of virtual heroism that will leaves readers breathless from laughter, and suspense.
The alien spaceship is in his sights. His finger is on the Fire button. Johnny Maxwell is about to set the new high score on the computer game Only You Can Save Mankind.
Suddenly:
We wish to talk.
Huh?
We surrender.
The aliens aren't supposed to surrender -- they're supposed to die! Now what is Johnny going to do with a fleet of alien prisoners who know their rights under the international rules of war and are demanding safe-conduct? 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 just a game, isn't it? Isn't it...?
Read more of Johnny Maxwell's adventures in Johnny and the Dead and Johnny and the Bomb!