Only You Can Save Mankind
core novel 1992 Johnny Maxwell Trilogy
Record
| First published | 1992 |
|---|---|
| Original language |  EN |
| Work type | novel |
| Canon status | core |
| Reader rating | 3.73 (14,025 ratings, collected 2026-10-28) |
| First-edition ISBN | 9780385403085 |
| Internal chronology | 1 |
Synopsis
Twelve-year-old Johnny Maxwell, whose parents are going through what he calls Trying Times, is about to set a high score on a computer game when the alien fleet he is shooting suddenly sends a message: it wants to talk, and it surrenders. Soon the ScreeWee vanish from every copy of the game, and Johnny, who can enter their world in his dreams, must find a way to lead them safely home while other players keep firing.
Where it sits
- Universe: Johnny Maxwell Trilogy
- Series: Johnny Maxwell Trilogy core; position 1 of 3 in the series' recorded order
- Author: Terry Pratchett
Notes
- From the series record (Johnny Maxwell Trilogy): Three children's novels following Johnny Maxwell in Blackbury, 1992-1996.
Neighbouring works
Publication order and internal chronology are tracked as two separate orderings, but they resolve to the exact same sequence for this book, so one combined line is shown instead of two identical ones.
- Reading order, within the series Johnny Maxwell Trilogy: position 1 of 3: next Johnny and the Dead (1993)
Sources
- Wikipedia: Johnny Maxwell
- BookWyrm edition record (Doubleday, 9 November 1992)
- Penguin Books: Johnny Maxwell series
- Apple Books: Only You Can Save Mankind (publisher description and Publishers Weekly review)
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