5.0 (1 rating)
The Final Conflict
In the far, far future, an over-worked historian sits in an office surrounded by mounds of paperwork. He is part of a government research study that seeks to answer the question of why human civilization nearly collapsed thousands of years ago, which remains a mystery. Although the historian was initially enthusiastic about the project, he has been poring over ancient documents for weeks with nothing to show for it and is starting to lose heart. One day, however, his research assistant brings him something different: an ancient manuscript that is a first person testimonial written by an anonymous individual with an incredible story to tell. As the historian reads the manuscript, he is shocked to read of the author's experiences living though a shattering, Earth-changing event, the likes of which have never been documented before. It is a story of mass destruction, survival and hope, not just of the author but of the entire world as humanity struggles to survive against a new and powerful enemy that came from out of nowhere with a sinister and deadly agenda of wiping out mankind. The historian is horrified by what he reads, but he also believes that it will provide the answer that the world has been waiting thousands of years to discover, and it is more shocking than anyone could ever imagine.
Published: July 13, 2015
Pages: 92
ISBN: 9781515049395
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Available in: Paperback
Reader Reviews
5.0
1 rating
Charlene M.
Apr 18, 2026
I’ll preface this by pointing out that I’m a light science-fiction reader. I’ve read some Alastair Reynolds, enjoy sci-fi shows such as Babylon 5, Star Trek and Star Wars and read classics such as War of the Worlds. You can therefore take my review with that background in mind.
I quite enjoyed The Final Conflict by Colin Duffy. It’s a well-paced novella with fantastic action scenes that had me tense all throughout. The book starts out with a very interesting premise: a historian sifting through ancient documents, trying to piece together the past of the world he lives in. (As a history BA myself, I definitely saw myself here!). The historian finds an intriguing document that claims a terrible event occurred in the past (our present day, give or take a few years) was to blame for the current state of the world.
As the novella progresses, you get a vivid idea of the world as it slides from a world of technology and convenience to a world of survival. And, a la War of the Worlds, when it seems that all is lost, the adrenaline leaves in a rush and everything seems fine again, leaving you limp with relief and uncertain which winds us to an ending that suddenly throws everything you just read up in the air for grabs again.
In short, this is an engaging read and well thought out. The only grumble I really had was that it was too short in some ways-I would have liked to see even more world building and character building. Given the frame of the story, I know that this would have been impossible, but I would definitely like to read more in this universe!
I would definitely recommend this story to anyone who enjoys light science fiction and a brisk paced read. Enjoy!
I quite enjoyed The Final Conflict by Colin Duffy. It’s a well-paced novella with fantastic action scenes that had me tense all throughout. The book starts out with a very interesting premise: a historian sifting through ancient documents, trying to piece together the past of the world he lives in. (As a history BA myself, I definitely saw myself here!). The historian finds an intriguing document that claims a terrible event occurred in the past (our present day, give or take a few years) was to blame for the current state of the world.
As the novella progresses, you get a vivid idea of the world as it slides from a world of technology and convenience to a world of survival. And, a la War of the Worlds, when it seems that all is lost, the adrenaline leaves in a rush and everything seems fine again, leaving you limp with relief and uncertain which winds us to an ending that suddenly throws everything you just read up in the air for grabs again.
In short, this is an engaging read and well thought out. The only grumble I really had was that it was too short in some ways-I would have liked to see even more world building and character building. Given the frame of the story, I know that this would have been impossible, but I would definitely like to read more in this universe!
I would definitely recommend this story to anyone who enjoys light science fiction and a brisk paced read. Enjoy!