Books that follow one character through multiple lives / incarnations?

[Stanczyk]

Well, there's always this:

I mean, that cover just screams quality, right?

[TheEvilKing]

Well, there's always this:

http://farm3.staticf...z.jpg?zz=1[/img]

I mean, that cover just screams quality, right?

You've probably never heard this saying before because I just coined it, but don't judge a book by it's cover.

[Deedles]

Karen McIntosh's The Quickening trilogy fits the bill. The main character gets a curse where whenever he dies, his soul passes on to the body of the person who killed him.

Unfortunately I found the series to be quite poor and would not recommend it (although I seem to recall that the writing improves drastically with each book).

Agreed, though I never picked up the later books so can't comment on any improvement in quality, though it can't be hard to improve it. The writing was dire and it's stopped me picking up anything else from her.

I'll add my voice to the chorus surrounding the first eight Deverry books, I never picked up the rest, and The Years of Rice and Salt, which I thought was excellent

[kiyoaki]

I think nobody mentioned Yukio Mishima's Sea of Fertility tetralogy yet. It's takes the hard-core buddhist approach to reincarnation, and features most of Mishima's personal and political obessions. Overall, these novels are not among his strongest IMO, but you should at least give the first volume (Spring Snow) a try.

[Bronson]

I am looking for novels or short stories (SF/F or otherwise) that follow a character through several lives. One example that comes to mind is Virginia Woolf's Orlando; depending on how you read it, Cloud Atlas might also fall into this category.

What sparked this thread is Noble's mention of Jack London's Star Rover in the obscure books thread. I haven't read it yet, but is seems to fit the bill perfectly, and so I thought I'd ask you all whether you had any further -- much appreciated -- suggestions or recommendations.

Thanks!

The Star Rover is a truly Magnificent book .

You might also want to check out H Warner Munn's fantasy novel Merlin's Ring

[Howdyphillip]

Also, Riverworld is less about multiple lives/incarnations than it is about death becoming non-permanent (transient?) and pitting every famous guy from every era against each others. (Also: aliens )

I understand what you are saying here, but I disagree here just a bit. Each character has multiple lives as their own identity in Riverworld. I understand this is not the typical reincarnation scenario, but I still think it qualifies.

[Huck]

These are great recommendations! I've updated the OP with a list containing all your suggestions so far (I hope I haven't overlooked any...); I'll update with any further recommendations, and with my comments on the books as I'm reading them.

Thanks very much! These are far more than I'd hoped for, and I'm really looking forward to reading them -- or at least to taking a look at those that came with explicit warnings...

[Bronson]

These are great recommendations! I've updated the OP with a list containing all your suggestions so far (I hope I haven't overlooked any...); I'll update with any further recommendations, and with my comments on the books as I'm reading them.

Thanks very much! These are far more than I'd hoped for, and I'm really looking forward to reading them -- or at least to taking a look at those that came with explicit warnings...

Also Mythago Woods by Robert HoldStock

The Manitou by Graham Masterton , The Main Character is a reincarnated Indian Medicine Man named Misquemacus who seeks revenge on the Whiteman for decimating his tribe. It spawned several sequels of variable quality.

The Keep by F Paul Wilson he did sequels t it and lnked it to his repairman jack series.

Karl Edwards Wagner's Kane The the immortal Mystic Swordsman . Kane being immortal tends to outlive his enemies but legend seems to live on in his world with mortals. There are 5 books in this series

1.Bloodstone

2.Darness Weaves

3.Dark Crusade

4. Death Angels Shadow

5.NightWinds

H. Rider Haggard She

Ramsey Campbell The Hungry Moon

[Darth Richard]

If you like anime, Fantastic Children.

[Arataniello]

I think The Owl Service by Alan Garner also fits into this category. It has been years since I read the book, but I distinctly remember the TV adaptation of it, when it was very clear that the three central characters (two boys and a girl) are repeating the old legend. The same repetition occurred in the previous generation with Gwyn's (?) mother and her two suitors.

[RedEyedGhost]

These are great recommendations! I've updated the OP with a list containing all your suggestions so far (I hope I haven't overlooked any...); I'll update with any further recommendations, and with my comments on the books as I'm reading them.

Thanks very much! These are far more than I'd hoped for, and I'm really looking forward to reading them -- or at least to taking a look at those that came with explicit warnings...

Sorry if my grouping was confusing, but The Separation is not similar to Groundhog Day. If I'm going to compare it to a movie's plot device I would use Sliding Doors.

[Huck]

Sorry if my grouping was confusing, but The Separation is not similar to Groundhog Day. If I'm going to compare it to a movie's plot device I would use Sliding Doors.

Thanks for clearing this up! I've put it in the main list; would it be fair to say that it puts a spin on alternate history novels?

[russjass]

I'll add my voice to the chorus surrounding the first eight Deverry books, I never picked up the rest, and The Years of Rice and Salt, which I thought was excellent

How come you didnt pick up the rest? Did you go off the characters when the focus shifted? Get bored? Or just not got round to it?

I am curious, because i noticed a drop off after the first 8, though i still enjoyed them. And the series is finally finished now:

Although i found the individual stories drop off in quality, the final book shows the incarnations of the characters from the Dawntime, and I think it really rounds off the series

[RedEyedGhost]

Thanks for clearing this up! I've put it in the main list; would it be fair to say that it puts a spin on alternate history novels?

It's more detailing the potential ways two brothers' lives could have played out in the midst of WWII. It's also really good.

[Bronson]

Abraham Merritt 1.Dwellers in The Mirage 2. The Ship Ishtar

Henry Kuttner The Dark World

Leonard Cline The Dark Chamber

James Branch Cabell Jurgen

Roger Zelazny The Last Defender of Camelot

Clark Ashton Smith City of The Singing Flame

Daphne Dumaurier The House on The Strand

Robert E Howard Conan and The Hour of the Dragon, Kings of The Night and other stories that he has written.

[Serious Callers Only]

The scavenger trilogy by KJ Parker comes across as a bit like this. More exactly, the protagonist is amnesiac, but it's like it's another life (like latro in fact)

Not that it helps.

[Werthead]

M.C. Lachlan's just-completed Craw Trilogy consisting of Wolfsangel, Fenrir and Lord of Slaughter also features the same characters reincarnated across three time periods in European history.

[Gabriele]

Will second (third?) Katherine Kerr - sounds exactly what you want. And I really enjoyed the books, though so long ago I can recall almost nothing about them!

I liked the first books, but the series got a bit downhill in the later books and the last was definitely a lacklustre Let's End This For Good-book.

There is some sort of closure after the first four (like after book 3 of ASOIAF) so you could give those a try and see how badly the world sucks you in. :P

[Gabriele]

M.C. Lachlan's just-completed Craw Trilogy consisting of Wolfsangel, Fenrir and Lord of Slaughter also features the same characters reincarnated across three time periods in European history.

Those were good reads, imho.

I remember Lachlan said somewhere he had intended to take the incarnations further but decided against it since he felt it would have gotten too repetitive. Good decision, I think.

[RedEyedGhost]

M.C. Lachlan's just-completed Craw Trilogy consisting of Wolfsangel, Fenrir and Lord of Slaughter also features the same characters reincarnated across three time periods in European history.

Is that Barrowcliffe's DJ name?