The concept of reincarnation is nothing new to science fiction and fantasy. Popular series like Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time hinge on the idea. Even foundational works like The Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny explore what reincarnation would look like in a science fictional setting. After all, what is transferring consciousness from one body to another but another form of reincarnation?
Why does the topic of reincarnation endure in speculative fiction? In addition to pure and simple human fascination with what happens to us after we die, reincarnation can serve as the springboard for many plots. Can love span multiple lifetimes? Do the people most important to us in this lifetime find us again in the next? Can we use knowledge gleaned from one lifetime to affect events in the next one?
The possibilities are endless, and the novels on this list tackle the concept in all its various forms.
The Reincarnationist Papers
The first in a trilogy, The Reincarnationist Papers introduces us to the Cognomina, a secret society of people able to recall their past lives. Our entry point into this hidden world is Evan Michaels, a lonely young man who feels disconnected from his peers and the rest of society. This alienation stems from his memories of two complete past lives. But then he meets Poppy, who recalls her past lives. Unlike him, however, she can recall seven past lives.
The next logical step is for Evan to join the Cognomina, whose members have used the knowledge of their past lives to their advantage. But before that can happen, Evan must prove that he’s one of them.
Daughter of Smoke and Bone
The first installment of a trilogy, Daughter of Smoke and Bone begins with Karou, a seemingly normal art student living in Prague. She hangs out with her best friend. She avoids her ex. Normal teenage things. Then, we learn that Karou is anything but normal. Although she’s human, she was raised by chimaera and she runs errands for Brimstone, her father figure—errands that involves collecting teeth. The unsavory tasks relate to Brimstone’s business, but Karou doesn’t know the details.
But they probably have something to do with the black handprints scorching doorways, a mysterious seraphim stalking her, and the wishbone necklace she wears. When Karou comes face to face with her angelic stalker, she learns about an ancient war between chimaera and seraphim and the memories that have long been hidden from her.
What Dreams May Come
Most people probably recognize this as the title of a movie starring Robin Williams. What some of them may not know is that this film is based on a novel by Richard Matheson of I Am Legend fame. The original novel follows Chris, a screenwriter who dies in a car accident and leaves his wife a grieving widow.
After a period of disorientation and confusion, the deceased Chris ascends to a place we’d understand as heaven. It’s essentially a place that manifests his dreams and wishes. This peaceful time isn’t meant to last, however. He learns that his wife died by suicide and instead of joining him in heaven, has descended into hell. What can Chris do but embark on a quest to save her. If he can, hopefully she can join him in heaven.
Who knows? Maybe they can even reunite in their next life.
Daggerspell
Kerr’s debut novel kicks off the Deverry Cycle, a Celtic fantasy series that follows a small group of people that are reincarnated across centuries and lifetimes. Young girl Jill has precognitive dreams and is favored by the elementals. But these traits only hint at her destiny, one that spans centuries. Hundreds of years ago, a man caused the deaths of three people. Because of this, he made a poorly thought out promise to make his mistakes right—a vow that led to an endless cycle of reincarnation that will only come to an end when he makes good on his word.
Because reincarnation drives the entire plot and character arcs, Daggerspell and the succeeding novels can be a challenging read to people coming into the series unaware. Just remember that despite the sudden time-skips and perspective shifts, the novels follow the same cast of characters, only in different lifetimes.
The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August
When we think of reincarnation, we usually think of different lives experienced through different time periods and identities. But some novels explore reincarnation through the lens of time loops. That’s the life of Harry August. In his first lifetime, he lived an unremarkable and ordinary life. It’s only when he died and was reborn the exact same way—and with a complete set of memories—that Harry’s ordinary life became extraordinary.
With each life he lives, he uses the memories of his previous ones to gain knowledge and experience a less ordinary life. Unfortunately, Harry soon learns that the ending of the world is coming and that with each reincarnation of his, it comes ever closer.
Escape from Kathmandu
Escape from Kathmandu collects four novellas by Kim Stanley Robinson about two American expatriates living in Nepal. Best known for his science fiction novels, Robinson drew upon his experiences in the country, injecting an admirable amount of realism to these stories. The two expatriates, George and Fred, work as trek guides that assist tourists in the back country. Sometimes they even help with climbs up Mt. Everest.
The four novellas span the gamut: an expedition to find the yeti; a search for a body that leads to climbing Mt. Everest with a reincarnated lama; the quest to find Shangri-La; and a kidnapping involving tunnels that run from the Tibetan border to Terai. These stories are more absurdist in tone than Robinson’s better known work, but they offer an intriguing snapshot of a certain time and place.
Featured image: Mohamed Nohassi / Unsplash
