Incarnations of Immortality Books In Order

Publication Order of Incarnations Of Immortality Books

The Incarnations of Immortality series is a popular book series of science fiction and fantasy novels. This series was written by a well known American author named Piers Anthony. The series is comprised of a total of 8 books, which were released between the years 1983 and 2007. In the first 7 books, author Anthony has focused on an office of supernatural elements. The universe described in this series is similar to that of the humans. The only difference in the fictional reality series is that there are far greater advancements depicted in it in terms of technology and magic. Its central theme is based on a humans’ group called Incarnations, whose members are shown as depicting the supernatural offices of Time, Evil, Death, Good, Faith, and War. Author Anthony began writing this series in 1983 and published its debut book under the name of On a Pale Horse in the same year. He ended the series originally in 1990 with the 7th book called And Eternity. But, the 8th installment was added in the series in 2007 with the title of Under a Velvet Cloak. In most of the books, author Piers Anthony has mentioned the struggles and the adventures of the Incarnations group’s humans during their specified time of the holding of supernatural positions. The title of this series seems to have been taken from the 1804 poem of the renowned poet William Wordsworth, Ode : Intimations of Immortality. In the novels, the Incarnations group is shown using its premise for pondering questions related to life’s nature. Each of the characters is depicted as going from their mortal life to an ‘office’ of Incarnation. During their tenure at the various offices, the characters are made to contemplate certain actions every day. Each Incarnation is given the power of using their office as they want to, but with certain limits. Such a system is shown humanizing things that would otherwise be like impersonal forces and leading to the impact of the work of Incarnations on humanity and other immortality offices as well as to the extensive considerations of their work’s effects.

The debut book of the Incarnations of Immortality book series written by author Piers Anthony is entitled ‘On A Pale Horse’. It was released in the year 1986 by the Del Rey publication, after its original release in 1983. Author Anthony has introduced the lead characters in this book as Magician Kaftan, Parry, Zane, Luna Kaftan, etc. Following its publication in the hardcover format, the book went on to be issued for a 5-chapter comic series starting from 1993. The book also served as an inspiration for the TV series called Dead Like Me, which seems to highlight the belief that there are several Grim Reapers that work throughout the planet. At the start of this book’s story, it is shown that Zane is spending his life in a very pathetic condition at the start of the 21st century. He does not have any employment or money. Zane is later cheated by a merchant of magic gem out of a romance opportunity that makes him feel like giving up the hope to live anymore. As he is about to pull his gun’s trigger, Zane witnesses the Death Spectre, Thanatos, advancing towards him. He feels startled at this and shoots at Death. Following this event, a woman named Fate visits Zane. She insists Zane that he must now take the position of that man. She also informs him that the one who kills Death must turn in as the new Death. Zane does not see any other option left with him, so he agrees. He moves downstairs and sees a pale limousine, whose number plate reads Mortis. After this, Fate departs and allows Zane to remain in Chronos’ care, who is Time’s Incarnation. Chronos trains Zane with the method of using his deathwatch. He also makes it clear to him how to make use of other instruments, what are his duties as Death, and how the change of form of Mortis takes place. Among the duties of Zane as Death is living in Purgatory, and coming down to Earth to take away the souls of those humans, who do not seem to have balance between evil and good, and are not able to determine the destination of eternity as Hell of Heaven. Later, Zane learns that his introduction into the Death office was not just an accident, but it was manipulated by Cedric Kaftan Jr., a powerful magician.

The next installment of the series is called ‘Bearing an Hourglass’. This book was published by the Random House publishers in 1984. The central characters of this novel include Parry, Norton, and Orlene. Piers Anthony has described in this book that Norton agrees to hold the incarnation position of Time and starts living his life backwards. At the beginning of the story of this book, it is depicted that Norton is a man in his forties in the future. He lives a nomadic life and wanders here and there. One day, he comes across a ghost who introduces himself as Gawain. He asks him to get intimate with his widow and bear a child with her. The ghost’s widow in named Orlene, who appears to be a beautiful lady and Norton starts having a feeling for her in his heart eventually. Them, Gawain requests the Nature’s Incarnation Gaea to take Norton and his widow’s child under his likeness so that his bloodline can continue further. However, the child dies after some days due to a hereditary disease. Orlene is not able to bear the loss of her child and commits suicide. Norton becomes very much depressed at the turn of events and losing Orlene. He is approached by Gawain once again and is offered Time’s position as Chronos. With this position, Norton will be able to look after all the earthly time aspects. He is explained by Gawain that as Chronos, he will have to live his life backwards from now on until the birth of the previous self of the last holder. However, Gawain baits Norton by saying that he will get the chance of seeing Orlene if he accepts the position, as she is still living in the past. After a short while, Gawain takes Norton to the place where a future holder will pass on the hourglass in his hand. Immediately after this, Norton begins living backwards literally. But, he realizes that by living such a life, the mortals cannot see him and that his interaction with others is on a temporary basis. So, he tries to experiment with the hourglass and also takes help from Fate to reverse time or halt it. Various other twists and turns take place Norton’s life before the novel comes to an end.