What's the Name of That Book??? discussion

Books that are about a person or persons who are either immortal or trying to become immortal.

Also any stories that have an immortal child or an adult in a child body

Interview with the Vampire: Claudia's Story
Interview with the Vampire
The immoral child vampire Vasilii in Breaking Dawn

Moon Called UF series that has a vampire that was turned as a teenager. He's a secondary (very secondary) character, is also a wizard and is totally insane. He turns up periodically in different books in this series.

The Space Guardian (very rare, hard to find book by an author who published only 2 works) has a character who was kidnapped and genetically altered by "shadowy forces" so that he didn't age.

All The Pretty Bones kind of fits

Garan the Eternal might fit what you are looking for

Pulse semi-fits--if you are looking for dystopian/post apocalyptic type thing (oh, and this book is definitely NOT for the younger reader--it contains rapes, murders and various other nasty things that happen when humans let go of their "civilized behaviour") It's the first of a series, and is set right after an EM type pulse destroys most of our technology. But the mc seems to be immortal, as the title of the series is The Forever Man)

Thank you. I'll check them out.

Are you looking for PNR & UF books only or also fantasy & SF?

There are a ton of PNR books like the Sookie Stackhouse & Anita Blake series.

In the UF genre, Fred Saberhagen wrote a Dracula series & the books stand fairly well alone. My favorite is Thorn.

Robert Adams wrote the Horseclan books, a post apocalyptic world where Milo Morai is one of several immortals ranging the world. They're quick, fun reads.

In a blend of myth &/or SF Roger Zelazny has several books about immortals: This Immortal, Lord of Light, Creatures of Light and Darkness, Jack of Shadows, & the Amber series. The Einstein Intersection by Samuel R. Delany is similarly obscure as to the genre. They're not for everyone, but are my favorites.

Jim wrote: "Are you looking for PNR & UF books only or also fantasy & SF?

I want any kind of genre involving immortality. I just have a lot of examples of vampires because they're easier to find, hence the request

Lazarus Long is a famously immortal character created by Robert Heinlein. He first appears in Methuselah's Children. Methuselah's Children

Pamela wrote: "Lazarus Long is a famously immortal character created by Robert Heinlein. He first appears in Methuselah's Children. Methuselah's Children"

Thank you. I put it on my to read list.

There are also the immortal cybogs in Kage Baker's The Company series, starting with In the Garden of Iden. In the Garden of Iden

"Child of All Ages" - a classic short story about an immortal child, by P. J. Plauger.

Thanks guys.

I haven't read this book yet but it is about immortality and sounds pretty interesting! It Wasn't Always Like This

Rebecca wrote: "I haven't read this book yet but it is about immortality and sounds pretty interesting! It Wasn't Always Like This"

Thank you.

The Passage by Justin Cronin

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt

Kristina Marie wrote: "The Passage by Justin Cronin"

I read that one already. Thank you.

Kristina Marie wrote: "Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt"

I forgot about that one. Thank you for reminding me.

Locked in Time by Lois Duncan. This a ya not sure if that is the kind of book you are looking for but it was a great read.

L. J. Smith has some good books as well. The first four Vampire Diaries The Awakening The Struggle The Fury Dark Reunion are great. The rest in the series not so much.

Night World, No. 1 etc are all good books as well.

Oh, The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August. Really interesting, great questions, mysterious. A twist on immortality, to say the least.

Shelley wrote: "Night World, No. 1 etc are all good books as well."

Thank you. I put all of you suggestions on my to read list.

AnnLoretta wrote: "Oh, The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August. Really interesting, great questions, mysterious. A twist on immortality, to say the least."

I already read it and gave it a five star reating. I plan to read it again in the future.

http://www.novelupdates.com/series/sa...

Here's a short one you can read online ^^)b
Chinese literature often dabbles with immortality. In this story a rock that sits in a tainted river bed eventually gains a conscience and becomes a pretty lady spirit (demonic).

While a passing War God is about to get his memories wiped and undergo 3 human incarnations, the rock spirit falls in love and gets his permission to "chase" his human form.

My wife recommended one for the adults in children's bodies side of things. Apparently one of the ways the children in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children are peculiar is that their bodies don't age with time, but their minds do.

Replay by Ken Grimwood has characters who are immortal in much the same way as Harry August, by continually reliving their past lives, but the plot is very different. Great book.

Casca, The Eternal Mercenary, is the Roman soldier who pierced Christ's side with his spear and has been doomed to walk the Earth ever since. Formulaic action series, from what I understand, haven't read them myself.

Sten by Chris Bunch and Allan Cole is the first in a space opera series about an elite commando who serves The Eternal Emperor, who has ruled over humanity for thousands of years. The first several books focus on Sten and his comrades, but the Emperor is an important background character, and eventually he gets his own book where we learn how he managed to come to power and how much he's changed over the millennia. It's a great series in its own right, and well worth reading.

"The Gnarly Man" is a short story by L. Sprague De Camp about a Neanderthal who became immortal after being struck by lightning and has lived alongside humans for 50,000 years. It's a fairly simple story and doesn't delve as deeply into the issues as one might hope, but it's a great read and is available online here:

http://www.unz.org/Pub/Unknown-1939ju...

"Grotto of the Dancing Deer" by Clifford Simak is a short story about this theme.

And the DC comic book character Vandal Savage is an immortal Cro-Magnon. (Somewhat different in the TV series Legends of Tomorrow.)

Pamela wrote: ""Grotto of the Dancing Deer" by Clifford Simak is a short story about this theme.


And Lester Del Rey's "The Gnarly Man" also has an immortal cave man.

In John Varley's "The Golden Globe" Sparky Valentine is essentially immortal, and spends several decades looking like a 10-year old.

Biah wrote: "http://www.novelupdates.com/series/sa...

Here's a short one you can read online ^^)b
Chinese literature often dabbles with immortality. In this story a rock that sits i..."

Thank you. Sansheng, Death Exists Not at the River of Oblivion

Peter wrote: "My wife recommended one for the adults in children's bodies side of things. Apparently one of the ways the children in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children are peculiar is tha..."

I read Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. Thank you for the rest.

Pamela wrote: ""Grotto of the Dancing Deer" by Clifford Simak is a short story about this theme.

And the DC comic book character Vandal Savage is an immortal Cro-Magnon. (Somewhat different in the TV series Lege..."

Thank you.
Grotto of the Dancing Deer: And Other Stories

Andy wrote: "Pamela wrote: ""Grotto of the Dancing Deer" by Clifford Simak is a short story about this theme.


And Lester Del Rey's "The Gnarly Man" also has an immortal cave man.

In John Varley's "The Golden..."

Thank you.
The Gnarly Man
The Golden Globe

Bump*

Vamped - Immortal adults, children, pets. All vampires of course, stand alone.

One of the stories in Unwelcome Bodies is about a person pursuing medical immortality as a way of cheating God.

The Immortal Prince

Warbreaker - "Vasher is an immortal still trying to undo mistakes of centuries before."

The Postmortal

The Golden Age

Holy Fire

The Eden Cycle

To Live Forever

The Immortality Virus

Immortality, Inc.

The Immortality Game



Immortality as sub-plot:

This Immortal - Wikipedia mentions there is a character of alien origin who is immortal.

There are a couple of immortal characters due to a parasitic bacteria in The Wess'har Wars

In Polity, humanity has achieved near-mortality by extending life or transferring conciseness, there are also few characters that seem to have evolved and become immortal.

also google says this one: The Sun Sword

Ellie [The Empress] wrote: "Vamped - Immortal adults, children, pets. All vampires of course, stand alone.

One of the stories in Unwelcome Bodies is about a person pursuing medical immortality a..."

Wow, thanks for the great suggestions, Ellie [The Empress]

The infernal devices by Cassandra Clare would be a good read because their is vampires, werewolves, and warlocks and people who are immortal. It also takes place in like 1800s London.

Emily wrote: "The infernal devices by Cassandra Clare would be a good read because their is vampires, werewolves, and warlocks and people who are immortal. It also takes place in like 1800s London."

Thank you. I've already read them.

A few more I stumbled on:

The Three Lives of Sonata James - In a cyber-enhanced, futuristic Chicago, Sonata knows near-immortality is achievable through downloading her mind into a cyborg body after death. But this young artist wants to prove that living forever isn’t the same as living a beautiful life.

The Happier Dead

Hell Ship - A fair warning it is only alien point of view (at least so far, I'm 70% in). Some of the characters are held captive on a ship and they are essentially immortal (kept alive by means of science)

Ellie [The Empress] wrote: "A few more I stumbled on:

The Three Lives of Sonata James - In a cyber-enhanced, futuristic Chicago, Sonata knows near-immortality is achievable through downloading her mind into a cyborg body af..."

Thanks, Ellie.

The Meq

Cathyand wrote: "The Meq"

By Steve Alten?

バッカーノ！The Rolling Bootlegs sounds right up your ally. Unfortunately, I don't think the novels have been translated yet. If you want to see this in other media, not just books, you could check out the dub/subbed TV series.

Aubren wrote: "バッカーノ！The Rolling Bootlegs sounds right up your ally. Unfortunately, I don't think the novels have been translated yet. If you want to see this in other media, not just books, you co..."

Sounds good, where can I find it?

There's also The Child Prince

Ceilidh wrote: "There's also The Child Prince"

Thank you.

Might look at this Listopia
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/7...

Some others I haven't seen mentioned above (or just missed them)

Wild Seed by Octavia E. Butler

Altered Carbon

The Boat of a Million Years by Poul Anderson

The Alchemist's Cat features a sorcerer character who is trying to make the Elixir of Life and gain immortality. Granted, he's not a likable character, but his desire to become immortal plays a huge part in the plot.

I know this is a long shot, but Harry potter and the sorcerer's stone had a dude who is immortal.

In Gulliver's Travels the struldbrugs are immortal.

Random wrote: "Might look at this Listopia
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/7...

Some others I haven't seen mentioned above (or just missed them)

Wild Seed by Oct..."

Thank you, Random.

Patricia wrote: "The Alchemist's Cat features a sorcerer character who is trying to make the Elixir of Life and gain immortality. Granted, he's not a likable character, but his desire to become immort..."

Thanks, Patricia.

Jessica wrote: "I know this is a long shot, but Harry potter and the sorcerer's stone had a dude who is immortal."

I've already ready it. Thank you.