Incarnations of Immortality

Incarnations of Immortality is the name of a seven book series penned by author Piers Anthony. The series revolves around 7 fictional "positions" in Purgatory (Death, Time, Fate, War, Nature, Good and Evil) and the humans who hold them during a certain time in the history of Earth. The books, and their plots, are:

• On a Pale Horse

A man, Zane, is living a pathetic life without money, employment or romance. He decides to take his own life, but when he sees the spectre of Death (Thanatos) advancing on him, he turns the gun and kills Death instead. He is immediately visited by a woman claiming to be the incarnation of Fate, who insists that Zane must assume the position of Death. This entails residing in Purgatory and visiting Earth to collect the souls of humans who are such a delicately close balance of good and evil that they cannot determine their final destination without help. Suffering the trials and tribulations of learning the job, he eventually falls in love with a woman named Luna; however, he is tricked by Evil (Satan) into a plot that will ultimately kill her. In the end he avoids this disaster, and discovers that Satan's ulterior motive was not to make Thanatos miserable, but to prevent a prophecy stating that Luna will bear the child that will thwart Satan's plan to end the world.

• Bearing an Hourglass

Norton, a man living a dead end life of nomadic wandering, is offered the position of Time (Chronos,) where he must rule over all Earthly aspects of that seemingly untangible concept. He accepts, and immediately starts literally living life backwards, using tricks with his Hourglass to halt or reverse time and do good. However, a child he fathered with a living woman in his previous life manages to attract the attention of Satan, who again tries to balk Chronos' good-doing at every turn. In the end his is assisted by his fellow incarnations in the thwarting of evil.

• With a Tangled Skein

An young Irish woman named Niobe is set into an arranged marriage with an even younger magician. She intially balks at this idea only to fall in love with him; just a few years later, he is shot when a spell he invents to protect deer from off season-hunters backfires and sends a bullet his way. She learns that the bullet was intended by her, and the entire plot devised by Satan. She agrees to take on the youngest aspect of Fate (Clotho.) Because holding the position does not age the Human therein, she lives for many years as Clotho, and then returns to humanity, only to become an Incarnation again as Lachesis, the middle aspect of Fate (and again, later in life, becomes Atropos, the eldest aspect.) Through this she manages to thwart Satan's attempts at killing her nephew Luna.

• Weilding a Red Sword

Mym, an Indian man and prince to a throne, defies his father's arranged marriage and instead joins a travelling circus. He is soon discovered, and rather than marry a woman other than the one he loves, he takes up the offer of becoming the Incarnation of War (Mars.) His ultimate goal was to use his position to ameliorate some of the suffering being caused by war on Earth, and is surprised by Satan's encouragement. Soon he realizes the subtle importances of human war and conflict, and defies Satan by allowing the act of war to continue on Earth.

• Being a Green Mother

It is discovered that young Orb has the gift of conjuring naturla music that eminantes from things in nature. She sets off on a quest for a magical song known as the Llano, and joins up with a rock and roll band. Her magical singing allows them to lose their drug addictions, and they quest together until she is approached by her mother, Niobe, in the guise of Fate. She is told that she has been selected to fill the role of Nature (Gaea,) but that a prophecy fortells that she will one day be married to Satan. She balks at this idea, opting instead to marry a man, Natasha, whom she has met and who is teaching her the Llano. When she learns that this man is Satan in disguise (Natasha is Ah, Satan backwards,) she immediately takes the position, but marries him regardless, now in a position to defend herself against any evil doing.

• For Love of Evil

Parry, a musician and White magician, he begins to doubt God when his love Jolie dies. He is approached by a demoness named Lillith who gradually leads him down a path of evil, going from sorcerer to Monk, and finally to deadly inquisitor. When he dies, he goes, appropriately, to Hell, and confronts Satan himself in a duel for the right to hold the position of all Evil.

• ...and Eternity

In the final novel of the series, three women - the ghost of Jolie, the ghost of Orlene (daughter of Orb,) and a human prostitute named Vita - question the usefullness of a God who refuses to intervene with the evil doings of Satan. As Satan is not honoring the covenant to not interfere with human life, they feel God's need to honor it is no longer required. They go to visit him in HEaven, and discover that he has not been paying attention to human affairs for millions of years, instead consumed with the contemplation of his own greatness. They begin a campaign to oust the curren Incarnation of Good (God) and replace him with Vita. To do so, they must have the approval of all Incarnations...including Satan. But why would Satan agree to replace a God who is allowing him to get away with huge amounts of Evil? Thus the ultimate battle between Good and Evil is fought.