 First edition (author's text) | |
| Author | Robert Sheckley |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Science fiction |
| Published | First edition-1959 (Bantam Books), Second edition-1991 (Tor Books) |
| Publisher | Bantam Books (first edition),Tor Books (1991 edition) |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Paperback,hardcover,e-book |
| Pages | 152 (first edition-paperback) 250 (1991 edition-paperback) |
Immortality, Inc. is a 1959 science fiction novel by American writerRobert Sheckley, originally published in a shorter form in 1958 asImmortality Delivered. It was Sheckley's first novel and remains one of his most popular and critically acclaimed. The serialised form published under the titleTime Killer in the magazineGalaxy Science Fiction was nominated for theHugo Award forBest Novel the same year it was released (1959).[1] The novel has been re-released in more than 50 editions since its initial publication, including a 2014 e-book.
 | This articleneeds an improved plot summary. Please helpimprove the plot summary.(April 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
The novel starts with its protagonist, Thomas Blaine, waking in an operating room during the procedure to give him a new host body and thus a new life. He is then soon conscious and aware of the fact he is living in the year 2110, a result of his mind being transferred into a new host body and the procedure completed. He must then learn to live with his new circumstances, as his last living moments were in 1958 and an existential struggle ensues with the new world he now finds himself living in.
This story was first adapted as the opening episode for the third series of theBBC science-fiction anthology seriesOut of the Unknown, starringDerek Benfield as Tom Clarke (a renamed Thomas Blaine). The master videotape for the episode was laterwiped by the corporation, and only brief video and audio clips are known to exist.The Beatles discuss watching it in the first part ofThe Beatles: Get Back.[2]
The premise was loosely adapted into the 1992 filmFreejack.
A famous scene from the novel involving a character lost in a future New York City and mistakenly getting in line for asuicide booth was parodied inthe pilot episode ofFuturama.[3]
 | This article about a 1950s science fiction novel is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. See guidelines for writing about novels. Further suggestions might be found on the article'stalk page. |