# Can you help me find the title / author of a science fiction short story about reincarnation? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 14, 2012, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-help-me-find-the-title-author-of-a-science-fiction-short-story-about-reincarnation/637657 "2012-10-14T00:02:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sukismith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e99b99/32.png) [@sukismith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sukismith)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2012, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-help-me-find-the-title-author-of-a-science-fiction-short-story-about-reincarnation/637657/1 "2012-10-14T00:02:43Z")
I read a short story many years ago (80s) that I thought was by Harlan Ellison. The story is about a man who has some nagging feeling that he keeps living through reincarnation after reincarnation, lives usually and slowly getting better. Sometimes a mistake is made that throws him back down the chain. Finally, after many many lives he’s about to break through a membrane like substance at his death into some nirvana like release but at the moment of this last life ending he has a small doubt (or thought??) that slams him back into human incarnation again. Story has stayed with me for so long but I can’t find it. \*\*Any help welcome! \*\* ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2012, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-help-me-find-the-title-author-of-a-science-fiction-short-story-about-reincarnation/637657/2 "2012-10-14T01:04:41Z")
> [@sukismith](#): > > I read a short story many years ago (80s) that I thought was by Harlan Ellison. The story is about a man who has some nagging feeling that he keeps living through reincarnation after reincarnation, lives usually and slowly getting better. Sometimes a mistake is made that throws him back down the chain. > > Finally, after many many lives he’s about to break through a membrane like substance at his death into some nirvana like release but at the moment of this last life ending he has a small doubt (or thought??) that slams him back into human incarnation again. > > Story has stayed with me for so long but I can’t find it. > > \*\*Any help welcome! \*\* Reported so that the mods can move this to Cafe Society. This story doesn’t ring a bell with me, but I’ll check around in the usual spots. Possibly “Chained to the Fast Lane in the Red Queen’s Race” discussed here [Harlan Ellison Webderland: Book Reviews - Angry Candy](http://harlanellison.com/review/angry.htm#chained) ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2012, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-help-me-find-the-title-author-of-a-science-fiction-short-story-about-reincarnation/637657/3 "2012-10-14T01:09:10Z")
Groundhog Day? ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2012, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-help-me-find-the-title-author-of-a-science-fiction-short-story-about-reincarnation/637657/4 "2012-10-14T01:56:58Z")
Books? Moved from General Questions to Cafe Society. **samclem** , Moderator ---
**Author:** ![sukismith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e99b99/32.png) [@sukismith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sukismith)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2012, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-help-me-find-the-title-author-of-a-science-fiction-short-story-about-reincarnation/637657/5 "2012-10-15T01:47:58Z")
Andy – that’s it. Thank you so much!!! ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2012, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-help-me-find-the-title-author-of-a-science-fiction-short-story-about-reincarnation/637657/6 "2012-10-15T11:49:00Z")
> [@sukismith](#): > > Andy – that’s it. Thank you so much!!! You’re welcome. I looked up Harlan Ellison’s list of stories on [isfdb.org](http://isfdb.org), found a title that sounded promising, then googled for information on that title.