On a Pale Horse

Written by Piers Anthony

Narrated by George Guidall

No science fiction collection is complete without On a Pale Horse. In this, the first novel of the best-selling Incarnations of Immortality series, Piers Anthony combines a deeply moving examination of the meaning of life and death with a gripping story of romance and loyalty all set in a world of magic and technical wizardry.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Feb 29, 2008
• ISBN: 9781440780868

Piers Anthony

Piers Anthony is one of the world’s most popular fantasy writers, and a New York Times–bestselling author twenty-one times over. His Xanth novels have been read and loved by millions of readers around the world, and he daily receives letters from his devoted fans. In addition to the Xanth series, Anthony is the author of many other bestselling works. He lives in Inverness, Florida.

Reviews for On a Pale Horse

[grahzny · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Loved it when I was a teen.

[emeraldgreen_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

On a Pale Horse starts strongly, with an interesting world and a fascinating premise. Unfortunately, the writing wasn't strong enough to hold my interest long. The dialogue is particularly poor. All the characters speak in the same pretentious, moralistic tone, sounding more like authorial mouthpieces than people in their own right.The book's philosophy is more complex than it might at first seem, and with stronger characterisation and prose, it could have been an effective social critique. As it is, it's a tedious story with a heavy-handed moral message.

[therebelprince · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

What can I say? This was an absolutely appallingly bad book. I'm new to fantasy, and was really excited for this series. By five pages in, I was regretting that decision. By page thirty, I was openly laughing.

There's an interesting idea at play here (more interesting in 1983, I daresay, than in our world where "guy becomes Death" has been done to, well, death). But unfortunately, I'd assumed this was adult fantasy, whereas this is written like a youth book - in fact the prose reminds me specifically of the lesser "Choose Your Own Adventure" works. Zane, the central character, has the thought processes of a 13-year-old boy, and as a result, we're punished by having to endure every single mundane thought he has. (Without a trace of irony, one line of narrative voice says "This was unreal!")

It's clear that Piers Anthony has a lot of good ideas but has no way of expressing them. At one point, he describes a watch: "It was mechanical, but had a way of magic about it". Describe how Zane could sense this magic, Mr. Anthony. Or show us some glimmer or spectral presence, rather than just tell us that. This is fifth-grade writing at best. The world Zane inhabits, similarly, is not in the least appealing. Winged horses in this world? Are known as "air-horses". It's like a bad "Futurama" parody. (Note to Mr. Anthony: we didn't call aeroplanes "air-cars", nor did we call cars "metal-horses". This is not how the world works.)

Perhaps if I'd got further into the book, this would have been revealed as an elaborate literary device to show us Zane's simplistic surfer dude brain patterns, but somehow I doubt it. I'd only recommend this to fifth-graders, but even then, I'm sure they can find something better to read.

[yvonnevoninnes · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Too much philosophical preaching!I read this book on recommendation, and many fans seem to have been impressed by the story. While it was certainly well written, the repeated logic did not persuade me to see things from the author’s point of view. I became increasingly frustrated by the repetitive rhetoric. What started as an engaging and creative fantasy devolved onto a series of philosophical opinions, ones which I do not entirely prescribe to. My personal experiences with the elderly cannot be reasoned away by a few generalized, stereotypical arguments. Each person’s case is so individually unique, that a narrow-minded perspective cannot hope to persevere here.I agree with main character’s opinion on speeches of self-justification solely benefiting the speaker. Only I felt even more cheated, because as a reader I was not given an opportunity to participate. Many who are handicapped by their age (young or old) suffer more from neglect and loneliness, than from their inability to be independent. But they don’t seem to be worth society’s time. Let's stick-em all somewhere where they won't get in our way, while we do the important things in life!Mr. Anthony is right to point out how technology will be able to keep more and more severely handicapped people alive in the future, but he falsely assumes that all or most such patients would rather just call it quits. I have spent a lot of time with the elderly and have discovered that many actually want to live, but suffer from guilt. They don’t want to be a burden on their families physically, emotionally of financially. But what are we living for if not to help others? This selfish nuclear family structure and artificial age segregation is the real problem. Who wants to die in a facility or hospital either naturally or unplugged? Love lies in the sacrifice of inconveniencing our lives so that we can be there for others. Each person is unique, and if we stop to think about it, we can come up with more unique and personalized solutions that are both dignified and humane. No quick and easy shortcuts here. Maybe if we rejected some things and simplified our lives…Yes, I get it compassion, but, again, the author’s definition was very constricted. Similarly, the concept of love was touched on, but I couldn’t really feel it. I hungered for it, but it never really materialized to my satisfaction. Sacrifice but often misguided or not well thought out. It was frustrating.As a theist, I was also bothered by the fact that the protagonist, although quick to learn that rules and preconceptions are not to be trusted, never bothers to converse with God. He doesn’t hesitate to reach out to the Devil and the other supernaturals. Why is that I wonder? Out of all the regulations, and parameters he chooses to successfully break or circumvent, the main character unquestionably accepts that God will never bother to listen or interfere. I suppose it’s just a personal point of view. Unfortunately that, along with the generalization of what handicapped elderly truly desire, ultimately ruined the story for me.As I plowed through this book, the plot brought to mind the two volumes following “The Golden Compass”: beautiful story turned bitter.One star for sophisticated proseOne star for creativityOne star for a complete story which I was able to finish, although not recommend to anyone.

[cuviper · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

On a Pale Horse is a fun, light-fantasy novel that introduces the Incarnations of Immortality. It's interesting to see Zane assume the role of Death, and he ultimately changes the face of what that role entails. The author's note mentions an attempt at social commentary, and while I think I see what he was going for, it's not all that profound. Stick to the book for it's entertainment value though, and it's a worthwhile read.

[samjehanzeb · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Piers Anthony hat hier eine interessante Geschichte verfasst, die einfach mal etwas anderes ist und sich vom klassischen Schema der Fantasy abhebt. On A Pale Horse (Reiter auf dem schwarzen Pferd) ist der erste Band aus der achtteiligen Reihe Incarnations of Immortality, veröffentlicht im Jahre 1983. In der hier beschriebenen Welt existieren Magie und Technologie gleichberechtigt nebeneinander, ein Gesellschaftsentwurf, der heute, so scheint es, nur noch selten genutzt wird.Was diesen Roman so lesenswert macht, ist die Grundidee der Incarnations of Immortality: Ein jeder wird schon von den zentralen Aspekten des menschlichen Seins gehört haben: Zeit, Tod, Schicksal, Krieg, Natur, Gut und Böse. Hier ist es nun so, dass diese Aspekte als leibhaftige Inkarnationen existieren, also von gewöhnlichen Menschen personifiziert werden. In On A Pale Horse erfährt der Leser, wie sich solch ein einfacher Mensch in die Rolle als Inkarnation des Todes einfügt.Die Figuren in diesem Buch sind allesamt sympathisch. Egal wie böse, geheimnisvoll, kompliziert oder verschroben sie sind, man liest sie gerne und sie wirken lebendig und überzeugend. Selbst Satan mit seiner süffisanten Art und seinen Intrigen bringt einen zum Schmunzeln. Nicht zuletzt ist das natürlich auch Anthonys Schreibstil zu verdanken, der das Ganze mit einer Prise Ironie würzt und viele ungewöhnliche, humorvolle Ideen einbaut. So haben Reisende beispielsweise die Wahl zwischen Flugzeug oder fliegendem Teppich, und die Abteilung “Fegefeuer” hat ihre eigenen Nachrichtensprecher samt dazu gehörendem privaten Fernsehkanal und Videokonferenz.Ein weiteres Plus dieses Romans ist seine gesellschaftskritische Herangehensweise. Der Autor wendet sich heiklen Themen wie Sterbehilfe, künstlicher Lebenserhaltung und damit der Gerätemedizin zu. Der gesellschaftliche Umgang mit dem Tod wird in Frage gestellt. Der Protagonist Zane/Thanatos muss in seiner Rolle als Inkarnation des Todes lernen, dass der Tod seine Berechtigung hat, dass er nicht um jeden Preis verhindert werden muss, dass es auch ein würdeloses Sterben gibt und der Tod zur Erlösung für den Sterbenden wird. Zane/Thanatos sieht sich sehr oft mit den Fragen um Moral und Mitgefühl konfrontiert, und obwohl Piers Anthony dies meist humorvoll verpackt, wirkt es weder respektlos noch geschmacklos, sondern er würdigt die Ernsthaftigkeit des Themas, ohne belehrend zu wirken. Dadurch bringt Anthony den Leser zum Nachdenken.On A Pale Horse ist ein zum Ende hin immer spannender werdendes, in sich abgeschlossenes Buch und kann daher problemlos auch ohne die folgenden Bände gelesen werden. Es sollte nicht unerwähnt bleiben, dass hier bereits einige Grundsteine für die Serie gelegt werden. Wer sich aber unsicher ist und zunächst nur in die Buchreihe hineinschnuppern möchte, kann das mit On A Pale Horse getrost tun, ohne mit großen Fragen zurückgelassen zu werden.Zusammenfassend lässt sich sagen, dass dieser Roman mehr zu bieten hat, als man zunächst annimmt, und es sich durchaus lohnt, einen Blick zu riskieren.

[brakketh-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A bit dated and the world building though interesting didn't grab me.

[david_brown_851454 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

This is one of a recent collection of books that I read when I was in middle school and have suddenly wanted to return to in a bout of nostalgia. My best friend at the time had read and connected me to this book, and I don't think I finished reading it at the time (it was a bit over my head). I was vaguely familiar with the first two books in the series as a result, and I have to say that this was remarkably less impressive upon reading it as an educated adult.

This is disappointing because, as fantasy (I think this might be classified as urban fantasy?) goes, this is a fascinating premise that I really wanted to like. Mortal beings inhabiting the offices of Death, Time, Fate, etc. and bringing their own struggles to the execution of their duties just sounds like something that a science-fiction lover would want to read. And, while Anthony does some really interesting world-building with the mix of technology and magic, and the tools that each being uses to execute their duties, the book digresses almost immediately into a philosophical and theological quagmire from which it never manages to return.

I see what Anthony is trying to do here. What if death is seen as a natural part of living rather than something to be feared? What happens after we die? These are deep questions that would normally make for a fascinating novel. What Anthony actually accomplishes, though, is merely landing in a post-modern stance of "whatever you want it to be" while reducing his setting to a heretical theological dualism that mostly just left me glad every time I had set the book down.

Overall, this book sounds like a really interesting concept (especially if you're a teen) but just doesn't deliver on any level. A profoundly disappointing read that I would not recommend to anyone.

[sanguinius8991 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

One of my favorite books ever. I've read it several times.

[sircrash_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

fantasy romp framed in a exploration of the concept of death with a dash of satire. One of the deeper works from Anthony.

[reading_fox · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

not as good as I remembered it from my youth, but still a great premise, marred by slightly clunky prose in places, along with too pointed social commentary (not that's wrong as such, just that subtlety works better in these matters), and the author's casual mysogeny, somewhat a product of it's times, and there are women with agency within the story, but far too many references to women as objects to be possessed for comfortable reading.The set-up is very clever though. The world (told rather than shown a little too much) is a blend of science and magic, Newton having had a 2nd revelation later in life allowing the two to be discovered in unison. There are flying carpets alongside pegasai and cars, embued stones of all types magically detecting (or promoting) love and wealth, as well as 1980s computers crunching data, next to summoned demons doing the same. God and Satan are prominent although only God respects the covenant of non-intervension, whilst Satan hires billboards. The populace ignore their Eternal fate, much as most do today. The hero is Zane who's life has been on a downward spiral. He's about to be evicted from his bedsit when he disturbs and accidentally kills an intruder. This was no ordinary robber but another Incarnation, Death himself who along with War Nature Fate and Time are embodied (cf God and Satan) to make the critical choices in their respective bailiwicks. Zane now gets to personally intervene when souls are balanced between Heaven and Hell. The pacing's all a bit off as the initial exploration of the world drags while Zane gets used to his new powers. Eventually he meets a girl (more objectification here, she really could be less jump inot a skeleton's arms just because my dad said so) whom Satan has taken a dislike to. Zane needs to balance his personal desires against his more practical ethics and choose how to minimise global suffering.I'm a big fan of books where there isn't a clear right nswer forced down your throat from the author, and PA does a reasonable job of weighing in some of the dilemmas an active death (or any member of society) might find themselves thinking about. It's just a shame he's slightly heavy handed about it.Inventive, but now somewhat dated I doubt I'll re-read the rest of the series, I recall it getting even less good.

[cassiewinters-2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I forced my partner to read "The Handmaid's Tale" after I read it, so he forced me to read this book. At first I didn't want to like it because of this. It also is in a weird fantasy/sci-fi world that I personally have avoided for most of my life. That being said I did enjoy this book. I found it a weird mixture of soap opera elements swirled up in this story of a man forced into his position as the new death. It was interesting to see the differing personalities of each of the incarnations and see how Anthony created them to be differing from the others that hold office. The underlying storyline was also fascinating because while it feels highly religious, a great reader can understand that this story is truly fantasy driven on our ideals of these various parts of life but they are pushed to fit into the world that Anthony wants to create (War, Time, Nature, Fat, Satan and God). I believe that was the most fascinating element to this particular book to me was Anthony's ability to world-build without it being so obvious that it smacked you in the face. I have read books that world-build by telling you every single aspect of where a character is, which gets the reader bogged down on minute details that could have been explained through the character. Anthony world-builds through description and the character (i.e. Zane often discusses information related to cars and magical carpets). This helps us to understand the world that the story is set within without having to be beat over the head with setting description. Also another element that was enjoyable was that characters had real emotions, even those in these varying offices. It did not feel that anyone's actions were unwarranted or unjust for what had been told about them. For example, Luna does not just jump into love with Zane instead it progresses in a more natural even tone. I highly recommend this particular book in this series. It is a great starting point and I am looking forward to starting the next book.

[purpledog-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I like the plot a lot and the execution but not enough to overcome the sexism. All the puns about women... I am over it. I think the author intended it to be cute but I found it disgusting among other things.However, I liked how the MC, Zane, gabbled with the doing what he felt was right versus what the job required. If the author had only expanded on this and a few other of the morals issues presented it would been a much better read.

[ashleytylerjohn · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

If you love Piers Anthony, you'll probably like this one. For me, he's one of those writers that start well--he'll have an intriguing idea--but by book #3, I'm thinking "is that all there is," and if I make it to book #5 I likely won't finish it. Just, no.

There are better writers, there are better series, and there are better writers writing better series that get better after book 1 rather than worse. Look elsewhere!

[m.akter.tonima · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

good book.liked it so much that i finished it in a week.that hardly happens for me.the only other book i read that fast was the hobbit. :D

[razinha-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Imaginative, but typical Piers Anthony. He always seems smug to me. I know he wrote some serious science fiction, but I've not read any. I don't thinking I've ever read anything by him that didn't come off as mocking at some point in the book.

Still, he does entertain. I found out last year that he wrote an eighth Incarnation book, so I'll refresh my memory interspersing the series with my other reading in case I find a copy of Under a Velvet Cloak someday.

[aharey · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Zane decides to kill himself, but ends up killing Death instead. Forced to take the mantle of Death, Zane begins to make the Incarnation his own.When I first read this in the early 90s, it was unlike anything I’d ever read. I loved it so much I bought the rest of the series. Now, it’s still good, but I’ve read far better fantasy over the years. I still enjoyed reading it, but the love is mostly gone. I do still enjoy the story though the love story is pretty weird.

[altheaann · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Book One of Incarnations of Immortality

The story of a 'regular guy,' Zane, who after a run of bad luck, decides to commit suicide - but instead, as Fate would have it, is picked to assume the office of Death. The job comes with any number a perks - a shapechanging Deathhorse, a manor in purgatory, and who knows what powers - Zane needs to figure that out as he goes along, collecting the sould of those whose lives are in balance, neither good nor evil, to be sorted out and sent to hell, heaven, or purgatory.
To complicate things, there's a pretty girl, Luna, whose magician dad has tried to engineer things so that Zane would get together with her - and of, course, an ongoing struggle between god and Satan - and Satan seems to be cheating.
This is an entertaining-enough light fantasy read, but it also has pretentions to "pointed social satire" as Anthony says - which aren't really that pointed. The characterization is slight, and it also seemed slightly sexist. The cosmology is also very simplistic.

Four years later than this book, Terry Pratchett published his humorous fantasy book about Death (Mort), which shares a LOT of similarities with this book - and although it might have come later, it's just much much funnier and better-done. If I hadn't already read Mort, I probably would have liked this much better.

At the end of 'On A Pale Horse' is a rather long 'Author's Note' in which Anthony talks about some of his aims as a writer and his life at the time of reading the book - and it's a really interesting, attention-grabbing essay. Ironically, it might have been my favorite part of the book!

[bicyclewriter · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I confess that there were several times during the first half of this book that I nearly put it down. There were spots where I felt like the writing just wasn't my cup of tea. However, I hung with it because I really enjoyed the story he was telling, and wanted to see where it went. The further he got into the story, the more I enjoyed the writing. It ended up being a really fun story that kept you thinking across many planes. I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys stories that make you think, and I'd say hang with it.

[bookson23rd · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

ON A PALE HORSE, the first book in the INCARNATIONS OF IMMORTALITY series, is a novel about a man named Zane, who finds himself taking over the job of Death after shooting the previous owner of that title. He must now collect souls and determine whether they should go to Heaven or Hell. Death, of course, comes on a pale horse, hence the title. Written by the well-known fantasy author Piers Anthony, the story takes place in current time, where one can travel by magic carpet or vehicle.
Along his travels around the Earth ending the lives of mortals, Death (Zane) meets other immortals such as the Devil, War, and Mother Nature. He falls in love with Luna, a woman whose soul must be taken, and he is clearly quite reluctant to take it. Apparently the Devil has made a deal for her soul which Death must break in order to be with his love.
More than a sci-fi love story, this novel delves into the different circumstances of death, and how dying people acknowledge it. Whether they fear it, welcome it or it takes them by surprise. The situations are all different and some are quite touching.
ON A PALE HORSE kept me very entertained, and I would recommend it to everyone!

[bookwyrmm_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very fun premise, and manages to tackle some tough subjects without becoming preachy. A little dated in parts, but that just adds to the fun.

[lushrain · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

it was interesting. After reading Perdido Street Station the story seemed simpler in style and plot. But the plot was interesting and a quick read. I would read more books in this series.

[renbedell · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Piers Anthony makes a very interesting world mixed with modern technology mixed with cliché magic. The world has both cars and magic carpets, which at first seemed weird, but eventually I really enjoyed it. The beginning seemed to want to make a balance between the two, but as the book goes on it utilizes the magic system predominately. Death is very humanized in this book and I could see this as a TV show of death collecting souls. While the book itself may not be perfect, the idea of a compassionate Death and the interactions between him and the other Incarnations was really good. I listened to the audio book and George Guidall did a good job narrating.

[margarita.gakis · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I don't normally read sci fi, but this had a back cover I couldn't resist. I read the entire series and loved them all.

[csweder · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The premise of this book is amazing: Death is a job/role/office staffed by a person (the book only mentioned men, but I don't see why it couldn't be a woman). So if you kill Death, before he kills you--bam! You got yourself a new job...as Death.

You can imagine this requires quite a bit on the job training, but you will have some help--Mortis, your trustee Deathsteed (who has modernized with the times and can transform into the fastest car ever--which is totally necessary when rushing the globe collecting souls on a bit of a time crunch), as well as his fellow Incarnations of Nature, Chronos, Mars (War), and Fate.

All is well, Zane Is learning his craft when something unusual happens...he falls in love with a woman who the Devil has slated to die (since it has been seen that she will cost him tons of souls down the road). What is Death to do? He can't possibly take her soul, but if he doesn't take hers, he can't take any--he goes on strike until the issue can be resolved by a panel. (Turns out this whole, life/death/heaven/hell thing is very much a bureaucracy.)

Good stuff this book!

[chrisweir-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the first in the Incarnations of Immortality series. This one features death as an "office" held by a semi-immortal person. He is drawn to the souls that are near in balance of good and evil. The person who takes over the role of death Zane has been down on his luck and is about to commit suicide. At the last moment he recants his idea upon seeing death enter his apartment. He then turns the gun from himself onto death itself. Thus he takes over the role of death himself. I first read this book about 25 years ago and was awe struck with it. Did enjoy the book overall and it has not lost much of it's appeal. Is interesting to see Death as a person as opposed to something to be feared.

[aprilaasheim · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I am a huge Pier's fan. This was one of my favorites. I gave it only four stars because although I adored the book it wasn't as good in my opinion as some of the others in his Incarnations of Immortality series. Still, I recommend this to a lot of people. The moral issues of right and wrong and the way it is represented is very entertaining.

[snukes-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this whole series, but I thought this was one of the best in the whole set. The theory of how it's decided who goes to heaven or hell is silly, but the premise does make for a very interesting set of stories.

[librarydanielle_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

this series is one of my very favorites. set in an alternate earth where magic and science co-exist the incarnations, Death, Time, Nature, War, Fate, Satan, God, and Night, are humans who have taken an office.

[jeremypreacher · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Continuing my rereads of Piers Anthony novels that I now suspect I really don't want to own...

It's a thoughtful book in many ways. There are some compelling arguments for a right to a chosen death, and I suspect it shaped much of my thinking on legal euthanasia. And the near-future magic-and-science world he describes definitely has its charms. But these positives are now, for me, vastly outweighed by the negatives of the rampant sexism that I just can't overlook anymore.

On a Pale Horse opens, in finest Anthony tradition, with two men dickering using a woman as currency. She is literally just a bargaining chip - we never learn anything of her personality, only that she's pretty, rich, and will apparently fall for just anyone. This didn't appall me when I was ten, but it certainly does now. The main female character, Luna, is disposed of in exactly the same way - as a bargaining chip, with no real agency of her own. She's intelligent, which makes her scenes marginally less icky, but only marginally - she's introduced to the protagonist nude, offers to ensorcel herself so that she would find sleeping with him palatable, reveals that she "fornicated with a demon of hell" (which gives the protagonist some pause, because she's not "pure" anymore) and is generally described whenever she's on-scene as a particularly tasty morsel.

There's also constant and tedious gender stereotyping, culminating in a scene that startled and confused even me as a kid, where Anthony explains that an adult woman sleeping with a ten-year-old boy was only wrong because society made him feel guilty about it - otherwise, being male, he'd be totally willing and thrilled.

This is not a totally fair review. I really did like this book when I was a kid, and I can still see why. But there are things I can't stomach anymore, and this book is full of them.