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Series · historical fiction

Geodyssey

by Piers Anthony

The Geodyssey series by Piers Anthony has 5 known books (5 published) and is best read in publication order, starting with Isle of Woman (1993).

Books
5 known books (5 novels)
Published
5
First published
1993
Status
completed
Shelved under
Historical Fiction
Last checked

Start here: Isle of Woman (1993) — then read straight through in publication order.

Book one

Cover of Isle of Woman

Isle of Woman (1993)

Reading order

The date order of published books and any announced future entries — the default way to read the series.

  1. Isle of Woman

    Novel

    Isle of Woman (1993, 448 pages) opens Geodyssey, Piers Anthony's fictionalized survey of human prehistory following the same handful of recurring reincarnated souls -- broadly a leader, a shaman/artist, a worker, and others -- beginning with prehistoric human migration out of Africa.

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  2. Shame of Man

    Novel

    Shame of Man (1994, 512 pages) follows the same recurring cast into a new era of human development, the second-longest book in a series whose entries grow steadily larger with each installment.

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  3. Hope of Earth

    Novel

    Hope of Earth (1997, 631 pages), published three years after Shame of Man and well over 100 pages longer, continues Anthony's fictionalized big-history project through another stage of human cultural and technological development.

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  4. Muse of Art

    Novel

    Muse of Art (1999, 640 pages) -- the longest novel in the series -- carries the recurring reincarnated cast forward again, continuing Anthony's speculative dramatization of human history in place of his usual fantasy and science-fiction registers.

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  5. Climate of Change

    Novel

    Climate of Change closes the series at 528 pages, published in 2010, eleven years after Muse of Art and by far the longest gap between any two Geodyssey books.

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About the Geodyssey series

Geodyssey traces the same handful of recurring souls — reincarnated across tens of thousands of years, from prehistoric human migration out of Africa through the rise of agriculture, early civilization, and eventually the modern era — using each incarnation's story to dramatize a different stage of human cultural and technological development. Rather than a single continuous plot, the series is closer to a fictionalized survey of human prehistory and history: each book picks up the same small ensemble of character-types (broadly, a leader, a shaman/artist, a worker, and others) in a new era and setting, letting Piers Anthony use fiction to speculate concretely about how early humans might have lived, loved, fought, and innovated.

It's a considerable departure from Anthony's fantasy and science-fiction work — closer to speculative anthropology or a fictionalized big-history project than to Xanth or Bio of a Space Tyrant — reflecting his stated interest in evolutionary biology, prehistory, and the origins of human behavior and belief. The five novels span publication from 1993 to 2010, with real gaps between volumes as the project continued intermittently across nearly two decades.

Frequently asked questions

How many books are in the Geodyssey series?

Five novels, published between 1993 and 2010: Isle of Woman, Shame of Man, Hope of Earth, Muse of Art, and Climate of Change.

What order should I read Geodyssey in?

Publication order, starting with Isle of Woman. Each book follows the same recurring reincarnated characters through a different era, but the individual stories are largely self-contained.

What is the premise of the Geodyssey series?

The same small group of souls is reincarnated across tens of thousands of years of human history, from prehistoric migration through the rise of civilization to the modern era, with each book dramatizing a different stage of human development.

Is Geodyssey similar to Piers Anthony's fantasy series?

No, it's a significant departure - closer to speculative historical and anthropological fiction than to the fantasy and science fiction of Xanth or his other series.

Is the Geodyssey series finished?

The five published novels span 1993 to 2010 with substantial gaps between volumes; no further entries have been confirmed since Climate of Change (2010).

Reading order last verified .