Two enthralling novels by Robert Silverberg about a future in which
the minds of the living can be changed for a price--often with dire
consequences
In To Live Again, thanks to the Scheffing Institute, death is not the
end. For a hefty fee, the soul bank stores the personas of those who
have died and inserts them into the brains of willing, living hosts.
It's a process that integrates the two minds, imbuing the host with a
menu of highly valuable abilities, memories, and traits. The more
personas one absorbs, the greater his social status. When banking mogul
Paul Kaufmann dies, many people apply to receive his persona. The
leading applicants--his bitter business rivals--are locked in a battle
to claim his soul. The Institute follows strict rules to ensure that the
host always remains in control, but of course accidents do happen . . .
In The Second Trip, Paul Macy wears the Rehab badge, the sign of
healing that advertises his status as a reconstruct job. When society
derides capital punishment and opts, instead, for personality
rehabilitation, criminals undergo mindpick operations in which their
identities are stripped and extinguished. Given a new bank of memories
and a fresh identity, they are offered a second chance at life. For
Paul, though, this gift comes with a price. His former self still
lingers inside him, waiting for the opportunity to emerge and battle
Paul's new self for ultimate control.
