The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August
by Claire North · first published 2014
100% recommend
Why HN recommends it
Thought-provoking sci-fi novel about a man whose life repeats, offering a different take on immortality. Readers who like Replay or time-loop stories find it clever and worth rereading.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
Harry August is on his deathbed. Again. No matter what he does or the decisions he makes, when death comes, Harry always returns to where he began, a child with all the knowledge of a life he has already lived a dozen times before. Nothing ever changes. Until now. As Harry nears the end of his eleventh life, a little girl appears at his bedside. 'I nearly missed you, Doctor August, ' she says. 'I need to send a message.' This is the story of what Harry does next, and what he did before, and how he tries to save a past he cannot change and a future he cannot allow.
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These are all things I've experienced in the past three years, though some started or came out earlier. The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (even better if you liked Children of Time) Ted Lasso on Apple TV+ Star Trek: Discovery on CBS/Paramount (especially…
on “Ask HN: What is your favorite piece of entertainment of the last three years?” ↗The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August[1] by Claire North is the first book that jumps to mind when asked this question. The Bobiverse series[2] by Dennis E. Taylor is a great fun read or audiobook (I've done both!). The Xandri Corelel[3]…
on “Ask HN: What is your favorite fiction book?” ↗…Complete Robot by Isaac Asimov [2] The Wrong Unit [3] wasn't a bad little humorous tale. Pretty much anything by Timothy Zahn (sans Star Wars novelisations) [4] or Robert Sawyer [5] floats my boat. The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North [6] Barsk: The Elephants’ Graveyard by Lawrence M. Schoen [7] made me care about sentient elephants. Fuzzy Nation by John Scalzi [8] is very funny. Audiobook version narrated by Wil…
on “Ask HN: What are the best Sci-Fi books you've ever read?” ↗…in the Sky[1], The Chrysalids[2] and Dune[3][4]. Read them as a teenager and thirty years later still re-read. Others I’ve re-read recently are: * Camouflage [5] * The Green And the Gray [6] * The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August [7] * The Martian [8] * I Am Not A Serial Killer series [9] I plan to re-read in the near future: * Touch [10] * The Hollow City [11] * Pulling Up Stakes [12] Yes, I read a lot. [13] --- [1]…
on “Ask HN: Which book have you re-read recently?” ↗I really enjoy reading books about re-living your life, I think the best two I have read are Replay by Ken Grimwood and the first fifteen lives of Harry August by Claire North, very recommended. In terms of movies also About time incidentally explored some of the same concepts.
on “The dark legacy of Carlos Castaneda (2007)” ↗Claire North (aka Catherine Webb). Her book "The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August" addresses a different "type" of immortality than we typically think of.
on “Ask HN: Which scifi authors to interview about immortality?” ↗…on audiobook. I loved the first book which I've reread many times, but didn't enjoy the following books at all when I read them years and years ago. Decided to give them another try. Recommend: The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North for beautiful prose, charming writing and an inventive story. Her first and best book under that pseudonym. Barsk: The Elephants' Graveyard and The Moons of Barsk by Lawrence M. Schoen…
on “Ask HN: What Are You Reading?” ↗My favorite from this summer so far, and one I don't see mentioned much is "The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August" by Claire North (Catherine Webb). https://www.amazon.com/First-Fifteen-Lives-Harry-August/dp/0...
on “Science Fiction Books I’ve Read (2018)” ↗One of my favourite books of the last decade must be The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North. A little hard to classify. You could call it time travelling science fiction, or put it in the "speculative fiction" genre, but however you classify it, I found the concept and execution…
on “The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Books of the Past Decade” ↗…track of them. Stumbled across a boxed set not too long ago and read again and they're still just as good. More recent fare that I've read and/or listened on audiobook to at least three times are: The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North, and the Bobiverse Series by Dennis E. Taylor which I'm about to start listening to again. Links: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/826845.The_Chrysalids https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50851.Farmer_in_the_Sky…
on “Ask HN: What book have you re-read 3x or more?” ↗Hmm. Instead of answering, you might read a book called The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August.
on “Ask HN: If aging could be reversed, how would that affect your career(s)?” ↗Gideon the Ninth - this was a huge surprise to me and lots of fun. I've never read anything else quite like it. The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August - This is usually my go-to book recommendation for "whats your favorite book" Mortal Engines - The first book of a surprisingly poignant YA series which is not only fun throughout, but has one of the…
on “Best Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books of the 21st Century (So Far)” ↗The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North This cleverly written sci-fi novel might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s a thought-provoking exploration of a life that repeats.
on “Ask HN: What is the best thing you read in 2024?” ↗…by Dan Wells that starts with the excellent I Am Not a Serial Killer. I've just started Slow Gods by Claire North. I find her books a bit hit and miss for me but so far, so good. I absolutely love The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August, and Touch was also quite good, but some of her others I could not finish or didn't event start as they were just not for me.
on “Ask HN: What did you read in 2025?” ↗Fiction I recently enjoyed: The Ana and Din series by Robert Jackson Bennett. Sherlock Holmes vibes, with Kaiju. Also The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North. Currently reading and enjoying: Exit Party by Emily St. John Mandel. Next to Read: Hollywood, Ending by John Green.
on “Ask HN: What are you reading?” ↗