Replay is a fantasy novel by American writer Ken Grimwood, first published by Arbor House in 1987. It won the 1988 World Fantasy Award for Best Novel.

The novel tells of a 43-year-old man who dies and wakes up back in 1963 in his 18-year-old body. He relives his life with all his memories of the previous 25 years intact. This happens repeatedly, with the man playing out his life differently in each cycle. The novel was a bestseller in Japan. Its time-loop concept has been referenced as a precursor of Harold Ramis's comedy-drama Groundhog Day (1993). Richard A. Lupoff explored a similar premise in his 1973 short story "12:01". Australian science fiction author Damien Broderick credits the novel with introducing the "Replay" trope wherein time travel is often depicted without any kind of manufactured machine or technology as its source. The novel has also attracted literary analysis outside the genre of science fiction, with author Samuel Berglund arguing it "presents a postmodern rejection of a universal meaning to life" through its use of repetition and "various other postmodern literary techniques and was on the shortlist for the 1988 Arthur C. Clarke Award.

The novel has been included in several lists of recommended reading: Modern Fantasy: The Hundred Best Novels (1988), Locus Reader's Poll: Best Science Fiction Novel (1988), Aurel Guillemette's The Best in Science Fiction (1993) and David Pringle's Ultimate Guide to Science Fiction (1995).

Sequel

Ken Grimwood was working on a sequel to Replay when he died from a heart attack in 2003 at the age of 59.

Film adaptation

On October 19, 2010, Warner Bros. reported that it was planning on a film version starring Ben Affleck and directing with Jason Smilovic writing the screenplay for this adaptation. On April 29, 2011, Robert Zemeckis was set to direct after Affleck left the project. It was reported later that Greg Berlanti was set to replace Zemeckis as director and will reimagine Jeff Winston as an advertisement executive.

See also

  • List of unpublished books by notable authors

References

  • Review of Replay by Jo Walton
  • Review of "Replay" by Brad Meltzer, on NPR's "You Must Read This," July 10, 2008