aliens alter prehistoric man with regeneration and immortality

[molizard]

I read this book years ago and have never been able to find it, can anybody help. Aliens land on him accidentally, and one of them repairs the damage and adds a little something extra. The character grows a new leg after a cave lion rips it off, and returns to his tribe, becoming a shaman with the ability to alter his physical being, discovers he never ages, goes through all of human history, survives aztec sacrifice attempt by growing a second heart while his is cut out, world war 2 interacts with hitler, many other forest gumplike adventures, all the while pondering his uniqueness, finally entering space age and becoming one with the universe or something, at last realizing the origins of his powers.

 

[Pyan]

Sounds fascinating, molizard - a cross between Lazarus Long, Gilgamesh and the Wandering Jew. I've no idea what it is, but I hope someone else does, because I'd love to read it...

Welcome to the Chrons, by the way - hope you decide to stick around, even if your main reason for joining was this post.

 

[ds808]

hey molizard, I was wondering if youve found this book already, because im also searching for it now. I read it when i was younger and i wish to read it again.

 

[iansales]

The Boat of a Million Years, Poul Anderson? That's features an immortal who lives through human history.

 

[molizard]

thanks but that's not it, this was about only one guy. It opens with him looking up at a bright light (retro rockets) which burn him badly, and one of the aliens repairs him and adds a little extra something, to the chagrin of the other alien who recites rules of galactic tampering or something. He then goes through the ages, outliving spouses and families, all the way up to becoming a starship captain and beyond.

 

[Winter Lord]

I think you have mixed two or more seires. One sounds like Casca, which was written by Barry Sadler. The other could be Kane, by Karl Edward Wagner.

 

[beenorthern]

You're looking for *In the Face of My Enemy* by Joseph H. Delaney.

It isn't a unique idea -- but it's quite enjoyable.