Ken Grimwood

Kenneth Milton Grimwood (February 27, 1944 – June 6, 2003) was an American author, who also published work under the name of Alan Cochran.

In the mid-1960s, Grimwood worked in news at WLAK in Lakeland, Florida.

Heading north, he returned to college, studying psychology at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York.

He attended and graduated in 1961 from Indian Springs School, a private school near Birmingham, Alabama.

That summer he went to Paris to study at the Sorbonne.

He attended Emory College in Atlanta from 1961 to 1963.

He awakens in 1963 in his 18-year-old body.

He begins to relive his life with intact memories of the previous 25 years.

This happens repeatedly with different events in each cycle.

In this novel, Grimwood refers back and offers a clue to the identity of the author of Two Plus Two: in one passage the main character of Replay hides his identity by using the name "Alan Cochran".

He also contributed short fiction to Bard's student publication, Observer in 1969, and graduated in 1970.

Grimwood moved to Los Angeles, California.

He wrote some of his early novels while working as nightside editor at KFWB News 980 radio in the city.

Grimwood's debut novel, Breakthrough (Ballantine, 1976), is a blend of science fiction, reincarnation and horror elements that concluded with an unpredictable twist ending.

Cured of epilepsy by a breakthrough in medical technology, 26-year-old Elizabeth Austin has miniature electrodes implanted in her brain.

She can control her seizures by pressing an external remote to activate the electrodes.

Adjusting to a normal life, she is ready to patch up a troubled marriage and resume her abandoned career.

However, as part of the implant operation, Elizabeth gave her consent for the insertion of extra electrodes, featuring experimental functions unknown to science.

When one of those electrodes is stimulated, Elizabeth experiences memories which are not her own.

She discovers the remote has given her the ability to eavesdrop on her previous life 200 years in the past, and she keeps this a secret from her doctor.

Intrigued, she finds the earlier existence appealing and begins to spend more and more time there.

Eventually, she discovers that the woman in the past is a murderess who is plotting to kill Elizabeth's husband in the present.

In writing this novel, Grimwood did extensive research into brain surgery and epilepsy.

Grimwood used the pseudonym Alan Cochran for his novel Two Plus Two (Doubleday, 1980).

The storyline follows two Los Angeles detectives investigating a trio of murders that they learn involve members of a swingers club.

In his fantasy fiction, Grimwood combined themes of life-affirmation and hope with metaphysical concepts, themes found in his best-known novel, Replay (1986).

Grimwood's novel Replay (Arbor House, 1986), explored the life of 43-year-old radio journalist Jeff Winston after his death.

The success of Replay (1987) enabled him to leave that job and pursue writing full-time.

Grimwood was married for a period; he and his wife did not have children.

Among his friends was Tom Atwill (a relative of the actor Lionel Atwill).

Atwill described Grimwood's "free spirit lifestyle" and recalled,

It won the 1988 World Fantasy Award for Best Novel.

Grimwood was born in Dothan, Alabama.

His family moved to Pensacola, Florida, where he grew up.

In his early years, Grimwood took an interest in EC Comics and radio journalism.

The novel was a bestseller in Japan, and it won the 1988 World Fantasy Award.

The novel was a selection of the Literary Guild and the Doubleday Book Club.

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

The time-loop concept of Replay has been referred to as a precursor of Harold Ramis's comedy-drama film Groundhog Day (1993), starring Bill Murray.

Another novel that explores the same theme of someone reliving their life again and again upon death is The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by British author Catherine Webb.