SOLVED. Hard Sci-Fi / Space Opera (?) about a woman, possibly a fugitive, living with multiple personalities/creatures in her head that could take control of her body. [s]

[Lady Knight]

My friends and I loved this book in high school (2004-2007) though it was definitely a little older at the time (80s? 90s?), and 100% adult science fiction. I remember a very thick hardcover book with a red-headed woman on the dust jacket and the overall colour being purple . The covers of C.J. Cherryh's books strike me as similar, though that could just be a 'genre' thing.

I know this is very vague, but anyone have any idea what I read?

[Aerulan]

Really unsure about it but Diadem from the Stars by Jo Clayton sounds a bit similar cover-wise, though I'm not positive the woman is actually red haired and it's not just the cover scan giving it a reddish tint.

There's also Mind Guest by Sharon Green, which has some similar elements in terms of plot, she ends up with the personality scan of someone else in her head and it's able to sort of hijack her body on occasion (from what I remember) though if your book didn't have a bunch of sex in it then it's probably not this one.

[Lady Knight]

Aerulan wrote: "Really unsure about it but Diadem from the Stars by Jo Clayton sounds a bit similar cover-wise, though I'm not positive the woman is actually red haired and it's not just the cover s..."

Neither or those sound right (though both have gone on my To Read list, so thanks!). There was some sex (I think one of her 'voices' was a little sex obsessed or a specific one would take control if they needed to use sexual means to get out of a situation?) but I'm pretty sure the entire book took place in space. Either on ships or stations.

[Aerulan]

Well, adding to someone's TBR pile is always a good second-place prize to solving a request! ;)

I can't think of anything else offhand that could fit but I'm sure I've come across something else with a multiple personalities kind of set up at some point so I'll give it a bit more thought and see if anything jumps out at me. And I'll be keeping an eye on this thread in case it gets solved, since it sounds interesting and might end up on my TBR too.

[Lady Knight]

Aerulan wrote: "Well, adding to someone's TBR pile is always a good second-place prize to solving a request! ;)

I can't think of anything else offhand that could fit but I'm sure I've come across something else w..."

I FOUND IT! After extensive googling and a random dream ... it's This Alien Shore


Thanks for all your help!