Midnight at the Well of Souls by Jack L Chalker

I first time I read this book was a few years after it was published.  My husband had read the book and suggested I read it.  At the time, I was devouring science fiction books and was interested in authors I had never read before.
Midnight at the Well of Souls is a great sci-fi fantasy story that has action, adventure, and that modern dilemma of good and bad.  The future of mankind is still in the hands of the very powerful who seem to know what is good for the masses. I hadn't re-read this book in many years and it amazes me on what I have forgotten. My favorite character is Nathan Brazil the freighter pilot who has lived for thousands of years but who I feel wants to be able to die. 
It's a great story on how the corrupt and the downtrodden are able to change their lives, some get a new chance while others get what we think they deserve. The Well of Souls(a giant computer located within a planet) changes people into beings it thinks will enable them to survive. It takes their attributes and tosses them into bizarre situations.
I recommend this book to anyone who loves reading science fiction from the 1980's.