“Cloud Atlas” contains six stories whose main characters have something in common: a birthmark shaped like a comet. Otherwise, each has their own path and their own chances to die or survive. Each subsequent bearer of the family mark knows about the predecessor—for example, by reading a diary or watching a film. A chain of coincidences links the lives of people, where there is room for betrayals and murders, but also for love, loyalty, and heroism. In the end, the author’s reflections on good and evil, the future of humanity, and the meaning of human life.