Tom Sweterlitsch - Angyalok pokla

We are in a much more technologically advanced America of the near future. Ten years ago, after a nuclear explosion, Pittsburgh was reduced to ashes, and the survivors and the rest of the country fled to a grim dystopia, where the media and its various virtual extensions influence everyone, society is surrounded by pornographic content and the sex industry, and criminals are executed live you can watch from anywhere.

Dominic Blaxton is one of the survivors of the Pittsburgh disaster, but during the tragedy he lost his wife, who was pregnant with their unborn daughter. He currently assesses insurance claims for a private company: he searches for corpses connected to murder cases in the Archive, an interactive reconstruction of the city's buildings, parks and attractions, where simulations of once-living residents can also be found. In addition to investigating in virtual space, Dominic also relives his last memories with his wife over and over again, and the constant sense of loss pushes him into serious alcohol and drug addiction.

Also, his latest case is rather strange: the supposed murder of a woman who apparently wants to be erased from the Archives. Dominic is more and more determined to decipher the woman's identity and what could have happened to her. But as he follows the clues from the virtual world to reality, he realizes that the truth lurking in the depths of the illusions can endanger not only his sanity, but also his life and the lives of others.

The first novel by Tom Sweterlitsch, the author who became world famous with Gone Worlds, is an outstanding piece of modern science fiction with its postmodern style. With its impressive world-building, it evokes such greats as Philip K. Dick and William Gibson, while its plot management keeps pace with today's most exciting thrillers.