THE CAPSULE takes place in year 45 of the Age of Perfection. In any period of history, humanity would call this world a paradise. Citizens of the United State of Earth live in fully-automated capsule apartments. A computer program called Systema looks after their physical and psychological comfort. There is no need to work since the government, led by the Wise Ruler, provides for all necessities and desires. Systema has specially designed an entertainment program suited to your tastes and emotional needs. The world outside the capsule is a dangerous place filled with deadly viruses and wild animals, but you needn’t feel alone. The virtual reality of Net City offers a full social life where you can meet friends, check on your family and fall in love just like the real world…
Liza, an unassuming comment moderator, was just as happy in her capsule as anybody else. Then one day her best friend died under mysterious circumstances, and her virtual acquaintances respond in a way that is curiously, menacingly one-dimensional. With help from a mysterious group of rebels, Liza abandons the safe confines of her capsule in search of answers and to save her life. How does a young man die in the Age of Perfection? Is somebody manipulating Systema behind the scenes? Are the avatars of Net City friends, enemies, or simply illusions? Who is really in control of the world beyond the capsule?
This novel deals with issues of freedom and power, political control and the limits of artificial intelligence that are becoming more relevant in her home country and around the world.
The cyberpunk dystopia "The Capsule" is the first novel of female Russian author Olga Loukianova, books researcher and IT- entrepreneur. It was translated into English by Steven McGrath in 2018. "The Capsule" passed from hand to hand and now it has become available to the wide circle of readers.