Darby McDevitt, lead writer forAssassin's Creed 4: Black Flag, sweeps readers back into AI-driven metaverse of The Halterwith his second page-turning speculative mystery in the Forum Series, The Doppel.
Nick Behan and Dylan Ridley are the two halves of a locally famous Seattle band called Automata, but after Dylan is arrested and Nick's spine is badly injured in an aggressive encounter with police, the band falls apart. Nick struggles to afford the medication he needs to treat his injury and Dylan disappears, meaning the album that would fund Nick's treatment is put on an indefinite hold. As Dylan's career skyrockets despite his disappearance and Nick's desperation to afford his treatment grows, the Doppel program becomes the only explanation and solution to all of Nick's troubles. .
The Doppels are autonomous digital replicas of real people designed to carry out creative work in their stead. Nick realizes that Dylan sold his Doppel after the arrest, so a defeated Nick sells his own Doppel to afford his treatment and fund a tour with his new band. He's not on tour long when his own Doppel partners up with Dylan's to release music that the real Nick and Dylan were writing together. The song is a huge hit, and spiraling, Nick is compelled to return to the Forum, confront his Doppel, and find out what happened to Dylan.
