What happens when the Hell of Dante's Inferno is set into motion? Could any place inhabited by people persist without change? In fact, Dante's Inferno has already changed - the shock of the Sacrifice drove Satan to insanity. The dark lord lost all contact with his realm, and the demons found themselves on their own. Would they elect a new Devil, or would they fall into anarchy and eventual war?
Consider the plight of Bill Smith, an agnostic who was placed on the Vestibule for his lack of faith. For years, he roamed along the Devil's Porch. Eventually, he returned to his starting point, a distance of several thousand miles. He saw it all, from sinners who fought one another simply because they could, to the Ritual Hunters, the only organized society in Hell. He met Samuel Clemens, who searched endlessly for a way to revive technology. Yet, he never escaped the boredom and despair of Hell.
He spent more and more time as a spectator at the Landing Zone, where a steady stream of wretches materialized. The Vestibule rats mocked and jeered at the new arrivals as they screamed from their shock and fear. Bill saw the arrival of Jimmy Swineout, Earth's most notorious televangelist. He also saw the landing of a jaded homosexual who expressed his gratitude that he had never worshipped such a tyrannical God. In the end, his curiosity got the better of him. As he sought a clear view of Charon's Ferry, a horde of sinners swept him onto the raft....
The entry of an Outsider, especially one who had somehow evaded the Minotaur, rattled Hell's convoluted, post-Satan politics. Many were the plots, sub-plots and counter-plots that shadowed the Wanderer's meandering path. He walked farther and farther into Hell, still searching for a nebulous Answer, as his danger grew exponentially. Although he never found the Answer, the clues he discovered thoroughly rattled Redclaw, that foul lord by default....
This book may be read on many levels, from pure adventure to allegory. Its most crucial questions are, "What purpose does Hell serve? Why weren't the sinners left dead?"
