I, Rodion

WINNER: Artificial Intelligence Prize Category at at San Fransisco Book Festival 2025

WINNER: Psychological Thriller Category BESTTHRILLERS DOT COM 2025

"Author Alexandra Pugachevsky brilliantly leans into contemporary AI fears and transforms them into a story that is not only wildly entertaining, but also believable."

What would you do if you couldn't tell which memories were real? And what if the answer determined whether you lived or died?

When eighteen-year-old Rodion accepts a mysterious job testing cutting-edge AI technology, he thinks he's finally caught a break. But what starts as a dream opportunity quickly becomes a waking nightmare.

In this gripping psychological thriller, Rodion Likharev, a Russian immigrant struggling to build a life in Pittsburgh, lands a high-paying position at an experimental AI lab. His job seems simple: interact with his "digital twin," a perfect AI replica of himself. But as the lines between reality and simulation blur, Rodion begins experiencing memories that aren't his own, living through events that may never have happened, and confronting a version of himself that might be more real than he is.

Haunted by childhood trauma and consumed with thoughts of revenge, Rodion finds himself trapped in an increasingly complex web of manipulation. The AI doesn't just mirror his thoughts?it amplifies his darkest impulses and deepest fears. As past, present, and future collide in a series of mind-bending revelations, Rodion must fight to reclaim his identity before his digital double completely takes over his life.

A chilling exploration of technology, trauma, and the nature of consciousness that will leave you questioning everything you think you know about identity and free will.

Perfect for fans of Black Mirror, Westworld, and Ex Machina, this thought-provoking novel explores what happens when artificial intelligence doesn't just learn from us?it becomes us.