The eighth novel continues and completes the “Minsk cycle” in its own way. Once again, the action takes place in Minsk, again the main character is a writer (playwright), with the unusual name Hercules. The main plot is connected with the very complicated relationships of Hercules with women. Some myths about Hercules are used as a background plot; antique associations support the spirit of play that permeates the novel. The internal, semantic plot of the novel is connected with the personality of Hercules. The hero is a modern version of an extra person: smart, mentally sensitive, talented, lonely, strong. The main motive of the novel is that life is difficult to distinguish from a game. At the same time, “playing a game” is no longer a game. The paradoxical playful nature of life, women, nature, art is the focus of the hero’s attention. The novel deliberately echoes the previous seven novels, forming a single semantic, spiritual and stylistic space. At the same time, it can be read as a separate independent work.