Wasn’t Half life 2 digital release only in 2004? I remember being pissed off I had to create a steam account and that is why my account name is rather rude.
Shades of The Illustrated Man. Moving tattoos.
Free earthquakes? No wait, that would be Venezuela.
There is a book called Waiting for the Intergalactic bus where god and satan turn out to be 2 energy based life forms who are students and were accidentally left behind on a class trip. Satan decides to ignore the prime directive and interfere with life on earth to pass the time. The torture in hell is strictly the humans idea, if I remember correctly.
All the books are long. Just take it book by book and stop when you have had enough. Don’t decide to finish the series up front.