Everywhere But No Place

Messages From The Unseen World #1

by Mark Foster

It is the year 2042. Prisons all over the European Union are bursting at the seams. Hans Schleiman, a criminal psychologist, has developed a new system for rehabilitating prisoners. He proposes that they be housed in virtual reality units where they spend the entirety of their sentence. Schleiman has developed software that aids the Subject’s rehabilitation and he has built a new breed of supercomputer to oversee the process - the Hosts. The UK is the first country to try the scheme and Denver is one of the first of a hundred Subjects to be inserted into the Schleiman Tanks after being mixed up in an armed robbery. His pleas of self-defence are ignored and he is sentenced to twenty-five years in the Schleiman Tank.

Denver wakes up in a lush, green World — alone, and with no idea where he is or what this World might hold.

Elsewhere, on the outskirts of Glasgow City State, Haze, one-time hacker, wakes up in the bowels of a run-down estate. He is blind and destitute after a disastrous job five years before left him eyeless and on the run from the most dangerous men in the country. Haze is given an ultimatum — he either carries out one last job, for which he will have his eyesight restored as payment, or he will be killed.

It is Haze’s task to break into the virtual World that Denver inhabits and retrieve a piece of information that could affect all their lives.

What no-one could prepare for is the very nature of the Host itself, a creature so advanced that not even the people who created it know what it is capable of.

Thrust together, Denver and Haze attempt the impossible, to steal the thoughts of a machine so advanced, so strange, that its very mind is a nightmare. So it is that Haze’s one last job suddenly turns into a fight for survival.

Neither of them can guess what will finally happen when they confront the Host at the heart of its mind, where reality ceases to exist.

It is everywhere but no place . . .

Genres: Science Fiction, Dystopia, Fiction, Artificial Intelligence, Ebooks

738 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 5, 2011

About the author

Mark Foster has published two novels; 'Everywhere But No Place' and 'The Story And The Teller' - Book 1 and Book 2 of a series titled 'Messages From The Unseen World'.

He has also co-authored four non-fiction books; 'Secrets of Dan Brown's Inferno'; 'Tolkien: The Secret History of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings'; 'An A to Z of Atlantis' and 'An A to Z of the Occult'.

Mark lives in London, UK, and divides his time between writing and running a graphic design agency.

Reviews

[Cheri · Rating 3 out of 5]

How about 3.5 stars. This is a good book...really riveting initially actually. Another reviewer called it cyberpunk. I might call it techie-philosophical-action. Regardless, the introduction and interweaving of the numerous characters and worlds is pretty flawless (with the exception of Jinzy and Cobalt, who I hated having to read about for 70% of the book because I didn't know who they were, they were weird, and it interrupted the flow of the story). At about the 50% mark, the author lost his editor, however. The book starts to drag in places and there are some blatant typos. Characters, that had been key to the story in the beginning, suddenly drop out of the narrative. (Also, it is important to note that the gruesome/gore level is REALLY high in this book.) Overall, I would still recommend this book, but with a little polish this could be a five star.

[Alex Sheldon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've once again found myself completely in awe of an indie book that I picked up on a whim.

Mark Foster attempted an overambitious feat of writing a crime/cyberpunk/AI/virtual action adventure and pulled it off like a pro.
The writing, the characters and the world(s) he creates all come alive in a manner that makes this a rich and engrossing read to lose yourself into.

Quite a unique plot device in having a hacker invade a sentient AI's virtual world, only for them to create a 'virus' in the form of living creatures within its world to snuff out and eliminate the viral intruder that is seen as a threat.
All of which leads to a video game style showdown (à la Lord of the Rings) with immortal 'boss' creatures and the retrieval of crucial data to complete the 'mission'.
The above partial summary does not do it justice, but it is the gist of it in short.

On to the follow-up novel now for more.

[Geo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fantastic book. I couldn’t put it down for a second. I don’t understand why it isn’t published, it’s incredible. The author is so so talented, his descriptions and phenomenal and I just got completely lost in the world he had created. I recommend this to everyone!! Starting the second book now and already I can’t put it down!!!!!

[Ziggy Nixon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Barely 3 stars noting that 'liked it' is too strong a descriptive for my experience. In general, this was a decent concept that was not executed well at all, with this being a prime example of a self-published book that just cries out for a professional (and brutally honest) editor.

EBNP covers just about every imaginable genre I've read in the past years. I've seen some folks refer to it as 'cyberpunk' but I think if anything I'd refer to it as 'cyberfantasy' only because it's just an odd jumble of concepts - many easily imagineable, many not - and extremely herky-jerky plotting. Reading the final comments by the author made a lot of what transpired in and with this book clear(er): first, that the author worked on it for quite a long time. That I can believe without question as the writing style changes throughout the book, with 'proofreading' glaringly appearing as different styles within a given passage. Imho, you can't write a book over years and years without eventually re-writing it from the first letter or you're going to have parts that change and mature (?) as much as you do as a writer and a person. Furthermore, many of the 'events' seem to have been conjured up AFTER the fact in order to bring the story back somewhat on target. It doesn't even read or qualify as a series of small stories as you get the feeling the time-line is discombobulated throughout. A very 'oh somethings missing here ok let's insert this' kind of approach.

In addition, the epilogue if you will indicates that Mark Foster has also written a treatise on the work of Tolkien and this influence is clear at very least in the fantasy realm of this novel. Granted, its no where near as complex or even 'heroic' as a Tolkien novel, and you could certainly argue as well that there are Terry Brooks influences in there but, again, these just weren't brought to total maturation. The gaping plot holes, bizarre and incomplete characterizations and mish-mash of incongruous happenings just don't work out nor entirely mesh at all.

Don't get me wrong: even if it was a slog to get through, I never felt the book was bad per se (not 'good' either). Like other "cyper-punk-ish" books I've read, I'll even confess that there was a lot I didn't get, either from trying to understand what the author was trying to convey or just in general. For example, how a drugged out criminal could suddenly appear in an AI-world with a vocabulary and intelligence that seemed totally alien to his past is beyond me. And in this kind of society, trying to convince us that this high-as-a-kite kid manages to hide valuable tapes without it being recorded in any way at all is just silliness. Finally, how ANY of this story should have worked towards his rehabilitation was equally unclear to me as was the entire 'Matrix-like' awareness of what he was there for anyway. In the end, I think the reader is asked to suspend if not belief then at least logic so things could move ahead.

The how's and why's may be clarified in Book 2 - a Kindle Unlimited offer - however, my only concern now is that this story has left me so exhausted that I'm not sure I want to invest ANY additional time in continuing. We'll see. All I know is that if Peter Pan shows up again, I'll delete the damn thing before the pixels (or pixies) even get warm! WTF that was, well, damned if I know!

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a little different from what I normally read, but the book's description reached out and touched me - I'm glad I picked this one up as it is a solid sci-fi / futuristic tale.

Without having a spoiler, the author does a great job of quickly getting you into the story and into the mind (literally and figuratively) of the main character, and he weaves a pretty good tale with a realistic plot and a little different conclusion than I was expecting. This sci-fi tale is an exception to some of the other sci-fi we have all read in that the technology of the future is believable, and I didn't find myself calling b.s. on what the author conveyed. You may find yourself daydreaming a "what if" with some of the predicted technological advances in terms of what would / could you do not.

[Erica Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

A 3.5 for me. An interesting concept, but I wouldn’t want to read it again. Would I recommend it to someone? Maybe if they told me they were looking for a book that’s almost cyberpunk-dystopia.

I really liked the character development, I thought it was pretty well constructed. The contrast between the real world and the virtual world was really cool. The were a couple of quotes I highlighted because they seemed pretty nice, but it could’ve been because I saw others had highlighted them lol. I deeply appreciated the research the author did to make the technological portions understandable and accessible without being boring.

There was a consistency issue regarding the antagonists’ introduction, but that could possibly be because you don’t want to introduce them too late as it may be jarring for the reader. After about halfway through the book it seemed like the editing wasn’t done very well. Towards the ending there was definitely a crazy twist that had me in shock. I didn’t feel like I got much of a recovery afterwards, so that made me sad. Like the attempt to “console” the reader post-events fell flat for me.

I liked this enough that I’m considering reading the second book to this duology.

[Traci · Rating 1 out of 5]

Putting it in my “only if you’re desperate” shelf is a bit harsh, but at 25% I can’t bring myself to finish. It’s disappointing because I really like the premise, but I can’t get past the writing. I would say it’s a really good first draft, and needs more polishing. The worst part is Denver’s part of the story. If I had a nickel for every time Denver, Vale, or Catherine giggled or laughed, I would be rich. I tried, but life’s too short and I have many more books to read.

[Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rose

Again I find an author who surprises me. Mark Foster has provided a new world within the realms of computerzation. He has introduced us to many people living within and outside of a computerized life. Introducing Daniel as someone who strives to be a good person while he learns the lessons of life.

[Kevin John Leake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good story

I really enjoyed reading this book, it made me think and part of me wish it could happen, it was a beautiful ending.

[Anna Owens · Rating 5 out of 5]

an incredible read ..this book is a 10/10..absolutely love it

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reminded me a bit of Tad Williams "Otherland" series albeit less complicated.

[Tim · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book definitely has promise. Overall, the concept and the story line are solid and very engaging to the reader. There are some flow issues that cause the book to drag heavily in parts, especially in the middle. Personally, there were stretches of 5-10 pages that I felt I had to slog through while other parts seemed to be light and easily read. More than once I got to the bogged down sections and seriously contemplated giving up on the book.

That being said, the concept and the story are very good. The characters were well thought out and developed. Foster does a good job of building in character development into the story. He also does a good job of setting the scene - though I think this is were I got bogged down in the book. Foster writes very descriptively; sometimes it goes overboard.

I would definitely give another novel by Mark Foster a read. And if you like computers and a future based on advanced technology, this is a good novel to read.

[Liquid Frost · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kindle Freebie. I picked up this and others on my sweep for free books that aren't from Christian authors (harder than you may think). It was an interesting read. Haze's back story was good, but then he went flat. Denver was likable as was Moses (hmmm?) and Val. Good glitch moment that could explain Christian myth; also part Matrix-y. The Author said he really liked Jensy - I actually found the he he hak, or whatever, a bit annoying. He and Cobalt were tossed in early and I was all WTF is this line - but it makes sense later. The dialogue and action were good in spurts, but some more editing would help flesh out this piece. I wonder if Londeners have different grammar rules, but I had a hardish time some sentence structures. Overall - liked it.

[TIL en TUP · Rating 4 out of 5]

A novel about a dystopia with AI managed prisons. The plot is riveting and most of the main characters are believable.
The idea of fully formed AI beings reminded me of Galouye's Simulacron-3; hopefully Foster is less prescient than Galouye. As in Prometheus, some AIs - the Hosts - consider what to do with us - their creators.
I almost downgraded it to a two star because of the excessive violence of two characters - a little violence would have made the plot points. I won't be reading the sequel because I prefer to read about neurotic villains and, even more, about intelligent if flawed heroes, but your preferences may differ.

[Geoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my most recommended books, very easy to read on a mobile device. The story catches you, the idea believable whilst futuristic with very realistic characters. As it plays out I was really engaged and kept enthralled until the end.
Will we be getting more from this author?

[Monika King · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am very stingy with 5 stars but this book definitely earns it. Easy to read, futuristic but yet believable. The story is fast paced with surprising twist and turns and very inventive details. I hope to see more from this author.

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Foster has written a great story. This novel is part cyberpunk, part fantasy quest, and full of interesting characters that the reader cares about. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys sci-fi adventure. I can't wait to encounter another by Mark Foster.

[Jim Willis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book, even though I'm not normally a big sci-fi fan.
Some reviewers said that it bogged down in the middle, but I did not notice that.
This was a really thought provoking look at the subject of artificial intelligience.
I hope that this author writes more books.

[Tim Standafer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderfully descriptive read. There were a few slow spots but overall very enjoyable. There is supposed to be a sequel to this book but I have not heard nor seen that it has come out. I for one am looking forward to reading it.

[Mark Fishpool · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was quite a fun story, quite fast moving most of the time. Some of the virtual reality characters seemed over the top in their behaviours and I felt some of it was more extreme than necessary for the story. Overall though a good book and I'll probably want to go on and read the sequel.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bad at reviews..Its a uncomplicated sci fi fantasy and fun read. I really liked it. I had a preconceived idea about what i thought the book would be about. At the end it shows there is another book, i will be getting it. Thanx

[Barrita · Rating 2 out of 5]

SHOW DON'T TELL

[Ken Weinert]

False