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A Ledge Outside Time
Toshiro’s creation has come to life.
“It’s working!” Toshiro screams. “See, Eddie? It works, it works!”
The room lights continue to flicker. There is a pop as a lightbulb succumbs to the ebb and flow of power. A greenish glow emanates from the screens of the computers and from the edges of the transporter pad. The machines hum and vibrate. The vibration increases, creating an itch for which there is no scratch.
A reaction has begun, an interplay of subatomic particles that has never occurred before, a four-dimensional ripple in the pond that is the universe, little waves and eddies created that are moving not randomly, but in a pattern no one yet understands. The waves rise highest from the spot where the stone is dropped, creating ripples as they spread…
Toshiro Marconi is the Michelangelo of the Information age. It is 1999 and his invention, the Transporter Pad, has re-ordered society and made his employer, Hitek corporation, the world’s richest corporation. Working late one night to complete his latest project code named Da Vinci, he disappears, taking the company’s secrets with him.
Hitek dispatches their most up-and-coming young executive, Alex Dolby, to find both Toshiro and the information he took with him before the world discovers he has disappeared. From corporate HQ to casino floor, Alex quickly finds out he is not the only person hunting for Toshiro, and some of the others want Toshiro – dead or alive.
As the chase unfolds, Alex realizes he has to confront his past – and that something from that past is also chasing him.
“It’s working!” Toshiro screams. “See, Eddie? It works, it works!”
The room lights continue to flicker. There is a pop as a lightbulb succumbs to the ebb and flow of power. A greenish glow emanates from the screens of the computers and from the edges of the transporter pad. The machines hum and vibrate. The vibration increases, creating an itch for which there is no scratch.
A reaction has begun, an interplay of subatomic particles that has never occurred before, a four-dimensional ripple in the pond that is the universe, little waves and eddies created that are moving not randomly, but in a pattern no one yet understands. The waves rise highest from the spot where the stone is dropped, creating ripples as they spread…
Toshiro Marconi is the Michelangelo of the Information age. It is 1999 and his invention, the Transporter Pad, has re-ordered society and made his employer, Hitek corporation, the world’s richest corporation. Working late one night to complete his latest project code named Da Vinci, he disappears, taking the company’s secrets with him.
Hitek dispatches their most up-and-coming young executive, Alex Dolby, to find both Toshiro and the information he took with him before the world discovers he has disappeared. From corporate HQ to casino floor, Alex quickly finds out he is not the only person hunting for Toshiro, and some of the others want Toshiro – dead or alive.
As the chase unfolds, Alex realizes he has to confront his past – and that something from that past is also chasing him.
317 pages, Paperback
Published May 1, 2025
3 people are currently reading
2 people want to read
About the author
John Robert Larson
1 book1 followerJohn Robert Larson is an author fascinated by the collision of technology and humanity. Prior to becoming a writer he worked in finance and hi-tech, which fueled a fascination with the rise of technology, corporate power, and human politics. Drawing inspiration from the dawn of the Internet age, Larson brings a sharp, thrilling edge to speculative fiction. A Ledge Outside Time is his debut novel.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
October 16, 2025
A gripping sci-fi thriller where genius, greed, and ghosts of the past collide as a vanished inventor’s world-altering creation sparks a deadly global hunt.
October 23, 2025
Reading this made me so curious about what John Robert Larson will do next. If this is his debut (or early work) then wow his voice, his vision, his ability to blend deep ideas with compelling story make me very excited to explore his other work. I find myself hoping there’s more: whether it’s in the same genre, or something completely different, I trust his ability to tell a story that stays with you.
October 23, 2025
From the very first page of A Ledge Outside Time, I knew I was in for something special. The opening lines hooked me, pulled me gently yet irresistibly into a world that felt somehow both familiar and utterly new. Page by page I found myself leaning in, eagerly turning the pages, caught between the desire to slow down and simply savour each moment and the impulse to race ahead to see what happened next.
October 23, 2025
wow! A Ledge Outside Time absolutely blew my mind. Every page had me hooked, questioning reality, and falling deeper into Larson’s world. It’s smart, emotional, and so beautifully written. Definitely one of those books that stays with you long after you finish. I’ll be first in line for whatever he writes next! 💫
October 23, 2025
It’s one of those rare reads that feels both vast and intimate where science, time, and emotion blend into something unforgettable. Every page made me think and feel at the same time, and by the end, I just sat there stunned. John Robert Larson writes with such quiet brilliance, I can’t wait to read more of his work.
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October 21, 2025I really enjoyed The Da Vinci Protocol! It’s a smart, fast-paced thriller with great tension and a fascinating mix of science and mystery. Toshiro’s story pulled me in from the start,well done!
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October 19, 2025A sharp, high-tech thriller blending science, mystery, and moral tension Da Vinci Protocol is a fast, thought-provoking read that keeps you hooked to the end.
October 23, 2025
From the very first page, A Ledge Outside Time pulled me into a world that felt both familiar and impossibly beyond reach a place where science, emotion, and imagination collide in ways I’ve never quite read before. Every chapter deepened my fascination; each scene unfolded like a layer of a mystery I didn’t even realize I was craving.
What I loved most is how John Robert Larson writes with precision and heart at once every sentence feels carefully designed, yet brimming with wonder. The ideas here aren’t just clever; they’re haunting, beautiful, and strangely human. There were moments that made me pause just to take it all in, and others that had me racing forward, desperate to know what happens next.
It’s one of those rare books that makes you think as much as it makes you feel. The fusion of science, philosophy, and story is breathtaking and honestly, I didn’t want it to end. I finished the last page feeling both satisfied and a little awed, the way you feel after stepping back from something vast and luminous.
I’m genuinely impressed by Larson’s vision and voice, and I can’t wait to explore whatever he writes next. If his future works carry even a fraction of this insight and energy, they’ll be instant reads for me.
What I loved most is how John Robert Larson writes with precision and heart at once every sentence feels carefully designed, yet brimming with wonder. The ideas here aren’t just clever; they’re haunting, beautiful, and strangely human. There were moments that made me pause just to take it all in, and others that had me racing forward, desperate to know what happens next.
It’s one of those rare books that makes you think as much as it makes you feel. The fusion of science, philosophy, and story is breathtaking and honestly, I didn’t want it to end. I finished the last page feeling both satisfied and a little awed, the way you feel after stepping back from something vast and luminous.
I’m genuinely impressed by Larson’s vision and voice, and I can’t wait to explore whatever he writes next. If his future works carry even a fraction of this insight and energy, they’ll be instant reads for me.
October 23, 2025
What I loved most: the way Larson balances clarity with mystery. He writes scenes that are vivid and grounded so I could feel the weight of a character’s decision, the hum of tension, the almost-palpable under-current of possibility while all the time the story seems to be reaching outward, past the edges of what I expected. There were moments that made me stop and mark the page (I actually flagged a few!) simply because the sentences rang so true: emotions, science, wonder, hope, fear all interlaced.
October 21, 2025
This book pulled me in like a dream I didn’t want to wake from.
Every page of A Ledge Outside Time felt deliberate, alive, and unpredictable.
Larson crafts time, memory, and emotion into something stunningly human.
I can’t wait to see what he writes next.
Every page of A Ledge Outside Time felt deliberate, alive, and unpredictable.
Larson crafts time, memory, and emotion into something stunningly human.
I can’t wait to see what he writes next.
October 23, 2025
A Ledge Outside Time pulled me in from the first page and never let go. John Robert Larson blends science, mystery, and emotion so beautifully that I couldn’t stop thinking about it long after I finished. I’ll definitely be looking for more of his books!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews