The Space Between Worlds

The Space Between Worlds is a 2020 science fiction novel by Micaiah Johnson. It is Johnson's debut novel. The novel takes place in the near future, where travel between parallel universes is possible.

Setting and synopsis

The Space Between Worlds centers on Cara, a young woman who works as a 'traverser', someone who is able to travel to an Earth in a parallel universe. Travel is only possible if the traveler is already dead on the destination Earth. Due to growing up in a dystopian wasteland, most versions of Cara are already dead, making her uniquely able to traverse to numerous worlds. Cara refers to poor and disadvantaged people like herself as "trash people".

The narrative takes place in two settings, each of which is visited across multiple universes: the upscale, corporate Wiley City and Ashtown, Cara's downtrodden hometown set in the wasteland. The story explores Cara's multiple relationships across different versions on different Earths: with her family, with the emperor of the wasteland, and with her watcher Dell, with whom Cara fears the class distance between them would keep a romantic relationship from ever forming.

Reception

The New York Times praised The Space Between Worlds, calling it "profoundly satisfying" and a metaphor for neoliberal imperialism. New Scientist said it was a "witty, deep and savvy tale about traveling through the multiverse", comparing it to Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter's The Long Earth and Luiza Sauma's Everything You Ever Wanted. The Nerd Daily praised the spiritual convictions of the traversers, and their belief in the "goddess Nyame who guides them across different universes, that it is she who they feel in that space between worlds".

Awards

The Space Between Worlds won the following awards:

Themes

Identity is a central thematic element in The Space Between Worlds. The narrative explores how choice and circumstance influence one's personality and life. The novel also examines "borders, crossings, and interstices": between parallel universes, between communities, and between people. The novel was cited for reflecting "the diversity inherent in our society—social, racial, sexual, and religious."

References