A stunning science fiction debut, The Space Between Worlds is both a cross-dimensional adventure and a powerful examination of identity, privilege, and belonging.
'My mother used to say I was born reaching, which is true. She also used to say it would get me killed, which it hasn't. Not yet, anyway.'
Born in the dirt of the wasteland, Cara has fought her entire life just to survive. Now she has done the impossible, and landed herself a comfortable life on the lower levels of the wealthy and walled-off Wiley City. So long as she can keep her head down and avoid trouble, she's on a sure path to citizenship and security - on this world, at least.
Of the 380 realities that have been unlocked, Cara is dead in all but 8.
Cara's parallel selves are exceptionally good at dying - from disease, turf wars, or vendettas they couldn't outrun - which makes Cara wary, and valuable. Because while multiverse travel is possible, no one can visit a world in which their counterpart is still alive. And no one has fewer counterparts than Cara.
But then one of her eight doppelgangers dies under mysterious circumstances, and Cara is plunged into a new world with an old secret. What she discovers will connect her past and future in ways she never could have imagined - and reveal her own role in a plot that endangers not just her earth, but the entire multiverse.
About the Author
Micaiah Johnson is a biracial author who was raised in a Jehovah's Witness community in the Southern California desert. She graduated high school at the age of 13, received her MFA from Rutgers-Camden, and is currently studying race and robots as a PhD candidate at Vanderbilt.
Industry Reviews
Johnson's debut is a rare bird in any reality: a novel that is twisting, suspenseful, and profound * Max Gladstone, co-author of the Hugo and Nebula-winning THIS IS HOW YOU LOSE THE TIME WAR *
Micaiah Johnson's debut is a punk album, presenting a world where even our possibilities are colonized. I loved every twisting minute of it * Alex White, author of A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe *
A gritty, riveting, and ultimately hopeful novel about the people, choices, and relationships who make us who we are - in this world, and in those we can only imagine * Kameron Hurley, Hugo and Locus award-winning author of The Light Brigade *
Gorgeous writing, mind-bending worldbuilding, razor-sharp social commentary, and a main character that demands your attention - and your allegiance * Rob Hart, author of The Warehouse *
A strong new voice in science fiction * Sunday Times Culture *
One to really watch is The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson, which has parallel worlds but also real resonance with our current societies * Stylist's Best Summer Books for 2020 *
The Space Between Worlds is a story with multiverses and interdimensional travel, but it's also the story of one survivor, her people, and her lives across the multiverse. Micaiah Johnson beautifully brings these two together to give us a riveting story filled with adventures and emotions * The Nerd Daily *