Space Between Worlds
by Micaiah Johnson
Multiverse travel is finally possible, but interdimensional travel is forbidden. Cara’s parallel selves are few and far between. Most killed from disease, wars, or vendettas. On Earth, though, Cara has survived and has a job because of the loss of her counterparts. Her job is to travel to these other worlds and collect data from them. Only 8 remaining selves remain until one dies under mysterious circumstances. Cara must find out what happened to her and how it affects her own secrets.
Imagine our world and hundreds more stacked together like sheets of paper in a notebook. There may be some differences, some changes in composition and outcome but they are similar enough you could almost flip to any page and recognize the world. Recognize yourself.
When asked what inspired her to write The Space Between Worlds, Johnson said, “ For this book, the image I had was someone walking through the desert and coming upon their own face. I was captivated by it. The desert is such a lonely place. The plant life is low and sparse, so you can never delude yourself that there is anyone around you. You are alone, and you utterly know it. Imagine being in that setting and finally coming up on another human, and that human is you. Their face is your face. Are you still alone? Does this count?”
This is the reality Cara lives in. Not only does she know these other worlds exist but she can travel to them. See the people she knows, only different. The only catch is she can’t travel to worlds where her other self still lives. This constant facing of ‘her’ death is Cara’s reality. It’s intrinsic to her job, living situation, and social status. Cara is from Ashtown, in the wastelands, and because of her and her counterpart's unideal upbringing, she is chosen for the job.
Although interdimensional travel is science fiction to us, it’s constructed in a way that feels real. The hot dirt of the wastelands, the futuristic detachment of Wiley city, and the almost viscous bloom of universes touching. You become immersed in all sensations and emotions so the worlds feel like you yourself could go into them; like their secrets are readily grasped.
One thing I will note is that although the descriptions are beautiful, it felt like some explanations, like what a runner is, weren’t fully explained. This job was present in some of the different worlds too but without explanation it lost a lot of its impact.
Cara herself is where the mystery lies. She, unlike the worlds around her, is not so easily rid of the secrets she holds close. Instead of the rush of possibilities, she remains guarded, only opening up little by little as the story proceeds.
Despite the beautiful writing and intriguing characters, I found myself struggling to connect in the beginning chapters. As I write this and reflect, I think it was a natural function of the story. Cara traverses worlds for a living. She is thrust into spaces where things aren’t easy; just out of what her normal is. It felt like I was mirroring her journey. After just getting used to one world, we would quickly pivot into a new one.There were glimmers of the first world among the many differences, all including the death of Cara’s other self. Because of this, it took me a moment to catch my stride, but about 100 pages in, everything clicked. Cara found her purpose and I was fully immersed into the book.
The Space Between Worlds excels at looking at trauma and its impacts. We can see how trauma festers and lurks in people. How they defend themselves in response and try to survive in ways that may end up hurting themselves and others. Cara knows how her other selves live, the abuse they go through and inflict. Not only does she see herself in these situations but she also carries around her own hurts. They influence her and change her, stick with her no matter how many worlds she runs to. I can’t help but think of this quote, “They say hunting monsters will turn you into one. That isn’t what’s happening now. Sometimes to kill a dragon, you have to remember that you breathe fire too. This isn’t a becoming; it’s a revealing. I’ve been a monster all along.
We see how these wrongs and hurts act like an invisible wound. How Cara builds high walls around her, isolates herself, and distances from people even when she longs for connection. Dell, her handler, is one such person. She gets under Cara’s defenses and bit by bit strengthens their bonds. All of these connections, Exlee, Jean, and Esther, all bolster Cara’s story. These relationships prove to be the lifeline she needs to make a change and to give her the strength to start living instead of just surviving. Which is really what the journey is about. The connections, the hate and love and every other emotion we may feel towards others and ourselves. The support and wounds people impart on us and how we navigate them as life goes on.
Cara isn’t perfect. She’s prickly and defensive but she’s also hardworking and determined and has such an ability to care. Even though she has hundreds of new worlds at her fingertips, it's the people there, the ones so like the ones from her home, that bring out the life and color in this book. Johnson questions what it would be like to be alone and “finally coming up on another human, and that human is you.” We watch as the same thing happens to Cara. She must face herself and her other selves and has to come to terms with it all. This book questions what it means to be human.
There are so many surprises and twists to this story. I don’t want to spoil them because part of the fun of this is finding out for yourself. But look forward to subterfuge, social justice, romance, and great characters. This is Johnson’s debut novel and I can’t wait to read whatever she writes next.