The Space Between Worlds

The Sunday Times bestseller. Winner of the Kitschies Golden Tentacle award.

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.

“Gorgeous writing, mind-bending worldbuilding, razaor-sharp social commentary, and a main character that demands your attention - and your allegiance”

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
Profoundly satisfying . . . [it] remained two steps ahead of my imagination, rattling it out of complacency and flooding it with color and heat The New York Times Book Review, Editors' Choice
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
A strong new voice in science fiction Sunday Times Culture
Fascinating, complicated, compelling . . . this is a jewel of a novel, all the more impressive for being Johnson's debut Locus
Clever characters, surprise twists, plenty of action, and a plot that highlights social and racial inequities in astute prose Library Journal Starred Review
Johnson bursts onto the scene with this thought-provoking, high-concept sci-fi debut that impresses with exceptional worldbuilding and a distinctive protagonist Publishers Weekly
Johnson excels at contrasting lives of privilege and poverty, and at drip-feeding information that gradually reveals Cara's complex character Guardian
A dark, provocative read that's both challenging and satisfying SFX
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 riveting story filled with adventures and emotions The Nerd Daily
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
An imaginative tale of multiverses and doppelgangers Choice Magazine
A witty, deep and savvy tale . . . Fresh and interesting New Scientist
Sliding Doors meets Mad Max . . . a fast-paced, compelling read SciFiNow
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
Johnson's world-hopping debut uses science fictional tools and an exciting plot to address urgent questions of privilege and position. . . . A compelling stand-alone debut that will leave readers thrilled, thoughtful, and anticipating the author's next book Kirkus Reviews
50 Best Sci-fi and Fantasy Books of the Past Decade NPR
At a time when I was really struggling with the cognitive demands of reading anything for work or pleasure, this book flooded me with oxygen and lit me on fire. I can't say for certain that it enabled me to read again, but in its wake, I could Amal El-Mohtar, award-winning author of This Is How You Lose the Time War
A dark, provocative read... The social commentary is hard-hitting, delivered with plenty of gripping, well-crafted storytelling SFX
Johnson, while never neglecting the necessity for story, has taken the opportunity to treat with profound questions if you read closely ParSec Magazine

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. She is on twitter at @micaiah_johnson.

Reasons Cara has died: - The emperor of the wasteland wanted to make an example of her mother and started with her - One of her mother's boyfriends wanted to cover up what he did to her - She was born addicted and her lungs didn't develop - She was left alone, and a stranger came along - The runners came for a neighbour and she was in the way - The runners came for her mother and she was in the way - The runners came for her boyfriend and she was in the way - The runners came for no one, serving nothing but chaos and fear, and she was what they found - Her mother left her alone in a shed while she worked or got high and she fell asleep alone and hungry and forever Reasons Cara has lived: - She doesn't know but there are 8. The multiverse business is booming, but there's just one catch: no one can visit a world where their counterpart is still alive. Enter Cara . Of the 382 realities that have been unlocked, Cara is dead in all but eight But on this earth, she survived. Born in the wastelands where if a basic lack of resources didn't kill you, violence would, Cara is happy to reap the benefits of a job and a safe place in the city to call home.But when one of her eight remaining doppelgangers dies under mysterious circumstances, 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 world, but the entire multiverse.

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