The Space Between Worlds

June 29, 2020
Johnson bursts onto the scene with this thought-provoking, high-concept sci-fi debut that impresses with exceptional worldbuilding and a distinctive protagonist, but suffers under the strain of too much plot. The tale gets off to a strong start, introducing Caramenta, a queer, black woman with a complex family history, who uses tech that grants her access to the multiverse to collect data from alternate Earths that will benefit Earth 0, the “original.” Her exploration has one catch: the technology only allows her to visit Earths where the alternate version of herself has already died. Luckily (or perhaps unluckily) for Caramenta, her alternate selves die quite often, opening up 375 worlds for her to explore—and a discovery she makes on one of them could change the course of history. Though the ambitious plotting becomes difficult to untangle as the timelines, characters, and versions of Earth multiply, Johnson’s meditations on privilege and inequality ring true. Despite occasional melodramatics and some hazy political structures, this immersive, original adventure is sure to please readers looking for smart, diverse science fiction. Johnson is a writer to watch.

Nicole Lewis captivates with a velvety voice, dramatic pacing, and vibrant characterizations as she narrates this sci-fi novel. Cara is a traverser who has been brought in from the dangerous Wastes and hired by tech giant Eldridge to travel the multiverse and collect data. Listeners can hear her cunning and her drive to stay alive. Entering a world where your doppelg�nger lives means death, and Cara is able to enter so many other worlds only because her counterparts have died on 372 other Earths. Each universe she travels holds different versions of those she cares for, and those she fears. Lewis brings them all vividly to life. When a crisis unfolds on another Earth, Cara discovers dangerous secrets that upend her worlds completely. E.E.C. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award � AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine