Those Beyond the Wall (The Space Between Worlds #2)

by Micaiah Johnson

So if you also sense an undercurrent of rage in this novel, you are not wrong. But it is not bitterness. Bitterness is anger with nowhere to go. Bitterness and resignation are close and tempting cousins. Anger with a target is Rage, and Rage is sister to Hope alone. We rage because we do believe things can be better, by fire if necessary. Science fiction is an expression born from dissatisfaction with where the world is versus where the world could be. The same is true for protest. Science fiction is fueled by dreams of a different, but possible, future. The same is true for Rage. While bitterness is an isolator, a repellent to community, Rage is a beacon calling out to others. It is as much a communal invitation as any bonfire. Come join me, Rage says, at this spark that is lit by the distance between what the world is, and what we could make it. If you read this novel, which is like but also very unlike my own experience, and feel that fiery undercurrent, please know it for the call it is. The night is long and dark, Rage says, but I will keep us warm.