Sci-Fi as Protest: Those Beyond the Wall by Micaiah Johnson

To the flawed but brave, ephemeral but essential,
passionate but irrational freedom fighters of
The People’s Plaza at Ida B. Wells Plaza
June 12, 2020-August 13, 2020
And to anyone who has stood against injustice
in the face of an opponent larger and more powerful
than themselves, whether it be in Nashville, Cop City, Iran,
or your stepfather’s living room.

—Dedication to Those Beyond the Wall by Micaiah Johnson

I don’t think I’ve ever been so pulled into a novel by the dedication, author’s note, and epigraph. (The epigraph to Part One is “i did not come to preach of peace / for that’s not the hunted’s duty.” -Danez Smith.) In the author’s note, Johnson explains the inspiration behind this book coming from her time participating in the 62-day sit in at Nashville’s Tennessee State Capitol. I found myself writing down multiple quotations, including,

“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.”

and “Science fiction is an expression born from the dissatisfaction with where the world is versus where the world could be. The same is true for protest.”

This is the sequel to The Space Between Worlds, which I loved. It’s set years after the events of that book and follows a different main character, Scales. Scales is a runner for Ashton’s ruthless Emperor, who she is unwaveringly loyal to. When mangled bodies are found both inside Ashtown and the walled city of Wiley, Scales joins the investigation—not only to prevent future Ashtown deaths, but also to prevent Wiley City from using them as a scapegoat and starting a war. But she only seems to stumble on more questions, and the future of both Ashtown and Wiley City hangs in the balance.

Those Beyond the Wall felt very different to The Space Between Worlds. It was interesting to get such a new perspective on this society, because Cara and Scales don’t have much in common—the Emperor especially is viewed almost polar opposite ways between the two of them, though he still feels consistent as a character.

This also feels like a messier book—I was immediately pulled into the story, but I couldn’t really explain what was happening until more than halfway through. The characters are all complicated and morally grey, which made for some meaty interactions between them.

As you’d expect from the introduction, there are a lot of parallels to inequality in our world, as well as police brutality. Ashtown is an interesting setting because in some ways, it’s Mad Max-style dystopian, packed with violence and cruelty. But there are also pockets of kindness, and some elements that are even improvements on our world, like their fluid conception of gender, their respect for sex work, and even the runners getting mental health care.

As for the queer content, Scales is bisexual/pansexual (those terms aren’t used). The major love interests in this novel are men. There are several trans and non-binary side characters.

When I heard about Those Beyond the Wall, I wasn’t sure that The Space Between Worlds needed a sequel. It’s arguably a perfect novel as a standalone. After reading it, I can say book one still stands well on its own, but Those Beyond the Wall feels like a natural conclusion. It takes a wider scope at the systemic issues in this world. It’s messy, but that’s not a complaint—it’s a reflection of the messiness of reality.

Micaiah Johnson is definitely a new favourite author, and I look forward to whatever she writes next.