Continuing my love-in with the remarkable stable of authors maintained by indie publisher Orenda Books, I’m looking at The Space Between Us, a heartwarming alien-contact novel, reminiscent of Stephen Cox’s Our Child of the Stars. The Space Between Us is the literary embodiment of the late Jo Cox’s statement that “we are far more united and have far more in common than that which divides us” In this case, the “we” is a disparate group of people from Scotland and a sentient hive-mind of alien cephalopods.
What Is The Space Between Us?
Like many great sci-fi novels (well, Day of the Triffids) the novel opens with a meteor shower. Nobody goes blind but it does cause an unprecedented number of catastrophic strokes. Three of the people affected, however, suffer no ill effects. Though completely different, all with their own troubles, the three find themselves drawn together, after leaving hospital. Drawn together and to an Edinburgh beach where a mysterious octopus has washed up.
Lennox is a teenager, approaching his majority, a long-term ward of the care system. Ava is 8 months pregnant and trapped in a coercive relationship. Heather has terminal cancer. Together they are drawn towards Sandy, the creature washed up on the beach. As they approach, each of them can commune with Sandy, each in a subtly different way. They all discover a deep and gentle hive mind.
Inevitably, darker forces also want to investigate Sandy, so the three take drastic action that leads to a chase across Scotland. As the journey continues they learn more about the alien, its home planet, and the rest of the hive. They also discover hidden reserves of determination and come face to face with their own inner demons. In order to save Sandy, this unlikely trio has to face the troubles and failures in their own lives.
Why Read The Space Between Us?
There’s lots of great stuff going on in this book. Firstly, it’s effortless reading; I inhaled the book over a couple of days. The story of each character in the book is extremely compelling. Every chapter is filled with hooks that keep you reading, long after you should have put the book down and gone to sleep, done some work, or fed the kids.
There’s a wonderful 4th human character too. Ewan is a veteran local newspaper reporter. Disillusioned by how social media is eroding good journalism and pushed to the margins by obsolescence, Ewan senses an opportunity for a big story. Determined to find the truth, he too comes under Sandy’s sway, becoming a fourth person helping the cause. For me, Ewan is the glue in the binding that holds the book together (possibly just because he was close to me in age and obsolescence). The George Harrison of the novel, if you will.
I’m struggling to articulate why The Space Between Us is such a good novel without spoilers. The story arcs contained within are pitched perfectly; moving, compelling, and very real. No thread outstays its welcome and each is as vital to the plot as every other. This is not one of those books where you want to skip over one narrative so you can go back to the one you prefer. They all demand to be avidly followed.
Ultimately the book is about what makes us human, told through a Close Encounters of the Third Kind type of narrative. A journey across the rugged beauty of Scotland, to preserve something out of this world, lays bare the strength and frailties of humanity. The Space Between Us is a moving novel that very much espouses the idea that there is a hero inside us all.
It aims to demonstrate that despite our differences, most of us are decent and honest, and will always attempt to support what is right and ethical. Modern media, and news reports, make it easy to be cynical and think the worst of the 7 billion inhabitants of this planet. Yes, there are bad people who do horrible things, but they are in the minority. Most of us are just bumbling on, trying to get the day done. Books like The Space Between Us are a reminder that when put under pressure, most of us will step up and try to do the right thing.
If you would like to pick up a copy of The Space Between Us you can do so here, in the US, and here, in the UK (Affiliate Links).
If you enjoyed this review, check out my other book reviews, here.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to write this review.
