First published 2012
This anthology cannot be summarized through a single protagonist's journey, as it presents thirty distinct science fiction stories exploring parallel dimensions and portal fantasy. Editor John Joseph Adams assembled tales that span from Stephen King's "Mrs Todd's Shortcut" to George R.R. Martin's "The Lonely Songs of Laren Dorr." Each story opens doorways to alternate worlds where physics bends differently or history took another path. Characters slip between realities through mysterious passages, navigate societies that mirror yet distort our own, and confront the consequences of infinite possibility. The collection draws from science fiction's rich tradition of world-hopping narratives, gathering stories published before 2012 that imagine what lies beyond the boundaries of our single universe. Writers like Ursula K. Le Guin, Kelly Link, and Jeff VanderMeer contribute works that examine how crossing between worlds changes both the traveler and the destination. The emotional core rests in humanity's persistent desire to escape the limitations of one reality and discover what other versions of existence might offer.
Genres: science-fiction, fantasy, alternate-universe
Vibes: emotional, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, world-hopping
564 pages · Paperback · Night Shade Books