InterWorld began as a television pilot treatment, and that origin is visible in its structure — it moves fast, it introduces concepts through action rather than exposition, and it ends with a world thoroughly established and a conflict only beginning. What makes it more than a competent YA adventure is the Gaiman influence: the specific texture of multiverse theory here, the way Joey Harker’s ability to walk between worlds is rendered as something both extraordinary and lonely.

Joey Harker is bad at directions. He gets lost constantly, in the most ordinary way, and it is this specific quality — his inability to locate himself in space — that turns out to be the basis of a rare ability to walk between parallel Earths. On one of those walks, he meets himself. Multiple versions of himself. They are all part of InterWorld, an organisation of Joeys from across the multiverse fighting two factions — one magic, one science — who want to control all possible realities.

The Multiverse Concept

The interesting idea at the heart of the book is that the multiverse is not random variation — the worlds fall on a spectrum from science to magic, and Joey, who can walk between them, is the pivot point. The two factions, HEX and the Binary, represent the extremes. InterWorld recruits versions of Joey specifically because they can navigate the middle.

Joey

What the multiple-Joeys concept does for the protagonist is unusual: it allows the book to explore what Joey might have been under different conditions without leaving the main character behind. The other Joeys are mirrors that show specific possibilities. Joey Prime (as the reader comes to think of him) understands himself better for meeting them.

Why YA Readers Will Love This

For readers who love multiverse stories — His Dark Materials, The Long Earth, Everworld — InterWorld is a fleet and inventive addition to the genre, and the idea of fighting alongside alternate versions of yourself is one the book uses well.

For readers who love Gaiman and want more of him: this is a collaborative work, lighter than his solo novels, but the conceptual imagination is unmistakably present.

The Silver Dream and Eternity’s Wheel follow.

Published: 2007 · Genre: YA science fiction · Series: InterWorld, Book 1

Frequently Asked Questions

What is InterWorld about? Joey Harker is bad at directions — chronically, ordinarily lost — which turns out to be the basis of a rare ability to walk between parallel Earths. On one such walk he meets multiple versions of himself, all part of InterWorld, an organisation fighting two factions (HEX and the Binary, representing magic and science) who want to control all possible realities. The review credits the novel with ’the Gaiman influence — the specific texture of multiverse theory here, the way Joey’s ability is rendered as something both extraordinary and lonely.'

What is the interesting structural idea at the heart of InterWorld’s multiverse? The review highlights that ’the multiverse is not random variation — the worlds fall on a spectrum from science to magic, and Joey, who can walk between them, is the pivot point.’ InterWorld recruits versions of Joey because they can navigate the middle between HEX (magic) and the Binary (science). This conceptual architecture makes Joey’s ability meaningful within the conflict rather than merely a transport mechanism.

What does the multiple-Joeys concept accomplish for the protagonist’s development? The other Joeys function as ‘mirrors that show specific possibilities — what Joey might have been under different conditions without leaving the main character behind.’ The review notes this is ‘unusual for a protagonist: it allows character development through contrast rather than through a single arc.’ Joey Prime understands himself better for meeting them — each alternate self illuminates something the original cannot see directly.

Who is InterWorld for and how does it fit in Gaiman’s body of work? The review recommends it for ‘readers who love multiverse stories — His Dark Materials, The Long Earth, Everworld — as a fleet and inventive addition to the genre.’ For Gaiman fans specifically, ’this is a collaborative work, lighter than his solo novels, but the conceptual imagination is unmistakably present.’ Its TV pilot origins give it ‘a structure that moves fast and introduces concepts through action rather than exposition.’

Further Reading from Authoritative Sources

  • InterWorld — Wikipedia’s InterWorld article provides publication details and context for the novel’s origin as a TV pilot treatment, helping readers understand its collaborative genesis and series structure.
  • Neil Gaiman — Wikipedia’s Neil Gaiman article provides biographical and bibliographical context for the author, helping readers understand InterWorld within his broader body of work and his approach to YA science fiction and fantasy.