This fiercely original SF headspinner, Coles’s assured novel debut, opens with fledgling humans Kanan and Tei, eager to be born again into their “Final” skins, making sense of a tiny universe whose edge Kanan could run to in “17 minutes.” Kanan and Tei have been together since birth, living under the eye of a mentor, yet on the day of their “Finalization” their futures—and friendship—change forever when Tei is chosen to be Finalized as an interpreter and Kanan is destined for the archives, once her "service to humanity was finished." Kanan, instead, does what she does best—she runs. (“She” is used as a matter of expediency in this review; the pronouns shift in clever ways in the novel.) Tei's new position sets him on a path of discovery and enlightenment, as does Kanan's, as they both learn more about the Natchers, an extinct alien race “plotting their return to the human universe.” The more these "agemates" discover, the more they begin to question.WIth prose touched with poetry and charged with feeling, Coles explores the human condition in literal and philosophical senses as Kanan and Tei uncover secrets about their existence, their history, and the structure of a society whose particulars will keep even seasoned science-fiction readers guessing. As Kanan and Tei find and rely on their talents, they unearth strengths within themselves to determine their own destiny outside of the stations they have been told await them in the future.
A captivating story of truth, good and evil, and what constitutes being "human", The Limits of My World lives up to its title, revealing that what the protagonists perceive as the parameters of their existence—including creepy inventions like the “butchery curtains”—isn’t the limits of their world at all. For all the provocative ideas and revelations, Coles prioritizes character and adventure, pitting his protagonists against hard choices (“You live skinless or you do not live”) and the most urgent of questions.
Takeaway: Fresh SF page-turner of identity, dystopia, and fighting for one’s place.
Comparable Titles: Brian Everson’s The Warren; Lauren Beukes.
Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A-
