About the Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A fresh, charming, socially conscious tour of the mysteries of space-time, from the award-winning author of The Disordered Cosmos
“With this extraordinary book, Prescod-Weinstein cements her status as one of the most accomplished and important science writers of our time” —Ed Yong, author of An Immense World
In her highly acclaimed debut, distinguished cosmologist and particle physicist Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein shared with her audience an abiding sense of wonder at the cosmos, while imagining a world without the entrenched injustice that plagues her field. Now, in The Edge of Space-Time, she embraces that cosmic wonder, taking readers on a mind-altering journey to the boundaries of the universe, inviting us to spend time at the edge of what we know about space-time and about ourselves.
Guided by her conviction that for humanity to go forward we must know our cosmic past, and drawing on poetry and popular culture—from Langston Hughes, Queen Latifah, and Lewis Carroll, to Big K.R.I.T., Sun Ra, and Star Trek—Prescod-Weinstein renders accessible some of the most abstract concepts of theoretical physics to tell fascinating stories about the history and fundamental nature of our universe. Here we meet the quantum cat that is both dead and alive, learn the difference between dark matter and dark energy, explore the inner workings of black holes, and investigate the possibility of a unified theory of quantum gravity, following our guide out to the far reaches of the cosmic event horizon and down to the tiniest (and queerest) neutrino. Along the way, she calls on us to resist colonial approaches to space exploration and instead imagine a better path forward in our pursuit of humanity’s undeniable connection with the stars.
Through Prescod-Weinstein’s clear-eyed and unique perspective, and informed by her deep knowledge of postcolonial history and Black feminist thought, The Edge of Space-Time argues that physics is an essential way for everyone to look at the universe and presents a compelling case that “the edge” is a powerful vantage point from which to see the big picture.
Table of Contents:
Sankofa! xi
I. The People Could Fly
One: How to Live Safely in a Science Factual Universe 3
Two: The Voyage Home 21
Three: Space-Time Is the Place 37
Four: The Cosmic Origins of the 808 56
Five: Beyond a Cosmic Boundary 70
Six: Baby’s First Field Theory 88
II. Queer Phenomenology
A Note on “Great” Men of Science 107
Seven: The Book of Nonsense 110
Eight: The Quantum Turn 124
Nine: TRAP Phenomenology 139
Ten: Quantum Sankofa 157
III. Through the Looking Glass
Eleven: The Photon Collectors 173
Twelve: You Are an Abstract Contraption Made of Nothing 189
Thirteen: The Vacuum Will Tear Us Apart 201
Fourteen: All That We May Never See 213
Fifteen: The Ultimate Tool for Laying Edges 233
Sixteen: U.N.I.T.Y. 248
IV. Let’s Fly
Seventeen: Cosmic Energy 265
Eighteen: You Are Not Safe in Science 278
Go Back and Get It 296
Acknowledgments 305
Notes 309
Bibliography and Recommended Reading 317
Index 329
About the Author :
Chanda Prescod-Weinstein is an associate professor of physics and astronomy and core faculty in women’s and gender studies at the University of New Hampshire. She conducts award-winning theoretical physics research on dark matter, the early universe, and neutron stars, while also researching Black feminist science studies. Her first book, The Disordered Cosmos: A Journey into Dark Matter, Spacetime, and Dreams Deferred, won the 2021 Los Angeles Times Book Prize in Science and Technology, the 2022 Phi Beta Kappa Award in Science, and a 2022 PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Literary Award. A columnist for New Scientist and Physics World, she is originally from East L.A. and now divides her time between the New Hampshire Seacoast and Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Review :
“Astonishing.”—Los Angeles Times
“A fresh and wholly unique take on space-time and on where science fits into our history and society. . . . In a crowded field of science communicators who tackle advanced topics, Prescod-Weinstein’s voice continues to be a refreshing standout. . . . firmly grounded in the political realities of 2026 in the United States, this book meets the moment: a book that says science is important, that science is political, and that, yes, science is still meaningful, even now.”—American Scientist
“[A] jaunty affront to just about everything our senses tell us about the world. . . . Draws from just about every intellectual nook and cranny — from Bantu linguistics and Star Trek, to hip-hop and gender theory — to weave an idiosyncratic illustration of the universe as physicists understand it today. It's an accessible take on a flabbergasting subject which, to put it mildly, offers a rather different view of reality than the one I remember learning in school.”—NPR
“The word 'ambitious' is often dulled by overuse. But The Edge of Space-Time captures its essence. It draws on Black studies, cultural criticism, political thought, and literary reflection while speaking to some of the most conceptually difficult problems in modern physics. The book’s ambition lies in its refusal to keep these domains apart. . . . in that sense, it understands something that science fiction, from Octavia Butler to Star Trek, has long known: Our visions of the cosmos are always also visions of ourselves.”—Science
“Written with a provocative and very human voice and perspective, that of a Black feminist cosmologist . . . who also happens to [have a] fascination with language’s power. . . . The Edge of Space-Time isn’t just fiery but also fun.”—The Boston Globe
“Distills the knowns and unknowns of our universe in a heady brew of astronomical observation, complex calculus, personal anecdote, and political polemic. . . . Buckle up and shoot for the stars.”—TIME
“For the girls who are interested in everything from poetry, to cosmic particles to pop culture, cosmologist and physicist Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, Ph.D.’s collection is for you. Prescod-Weinstein uses an anti-colonial, Black feminist approach to share what the cosmos can teach us about life here on earth.”—Essence
“Makes a powerful case for physics as a vital lens through which everyone can explore the universe. . . . The book makes complicated concepts so relatable, readers once wary of the cosmos because of its vast nature, can finally wrap their brains around it. . . . Only Prescod-Weinstein could write The Edge of Space-Time, because, even as it embraces Black and queer culture, the lens through which readers will see the cosmos is purely hers.”—Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
“Prescod-Weinstein explores the wonders of the cosmos through Black feminist, anti-colonial and historical frameworks. She presents topics such as space-time, quantum mechanics, black holes, and more in fun and relatable ways that even the most unscientific mind . . . can understand.”—Ms. Magazine
“On its surface, this is a book about physics — quantum mechanics, black holes, and dark matter. But it’s also a profound exploration of how we think, and the possibilities that emerge when we reject the limits imposed on our imaginations. . . . Prescod-Weinstein . . . brings a unique perspective to both cosmology and social justice. ”—Truthout
“If you’ve ever wanted to understand the mysteries of the universe, theoretical physicist Chanda Prescod-Weinstein wrote just the book for you. Her infectious passion and poetic explanations . . . make concepts ranging from microscopic particles to the big bang feel accessible. How? She illustrates how physics and art have more in common than you’d think.”—WBUR
“Nothing short of mind-blowing. . . . A brilliant book that explores what we can learn about life here on Earth by looking up.”—Book Riot
“A cosmologist and particle physicist who also happens to be a great writer with wonderful cross-cultural fluencies, Prescod-Weinstein seems possessed of an off-kilter and roving curiosity ideally suited to answering all the bigger questions about where we are, why we’re here, and where, exactly, are we going.”—Lit Hub
“With this extraordinary book, Prescod-Weinstein cements her status as one of the most accomplished and important science writers of our time; as polymath, griot, teacher, and more; as the guide to the universe that we don’t deserve but absolutely need. She has given us a book about physics as story and metaphor, as revelation and revolution, as answer and antidote. It’s suffused with gorgeous poetry and frequently very, very funny.”—Ed Yong, author of An Immense World
“Of course, the most politically audacious book I’ve read in decades would be a book about physics and space. In The Edge of Space-Time, Chanda Prescod-Weinstein shows us that we are here because we have always been there . . . making and reckoning with space. An absolute instant classic and an intergalactic monument. Read this now.”—Kiese Laymon, author of Heavy
“Lots of books talk about the universe. The Edge of Space-Time talks about the universe from the perspective of a real human living within it—a person with a body, embedded in a community, burdened by history, fueled by curiosity, sustained by hope. A great read for any human being who lives in the universe.”—Sean Carroll, author of The Biggest Ideas in the Universe
“A lyrical, genre-defying exploration of the universe that dances at the intersection of physics, pop culture, and Black intellectual thought, this book invites readers to see the cosmos not just through equations, but through the rhythms of music, the textures of art, and the power of storytelling.”—Ruha Benjamin, author of Race After Technology
“Yet another book by Dr. Prescod-Weinstein that I’ll want to bring up in every conversation! Whatever you thought you would learn about space-time, you’ll get that and so much more from this deft weave of quantum physics and cultural wisdom.”—Moiya McTier, author of The Milky Way: An Autobiography of Our Galaxy
“An enthralling introduction to the universe, The Edge of Space-Time reminds us all that stargazing is the work of generations of physicists and poets, and people both enslaved and free. Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein invites us to imagine grander, queerer theories for our cosmic future and, along the way, achieves the unthinkable: She makes physics accessible and funny. A paean to caring for the unknown and the unknowable, this is a book for anyone in any world.”—Sabrina Imbler, author of How Far the Light Reaches: A Life in Ten Sea Creatures
“Astonishing. One of the greatest gifts a writer can offer the world is vibrant, heartfelt perspective, and Prescod-Weinstein warmly presents a new prism that will stoke your curiosity about how we meet our universe. The epic tale shows how big and small, we're part of it all.”—Riley Black, bestselling author of The Last Days of the Dinosaurs
"Chanda Prescod-Weinstein brings light to the universe. This is a book of beautiful ideas about our cosmos, but it is a book of poetry, too. This is what science books should be, full of love and fascination and a sense of how vital progress is, not just in how we view the universe but how we view each other."—Robin Ince, comedian, actor, and author
“Humanity shines through her writing. One feels a mind present on the page, actively working through ideas, producing a text that’s engaging and alive. For readers put off by the overwhelmingly male, white, heteronormative world of physics, here is a warm, impassioned welcome.” —Kirkus
