Dimensional Travel and Fantasy Realms

[TheCrystallineEntity]

In the latest book I've started on, the main characters are dimensional travelers who mainly travel to higher dimensions or advanced star-systems or fantasy realms. In particular, they travel to this one fantasy realm called the Wayside to find their author. [Yes, really. It's that kind of book.]

My previous book took place on a fantasy planet, but didn't have anything really to do with cosmic travel or other dimensions.

I guess what I'm mainly looking for is ways to make my new book just as unique as my other one.
So far, I have several dimensions 'mapped'.

The Alpha-Omega Dimension [where spiritual/higher beings come from]
The Penta-Zeta Dimension [where enlightened/magical beings live]
The Duality-Illusion Dimension [where Earth is, sort of]

 

[jm.milks]

In a series I'm currently mapping out in extent, a race of intelligent organisms was able to develop technologically enough to manifest their intelligences outside of their own stimulated universe into the one the series takes place in.

Don't know if that helps inspire you in any way, but it's what came to mind when reading this

 

[TheCrystallineEntity]

I've 'discovered' another dimension: The Incarnichant Dimension.

 

[K.S. Crooks]

How about a dimension with different elements- meaning not fire, water, earth, air. Perhaps instead they have different qualities or these things behave differently- Fire could be cold, earth could be transparent, etc.
A dimension where people/beings have no physical form
A dimension where time travels in reverse- you would leave before you arrive

 

[Gryphos]

I have this special dimension which I've called Hell, which connects via portals to all sorts of different worlds. I haven't really gone into depth about what Hell is like. All I know is it's a plane of infinite possibilities and energy, with this energy leaking into the worlds it has a portal to. The inhabitants of these lesser worlds invariably end up finding ways to use this energy to work their magic. Additionally, entities inhabit Hell (which you might call 'demons'), but they have no physical form there. When they enter a lesser world, they must take physical form and be 'born' into that world. I also have a thing whereby humans who enter Hell is instantly stripped of their human soul, but the sudden surge of Hell energy that washes over them does have the benefit of making them immortal (in the elf sense).

I guess the thing about alternate dimension shizzle is that it provides a great opportunity to get quite Lovecraftian. It may be interesting to go along the route of having at least one dimension be utterly incomprehensible to inhabitants of others. I have it so Hell is a constantly shifting place where the 'mind holds more sway over reality', and it's a place which, in the end, is unknowable.

 

[TheCrystallineEntity]

^^I've sort of done that already in my previous book; it's a timeless planet, and most beings there have spiritual forms instead of physical.

 

[Oomatu]

This seems somewhat familiar to my novel Islandfall, which has dimensional "layers" of reality. The lower*layers are chaotic and material, while the upper are spiritual and stable. The only way to navigate between them is through giant portal devices, "beam in the sky" sort of thing. Each*layer has its own form of native sentient life... humans are not any of these.

 

[Miseo]

In the latest book I've started on, the main characters are dimensional travelers who mainly travel to higher dimensions or advanced star-systems or fantasy realms. In particular, they travel to this one fantasy realm called the Wayside to find their author. [Yes, really. It's that kind of book.]

My previous book took place on a fantasy planet, but didn't have anything really to do with cosmic travel or other dimensions.

I guess what I'm mainly looking for is ways to make my new book just as unique as my other one.
So far, I have several dimensions 'mapped'.

The Alpha-Omega Dimension [where spiritual/higher beings come from]
The Penta-Zeta Dimension [where enlightened/magical beings live]
The Duality-Illusion Dimension [where Earth is, sort of]

If possible, try to keep in mind what a dimension is. It's not a parallel universe (that would just be a parallel universe). A dimension is a measurement. The dimension we live in is defined by three dimensions, which is space. Particularly it is space throughout time. What could be another dimension? Space without time, maybe. Or time without space. This last one would be really difficult to do because all beings in it would be consciousness, not physical.

In my story there are alternate universes (like the one we live in), different realms (spirits are also realms in my story, i.e., Heylel is a being and a world), and different dimensions. In particular, the Shattered Space. It was created when Aidenn's heart was ripped out to create the moon. In terms of being a spirit, Aidenn now has a hole in his chest. In terms of being a world, Aidenn now has a different dimension inside it, defined by lack and nonexistence. So this Shattered Space is defined by diverging space and diverging time. Two people walking the same path may end up different places, or two people that enter and leave the Shattered Space at the same time may spend different lengths there; one person may stay there for a month and another for a decade.

But a dimension usually has to do with measurements, as I see it. So look at your dimensions. Do they have different dimensions than space through time? If not, it's not a different dimension.

 

[Michael K. Eidson]

The existence of a parallel universe would require the existence of another dimension. Hence, the tendency for some people to refer to parallel universes as other dimensions. If you had some extra dimensions, with only one additional universe lying along each extra dimensional axis, then you could refer to each parallel universe as another dimension without being misunderstood.

Moreover, people irl don't always use terminology appropriately. In a story, someone could refer to a parallel universe as another dimension, and readers probably would get what was meant.

 

[Miseo]

The existence of a parallel universe would require the existence of another dimension. Hence, the tendency for some people to refer to parallel universes as other dimensions. If you had some extra dimensions, with only one additional universe lying along each extra dimensional axis, then you could refer to each parallel universe as another dimension without being misunderstood.

Moreover, people irl don't always use terminology appropriately. In a story, someone could refer to a parallel universe as another dimension, and readers probably would get what was meant.

Well I suppose a parallel universe could be interpreted as another dimension in that sense. But in terms of how many dimensions they have, it would be identical. Two watermelons are still both watermelons even if they're different watermelons. If two things look the same, feel the same, and taste the same, I'm just going to call them the same thing. That's my personal preference, at least.

But yeah, people generally use the term other dimension interchangeably with parallel universe and stuff like that.

 

[S.T. Ockenner]

I find that a dimension is more of a pocket universe within a universe, so it's not the same as an alternate universe, but somewhat similar. They tend to be very philosophical or element focused.

 

[WooHooMan]

Ok, so here's what I'm thinking might help.
Let's say you created a chart with two axis representing differing extremes of a single characteristics. What I'm thinking (and more or less did) was make on axis divinity (as spiritualism seems to be a theme with what you're going for) with materialism (in a kind of Buddhist sense of the term) on the opposite end. Along the other axis, I'm thinking kind of the Hindu unified collective wisdom and consciousness will be on one end (assuming that is distinct from divinity).

So, the chart will look something like this...

Then if we were to place your proposed dimensions into this matrix, then obviously the Alpha-Omega place would be closer to the quintessence of "divinity". Then the Penta-Zeta place would be closer to unity and far from materialism without going so far as to be at divinity. Then I'm assuming the Duality-Illusion place would be somewhere in the lower left quadrant though, assuming there is some divine influence in this plane, it wouldn't be towards the bottom. And since the people who live on Earth display compassion, empathy and so forth, they're at least a little more towards the Unity side then totally on the opposite side. So what you'd get would be like...

I replace "no will" with discord since that's an obvious conflicting thing for unity.
So, if the question then is "what other planes can exist here, you just need to consider what a realm in the top left and bottom right quadrant would be like. Then you just imagine what a realm between two of the other realms would be like.

I did this whole process with my setting and I'm very happy with the result. I think I got a good mix of making internal sense, having a good variety of planes and having a clear relationship between these planes.

 

[SirenSon117]

That's amazing work WoohooMan! Personally a big part of my lore, and a big thing keeping me in Pre-Writing Hell, is the concept of "Wonderland". To put it simply, a Wonderland is a sort of inner world. It's consciousness in the form of a place. My Wonderlands sound fairly similar to what you're describing. When I try to worldbuild Wonderlands I always keep in mind that the depths of consciousness are almost lovecraftian superficially but rooted in familiar logic. Anyone familiar with psychology should be able to navigate these "dream worlds". I like to picture an ocean of ideas rather than the very Abrahamic concept of a divine sky like your talking about OP.

 

[WooHooMan]

That's amazing work WoohooMan! Personally a big part of my lore, and a big thing keeping me in Pre-Writing Hell, is the concept of "Wonderland". To put it simply, a Wonderland is a sort of inner world. It's consciousness in the form of a place. My Wonderlands sound fairly similar to what you're describing. When I try to worldbuild Wonderlands I always keep in mind that the depths of consciousness are almost lovecraftian superficially but rooted in familiar logic. Anyone familiar with psychology should be able to navigate these "dream worlds". I like to picture an ocean of ideas rather than the very Abrahamic concept of a divine sky like your talking about OP.

I mentioned in my earlier post was that I used the two-axis chart thing for my own setting.
Not too get too deep into it but what you're describing with your wonderland would exist in the left-middle area of my "world chart" - assuming you're talking about a individual's personalized wonderland. If you're talking about a more collective consciousness kind of thing that is shared by every consciousness, that's dead center of the chart. I can deduce this because I know based on the realms I have that "familiar logic" and psychology wouldn't do you any good if you go too far left and also consciousness doesn't exist on the extreme right or bottom. And, generally speaking, individual will and mind doesn't occupy the right side of the chart.

What I'm getting at is that the chart method can be very useful for "mapping" these kinds of realms and planes. Not that it would totally explain everything with one's cosmology down to the letter but I find that it gives the writer just enough structure to where they can make enough sense of it to get a story going.