Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Parallel World or Dimension?

Level II Multiverse, Every disk is a bubble un...Image via Wikipedia

My djinn world uses the same physical world we live in, on a different plane. Maybe I can explain it better with this example:  The djinn world shadows ours, and in someplaces it overlaps. They don't see us and we don't see them, except in the overlap.

Isn't a parallel world something separate entirely? With a copy of everything, including the people?

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The other day I was editing and I hit a roadblock. (Sci-fi and Fantasy writers: Help me out here!) I keep writing about a parallel world, but do I really mean dimension?

6 comments:

Avo said...

Perhaps there are several things to take into account here...

From a science perspective, parallel dimensions doesn't really make sense (cf def of dimension). Usually when people say parallel "dimensions" they mean universes or worlds. The source of the idea comes from the many worlds interpretation as hypothesized in quantum physics.

But science set aside, it would make sense for the people in your story to refer to any phenomenon using the lingo of their time... For fantasy, I think I wouldn't use parallel at all... But maybe jinns are actually quantum physicists from the future who have transcended time and space, bringing with them their lingo?

I think something like "shadow world", "plane of echoes", "spirit world"... Or perhaps even a proper noun would be more in tone. The jinn could talk about how he misses Barzahk (intermediary world in which unconscious souls transit after death in islamic lore) since he has been trapped on the mortal coil eons ago.

Old Kitty said...

I always thought a parallel universes exist side by side but never overlapping. I don't know where I got that notion from though so I may be completely silly about it!

A parallel dimension?? Would that be like a "what if" scenario - like It's a Wonderful life? Just guessing!!! Oooh my brain hurts!! LOL!

Take care
x

LTM said...

ooo... great question. And now I'm comment lurking reading the answers. Very cool. Can't wait to see what you're working on~ :D <3

Sarah said...

I'm not a technician in this area, so to me, it doesn't really matter which term you use, as long as you create your world with consistent rules so it's possible to understand and not get pulled out of the story.

Creepy Query Girl said...

I have debated this before but I usually end up rubbing my temples. IT is beyond my brain capacity

Southpaw said...

World or universe, dimension is more for space and time but not whole realities.

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