History Main / AnotherDimension

** Like many ''Simpsons'' Halloween sketches, this was a parody of a ''TwilightZone'' episode.

** This may actually be a subversion. The prequel novelizations explain that if the universe is infinite, and planets are distributed relatively uniformly, all possible worlds ''must'' exist. The link books only transport the user to existing worlds which match the written descriptions, rather than creating new ones from scratch. This does not explain how Atrus is able to revise the Riven book continuously to delay the world's destruction.
*** One novelization indicates that there are two major philosophical views - that the dimensions are created by writing them, or that they're merely accessed. Characters who are on different sides of the dispute often come into conflict.

* April Ryan of ''VideoGame/TheLongestJourney'' jumps between "our" world (Stark) and the mystic Arcadia repeatedly throughout the game.
** Interestingly, the game's backstory (explained after the first jump) describes a single world, where magic and science existed together. However, it was foreseen that utilizing both of these would result in the destruction of the world, so, with the help of the [[OurDragonsAreDifferent Draic Kin]], the world was split into two main realities and several smaller "pockets" (either intentional or just leftovers). Stark became a world of science and logic, while Arcadia became a world of magic and chaos. Naturally, only humans beings can live in Stark, who have advanced to TwentyMinutesInTheFuture, while Arcadia is populated by all manner of fantasy creatures but is stuck in MedievalStasis. The barrier between the worlds must be constantly maintained, though, as it is clearly unnatural. At some point in the future, the worlds will be re-joined.

* There's a very literal example in ''VideoGame/SuperPaperMario'' where Mario's special move is to "warp" the otherwise flat world, revealing its third dimension.
** Don't forget Bestovius, Dimentio and Merloo, who all have dimension-flipping powers! It's quite popular in this game.
*** Two dimensions was featured in VideoGame/SuperMarioRPG, 'The Factory' where the Smithy Gang game from, and 'Vanda' where Franchise/FinalFantasy-inspired boss Culex originate. Only the former was visited, the latter was 'in-between'.
* In the original SNES ''VideoGame/StarFox'', there is a secret level titled 'Out Of This Dimension' that [[WorldOfChaos has to be seen]] [[AcidTripDimension to be believed]].

* The Dark Place from ''VideoGame/AlanWake'' is a bizarre realm "beyond the shores of our reality". It is home to more than a few [[EldritchAbomination dark entities]] of [[BlueAndOrangeMorality calamitous intentions]] and it is by nature "fluid", constantly shifting according to the whims and thoughts of its inhabitants; works of art created here or at contact points with our reality (such as Cauldron Lake) can influence reality by coming true. The protagonist, a novelist, writes a book that comes true over the course of the game, and once in the Dark Place itself, finds himself surrounded by words and ideas that he can turn into physical reality, and manifestations of his own fear and hopelessness coming to kill him. It's stated repeatedly that even though signals can travel from it to our reality, once you're in the Dark Place, it is next to impossible to leave, at least withou bringing something ''terrible'' along with you.
** By the time of ''Alan Wake's American Nightmare'', two years after the first game, Wake has become much more adept at handling the Dark Place and its inhabitants. He is able to write himself as one of the protagonist of one of his works and travel back to our reality at a point of contact (this time near a town in Arizona), but it's hinted that this is not an actual escape and it's not even clear if [[GainaxEnding the events of the game actually took place]].

* In the ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' series, while the two ''VideoGame/{{Sonic Rush|Series}}'' games feature an AlternateUniverse, ''SonicRivals 2'' is about Eggman Nega plotting to free a demon that was trapped in Another Dimension
** Some theories and other media sources of the Special Zone is Another Dimension. There's also the Twilight Cage from ''VideoGame/SonicChronicles'', which seems to collect powerful civilizations from several dimensions.

* Dark Aether of MetroidPrime is a [[DeathWorld Death Dimension]] that literally sucks the life from anything that enters it. It is home to the Ing, spiderlike LegionsOfHell that [[DemonicPossession possess]] creatures of the "Light World" so that they can enter it, as our dimension is just as lethal to them.

[[folder:Gamebook]]
* Most of the adventures in the ''LoneWolf'' series take place on the world of Magnamund in the plane of Ao. There are other planes of existence such as the Daziarn, a strange dimension divided into mini-dimensions that have almost nothing in common, and the Plane of Darkness, which is basically Hell and the hometurf of Naar the King of the Darkness.

* [[Literature/{{Reckless}} The Mirrorworld Series]]: The Mirror World is an alternate version of Europe with 1700's politics...cameras, railroads, and [[spoiler: airplanes]]. The primary mode of travel still appears to be horseback, though, and characters don't recognize modern guns or flashlights. Oh, and there's a whole range of supernatural races...

* The concept of another dimension accessible only through special means by special people has been featured in Neil Gaiman's " [[Literature/{{Neverwhere}} Everything]] [[Film/MirrorMask He's]] [[ComicBook/TheSandman Ever]] [[WesternAnimation/{{Coraline}} written]] ".

* ''VideoGame/{{Wolfenstein}}'' (2009) involves a DarkWorld-like dimension called "The Veil". It is our world, just viewed from an inch or so down the fourth spatial axis. But that's not the [[ThoseWackyNazis Axis]] you should be worried about. There's also the [[PocketDimension Black Sun Dimension]], a [[EldritchLocation small, unstable universe]] being held together by the Black Sun at its center.

* The new VideoGame/{{Wolfenstein}} game involves a DarkWorld-like dimension called "The Veil". It is our world, just viewed from an inch or so down the fourth spatial axis. But that's not the [[ThoseWackyNazis Axis]] you should be worried about.
** There's also the [[PocketDimension Black Sun Dimension]], a [[EldritchLocation small, unstable universe]] being held together by the Black Sun at its center.

* The new VideoGame/{{Wolfenstein}} game involves a DarkWorld-like dimension called "The Veil". It is our world, just viewed from an inch or so down the fourth spatial axis. But that's not the [[ThoseWackyNazis Axis]] [[IncrediblyLamePun you should be worried about]].

** The ''TabletopGame/NewWorldOfDarkness'' has its own /sets/ of dimensions. There's the Shadow Realm, which is like the Umbra, only it's nearly exclusively animistic. Then there's the Underworld, which is home to dead knowledge and concepts and the place where ghosts go when they've [[UnfinishedBusiness finished their business]] but aren't ready to pass on to their final reward. Then there's the Abyss, which is pretty much [[CosmicHorrorStory anti-reality]]. Then there's the five Supernal Realms, dimensions of pure magic. Then there's the Astral Realms, which are where the collective unconscious is made flesh. Then there's Arcadia, which is not the ''Supernal'' Arcadia and is a [[RealityIsOutToLunch constantly shifting]] chaotic wasteland that plays home to TheFairFolk. Then there's the Hedge, the predatory gateway dimension between Earth and Arcadia. And on top of all that, apparently there's ''[[TheLegionsOfHell Hell]]''.

* In ''TabletopGame/{{Traveller}}'' Jump Space is not known about much, it's main purpose being to justify FasterThanLightTravel.

* ''Series/DoctorWho'' used this trope liberally in its 2005-present series, introducing "Pete's world," an alternate dimension with [[ZeppelinsFromAnotherWorld zeppelins]] but no Time Lords (who only exist in one dimension due to their wibbly wobbly Time Lord-y-ness), where Rose was never born and her father, Pete Tyler, never died. The show visits this dimension 3 times so far, twice in the 2006 season [[spoiler:with Rose and her family being stranded there, separated forever from the Doctor]] and again at the end of the 2008 season [[spoiler:when the Doctor abandons her and his regenerated half-human self on the same freaking beach in Alternate Norway]].
** Another use came in the 2011 episode "The Curse of the Black Spot" where [[spoiler:a spaceship from one dimension was lodged in a pirate ship in ours]].

** Also the Third Doctor found himself in a dimension where UNIT was tools of a Fascist British State and time was running slightly faster (this enabled him to prevent a disaster in our world after seeing how it engulfed a previous one).

* Muge Space in ''{{Dancougar}}''. It is also seen in ''SuperRobotWarsCompact'', ''SuperRobotWarsCompact2'', ''SuperRobotWarsAlpha 3'' and ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsGC''

* ''SuperRobotWarsNEO'' treats Earth Tear from Lord of Lords Ryu Knight this way.

* In the original SNES ''VideoGame/StarFox'', there is a secret level titled 'Out Of This Dimension' that has to be seen to be believed.

** It's worth noting that Xen isn't a "proper" universe; it's [[WordOfGod described]] as a "dimensional travel bottleneck", and is so small, in fact, that it's atmosphere is dense enough to be breathable. Add to that the various chunks of planet and the xenofauna from a hundred different worlds, and the impression is that of a "bubble" of spacetime that someone happened to inflate and fill up with just enough material to allow habitability. It's not as unlikely as it sounds, given that [[WordOfGod we know]] [[EldritchAbomination the Nihilanth]] fled there to escape [[TheEmpire The Combine]].

A very, very old trope, still used today. Another Dimension refers to universes that are "next" to our own, which require magic or {{technobabble}} to travel to and from. In theory, from our world they are in a direction other than the directions we are familiar with.

* ''KamenRiderRyuki'' and its adaptation ''KamenRiderDragonKnight'' both dealt with another dimension on the other side of Earth's mirrors.
** KamenRiderDecade traveled to multiple other dimensions - [[CrisisCrossover the homeworlds of other known Kamen Riders]].

* Muge Space in ''{{Dancougar}}''. It is also seen in ''SuperRobotWarsCompact'', ''SuperRobotWarsCompact2'', ''SuperRobotWarsAlpha 3'' and ''SuperRobotWarsGC''

* StarTrekTheNextGenerationDoctorWhoAssimilation2 Hinted at twice in the second issue. The Doctor, who claims to know every star and planet out there, identifies Worf as a Klingon, but then informs Amy and Rory that until seeing him [[RippleEffectProofMemory he'd never heard of a Klingon before.]] Later, when Picard receives the DistressCall from Delta IV, the Doctor [[LampshadeHanging reminds us of his familiarity with the whole of the universe]] and then states he's never heard of Delta IV.

* The [[GodOfEvil Dark Gods']] realm, and the Dark Kingdom in FanFic/DungeonKeeperAmi. Both are alternate dimensions of the SailorMoon and DungeonKeeper dimensions, themselves in-universe alternate dimensions.

* The [[godOfEvil Dark Gods']] realm, and the Dark Kingdom in FanFic/DungeonKeeperAmi. Both are alternate dimensions of the SailorMoon and DungeonKeeper dimensions, themselves in-universe alternate dimensions.

Very, very old trope, still used today. AnotherDimension refers to universes that are "next" to our own, which require magic or {{technobabble}} to travel to and from. In theory, from our world they are in a direction other than the directions we are familiar with.

{{Alternate universe}}s are often just a variety of AnotherDimension. Unlike [=AUs=], though, other dimensions don't necessarily have to resemble the "home" universe. There may be a VoidBetweenTheWorlds to go through.

Most [[LandOfFaerie "fairy lands"]] in CelticMythology and European fairy tales are effectively AnotherDimension. It is generally accepted that if {{Hell}} and {{Heaven}} exist, they're not in the same physical plane that we are in. Ditto TheUnderworld.

* MarvelComics has an Angler, too; a very minor character with only two appearances, he was radically transformed by being in AnotherDimension and though he returns from it, isn't quite suited to "normal" space and tends to be in two places at once. Not to mention crazy, deformed and speaking in weird symbols that look like broken glass.

* The Literature/JakubWedrowycz stories feature at least one AnotherDimension - it's a MedievalEuropeanFantasy realm with some comedic twists.

** Previously, Adric came from AnotherDimension called E-Space, which is also where the Doctor left Romana and K9 Mark II.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'''s [[HyperspaceIsaScaryPlace Warp]] is AnotherDimension... [[CosmicHorrorStory 40k style.]] In essence, ''{{Hell}}''. They use it for {{FTL}} travel. It doesn't always ''work''. The ship might disappear then reappear, with everyone inside turned to dust from age. Or it might reappear hundreds to thousands of years later. Or appear at it's destination before it left. "Time" is a funny thing in the Warp. Not funny Ha-Ha.

* Two of the alien races from ''VideoGame/StarControl II'' come from AnotherDimension: the Arilou come from Quasi Space, while the Orz come from a dimension that they refer to only as *below* (thanks to the trouble the TranslatorMicrobes have with their language). The Arilou and the Orz might come from the same dimension, as the Orz say both of the two races are from *outside* and the Arilou are from *above*. It depends on the meaning of *outside*, though.

* In the ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' series, while the two ''VideoGame/{{Sonic Rush|Series}}'' games feature an AlternateUniverse, ''SonicRivals 2'' is about Eggman Nega plotting to free a demon that was trapped in AnotherDimension
** Some theories and other media sources of the Special Zone is AnotherDimension. There's also the Twilight Cage from ''VideoGame/SonicChronicles'', which seems to collect powerful civilizations from several dimensions.

* Raven of the WesternAnimation/TeenTitans comes from one of these. She has threatened to deport [[{{Keet}} Beast Boy]] to AnotherDimension. She goes to what certainly looks like AnotherDimension to deliver a glorified cell phone. Maybe it's so easy for her because [[spoiler:she is a living, humanoid interdimensional portal.]]

* The later installments of the ''DarkParables'' series have begun sending the detective into these. The fourth game had her visit "Fairy Tale Land," and the fifth game trapped her for almost half the game in the "Mirror World."