WorldStrata

WorldStrata is a term used in speculative fiction and theoretical modeling to describe a layered multiverse in which discrete worlds or realities are organized in vertical strata and connected by limited interfaces. Each stratum may have distinct physical laws, environmental conditions, or cultural systems, and access between layers is typically controlled by gatekeepers, technology, or ritual requirements. The concept emphasizes hierarchy and permeability, distinguishing it from models of fully interconnected universes.

In fiction and game design, WorldStrata serves as a world-building device to explore social, political, and scientific themes within a contained spectrum. Narratives may depict travelers crossing from one layer to another through portals, relic technologies, or rites, with consequences such as time distortion, altered perception, or ecological mismatches. Governance and economy can be stratified, yielding differing rights and obligations for inhabitants in each layer and fueling conflicts over access and resource distribution.

In scholarly or design contexts, WorldStrata can function as a metaphor for hierarchical systems such as nested institutions, layered software architectures, or tiered ecological or urban arrangements. It is also used in data visualization and simulations to reveal structure by organizing information into strata.

Examples appear across media as a range of stratified settings, including surface worlds linked to subterranean layers, orbital habitats, or alternate developmental histories. See also: multiverse, parallel universes, world-building, hierarchical systems.