Worldwhere

Worldwhere is a term used in speculative fiction and philosophy to describe the imagined locale or state space in which a scenario unfolds. It signals the contextual stage on which events occur, emphasizing the particular conditions that make a narrative or argument possible.

Etymologically, worldwhere is a blend of world and where, highlighting the idea of a location or context rather than a single fixed world. It is not a formal term in standard disciplines, but it has appeared in discussions about worldbuilding, counterfactuals, and thought experiments as a convenient shorthand for specifying the environment in which something happens.

In fiction, writers may refer to a worldwhere to delineate alternative histories, magical systems, or differing physical laws. By clarifying the constraints of the worldwhere, authors help readers understand why characters can or cannot do certain things and how outcomes depend on the underlying conditions.

In philosophy and logic, the notion aligns with informal discussions of possible worlds or counterfactual reasoning. While not a technical term in modal logic, worldwhere can aid explanation by focusing attention on the specific set of possible worlds in which a proposition holds true.

Examples include a story where the worldwhere is one in which a pivotal invention never occurred, or a tale set in a universe with altered gravity. Such framing helps differentiate between narrative plausibility and the broader logical space of alternative scenarios.

See also: worldbuilding, modal logic, possible worlds, counterfactuals.