slipspace

Slipspace is a fictional concept used in science fiction to describe an alternate region of spacetime that enables faster-than-light travel. It is not a real physical space and has no established basis in real-world physics.

In many depictions, a spacecraft enters slipspace via a dedicated drive or reactor. While in slipspace, distances between stars are effectively reduced, allowing rapid transit across vast interstellar or galactic scales. Ships exit slipspace back into normal space at or near their destination. The exact rules and mechanics vary by work, with some portrayals depicting slipspace as a stable medium and others portraying it as an unstable or hazardous environment that can cause navigation errors, time distortions, or other dangers.

As a narrative device, slipspace is often contrasted with other fictional faster-than-light concepts such as hyperspace, subspace, or warp-like regimes. Different authors assign different properties, limitations, and risks to slipspace, and the term can be used loosely to indicate any form of alternative travel medium rather than a single, unified theory.

In popular culture, the term slipspace is most strongly associated with certain video game franchises and science fiction series, where Slipspace Drives or similar technologies are central to interstellar travel and plot development. Outside of these contexts, slipspace appears sporadically as a generic trope for faster-than-light travel, lacking a single canonical set of physical rules.