Editing Hyperspace

{{Short description|Faster-than-light travel in science fiction}}
{{About|the science fiction concept}}
{{good article}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2021}}

[[File:WarpTrails001.gif|thumb|upright=1.3|Hyperspace travel is sometimes depicted as a starfield that streaks toward the viewer. A visual effect like this was first used in the 1974 film ''[[Dark Star (film)|Dark Star]]'', and it became a popular cinematic depiction, with a similar effect being used in the ''Star Wars'' franchise.]]

{{Spatial anomalies in fiction}}
In [[science fiction]], '''hyperspace''' (also known as '''nulspace''', '''subspace''', '''overspace''', '''jumpspace''' and similar terms) is a concept relating to [[dimension#Additional dimensions|higher dimensions]] as well as [[parallel universes in fiction|parallel universes]] and a [[faster-than-light]] (FTL) method of [[interstellar travel]]. In its original meaning, the term ''hyperspace'' was simply a synonym for [[higher-dimensional space]]. This usage was most common in 19th-century textbooks<ref name="Westfahl2005">{{Cite book|last=Langford|first=David|title=[[The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy: Themes, Works, and Wonders]]|publisher=[[Greenwood Publishing Group]]|year=2005|isbn=978-0-313-32951-7|editor-last=Westfahl|editor-first=Gary|volume=1|chapter=Hyperspace|author-link=Gary Westfahl|access-date=29 August 2014|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SQMQQyIaACYC&pg=PA404}}</ref>{{rp|404}}<ref name=":9" /><ref name=":10" />{{Rp|94}} and is still occasionally found in academic and [[popular science]] texts, for example, ''[[Hyperspace (book)|Hyperspace]]'' (1994).''<ref name=":1" /><ref name="Stableford20063">{{Cite book|last=Stableford|first=Brian M.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uefwmdROKTAC&pg=PA238|title=Science Fact and Science Fiction: An Encyclopedia|publisher=[[Taylor & Francis]]|year=2006|isbn=978-0-415-97460-8|author-link=Brian Stableford|access-date=29 August 2014}}</ref>{{Rp|238–239}}<ref>{{Cite web|last=Kevles|first=Bettyann|date=15 March 1994|title=BOOK REVIEW / NONFICTION : His Scientific View Is Out of This World : HYPERSPACE: A Scientific Odyssey Through Parallel Universes, Time Warps and the 10th Dimension by Michio Kaku; Oxford $25, 344 pages|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-03-15-vw-34100-story.html|access-date=5 November 2021|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US}}</ref>'' Its science fiction usage originated in the magazine ''[[Amazing Stories Quarterly]]'' in 1931 and within several decades it became one of the most popular [[Trope (literature)|tropes]] of science fiction, popularized by its use in the works of authors such as [[Isaac Asimov]] and [[Edwin Charles Tubb|E. C. Tubb]], and media franchises such as ''[[Star Wars]]''.

One of the main reasons for the concept's popularity in science fiction is the impossibility of faster-than-light travel in ordinary ''[[physical space]]'', which hyperspace allows writers to bypass. In most works, hyperspace is described as a higher dimension through which the shape of [[three-dimensional space]] can be distorted to bring distant points close to each other, similar to the concept of a [[wormhole]]; or a shortcut-enabling [[Parallel universes in fiction|parallel universe]] that can be travelled through. Usually it can be traversed – the process often known as "jumping" – through a gadget known as a "hyperdrive"; [[rubber science]] is sometimes used to explain it. Many works rely on hyperspace as a convenient background tool enabling FTL travel necessary for the plot, with a small minority making it a central element in their storytelling. While most often used in the context of interstellar travel, a minority of works focus on other plot points, such as the inhabitants of hyperspace, hyperspace as an energy source, or even hyperspace as the [[afterlife]].

== Concept ==
[[File:Wrinkled paper.jpg|alt=A crumpled piece of paper|thumb|A piece of paper crumpled into a ball, representing a two-dimensional object distorted in the third dimension, making points that are far apart on its surface come close to each other or even touch]]
The basic premise of hyperspace is that vast distances through space can be traversed quickly by taking a kind of shortcut. There are two common models used to explain this shortcut: folding and mapping. In the folding model, hyperspace is a place of higher dimension through which the shape of our [[three-dimensional space]] can be distorted to bring distant points close to each other; a common analogy popularized by [[Robert A. Heinlein]]'s ''[[Starman Jones]]'' (1953) is that of crumpling two-dimensional paper or cloth in the third dimension, thus bringing points on its surface into contact. In the mapping model, hyperspace is a [[Parallel universes in fiction|parallel universe]] much smaller than ours (but not necessarily the same shape), which can be entered at a point corresponding to one location in ordinary space and exited at a different point corresponding to another location after travelling a much shorter distance than would be necessary in ordinary space. ''[[The Science in Science Fiction]]'' compares it to being able to step onto a [[world map]] at one's current location, walking across the map to a different continent, and then stepping off the map to find oneself at the new location—noting that the hyperspace "map" could have a significantly more complicated shape, as in [[Bob Shaw]]'s ''[[Night Walk (novel)|Night Walk]]'' (1967).<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=Hyperspace|url=https://sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/hyperspace|access-date=5 November 2021|website=[[The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction]]}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite book|last=Langford|first=David|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LRb8X7Ust_oC&q=hyperspace|title=The Science in Science Fiction|date=1983|publisher=Knopf|isbn=978-0-394-53010-9|editor-last=Nicholls|editor-first=Peter|language=en|chapter=Hyperspace|editor-last2=Langford|editor-first2=David|editor-last3=Stableford|editor-first3=Brian M.|chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/scienceinscience00nich/page/72/mode/2up}}</ref>{{Rp|72–73}}<ref name=":8" />{{Rp|175}}<ref name="Westfahl2005" />{{rp|404}}

Hyperspace is generally seen as a fictional concept not compatible with present-day scientific theories, particularly the [[theory of relativity]]{{Efn|The theory of relativity prohibits the principle of [[Causality (physics)|causality]] being broken by the reversal of cause and effect, which the very concept of FTL travel breaks as the arrival of an object using FTL means of travel, such as hyperspace, might be witnessed by observers elsewhere in the Universe as preceding the take-off.<ref name=":1" />}}).<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":3" />{{Rp|72–73}} Some science fiction writers attempted quasi-scientific [[rubber science]] explanations of this concept. For others, however, it is just a convenient [[MacGuffin]] enabling faster-than-light travel necessary for their story without violating the prohibitions against FTL travel in ordinary space imposed by known laws of physics.<ref name="visual">{{Cite book|last=Ash|first=Brian|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-SUYAAAAIAAJ&q=Visual+Encyclopedia+of+Science+Fiction|title=The Visual Encyclopedia of Science Fiction|date=1977|publisher=Harmony Books|isbn=978-0-517-53174-7|language=en|chapter=Spacecraft and Star Drives|chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/visualencycloped00ashb/page/74/mode/2up}}</ref>{{Rp|74–76}}<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":3" />{{Rp|72–73}}<ref name="Westfahl2005" />{{rp|404}}<ref name=":6">{{Cite magazine|last=Harbottle|first=Philip|date=1963|title=Hyper-Space – the Immutable Concept?|url=https://fanac.org/fanzines/Vector/Vector21.pdf|journal=[[Vector (magazine)|Vector]]|volume=21|pages=13–17}}</ref>

=== Terminology ===
The means of accessing hyperspace is often called a "hyperdrive",<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|date=18 June 2014|title=5 Faster-Than-Light Travel Methods and Their Plausibility|url=https://www.escapistmagazine.com/v2/5-faster-than-light-travel-methods-and-their-plausibility/|access-date=3 September 2021|website=The Escapist|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction: hyperdrive|url=https://sfdictionary.com/view/58/hyperdrive|access-date=5 November 2021|website=sfdictionary.com}}</ref><ref name=":10">{{Cite book |last=Prucher |first=Jeff |title=[[Brave New Words: The Oxford Dictionary of Science Fiction]] |date=2007-05-07 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-988552-7 |language=en |chapter=hyperspace |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lJCS0reqmFUC&pg=PA94}}</ref>{{Rp|94}} and navigating hyperspace is typically referred to as "jumping" (as in "the ship will now jump through hyperspace").<ref name=":6" /><ref name="visual" />{{Rp|75}}

A number of related terms (such as imaginary space, Jarnell intersplit, jumpspace, megaflow, N-Space, nulspace, slipstream, overspace, Q-space, subspace, and tau-space) have been used by various writers, although none have gained recognition to rival that of hyperspace.<ref name=":6" /><ref name="Stableford20063" />{{Rp|238–239}}<ref name="visual" />{{Rp|75}}<ref name=":2" /><ref name="Westfahl2005" />{{rp|404}}<ref>{{Cite web|title=Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction: jumpspace|url=https://sfdictionary.com/view/1018/jumpspace|access-date=2022-01-04|website=sfdictionary.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Johnson-Smith|first=Jan|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VgNQEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA156|title=American Science Fiction TV: Star Trek, Stargate and Beyond|date=2004-09-24|publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing|isbn=978-0-85771-035-2|language=en}}</ref>{{rp|156}} Some works use multiple synonyms; for example, in the ''[[Star Trek]]'' franchise, the term hyperspace itself is only used briefly in a single 1988 episode ("[[Coming of Age (Star Trek: The Next Generation)|Coming of Age]]") of ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'',<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Okuda|first1=Michael|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=E6bqzQEACAAJ&q=Star+Trek+Encyclopedia|title=The Star Trek Encyclopedia: A Reference Guide to the Future|last2=Okuda|first2=Denise|last3=Mirek|first3=Debbie|date=1994|publisher=Pocket Books|isbn=978-0-671-88684-4|language=en}}</ref>{{rp|353}} while a related set of terms – such as subspace, transwarp, and proto-warp – are employed much more often, and most of the travel takes place through the use of a [[warp drive]].<ref name="Stableford20063" />{{Rp|pages=238–239}}<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite web|last=Orquiola|first=John|date=2021-11-23|title=Star Trek Introduces Picard & Discovery Warp Drive Plot Hole|url=https://screenrant.com/star-trek-protostar-warp-drive-starfleet-picard-discovery/|access-date=2022-01-24|website=ScreenRant|language=en-US}}</ref> Hyperspace travel has also been discussed in the context of [[wormhole]]s and [[teleportation]], which some writers consider to be similar whereas others view them as separate concepts.<ref name=":11" />{{Rp|85|page=}}<ref>{{Cite book|last=Cavendish|first=J. M.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zcsaAAAAMAAJ&q=hyperspace+teleportation|title=A Handbook of Copyright in British Publishing Practice|date=1984|publisher=Cassell|isbn=978-0-304-31067-8|language=en}}</ref>{{Rp|pages=2}}<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Dakan|first1=Rick|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F89cEAAAQBAJ&dq=hyperspace+teleportation&pg=PT163|title=Writing Sci-Fi, Fantasy, & Horror For Dummies|last2=Cleave|first2=Ryan G. Van|date=2022-02-03|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=978-1-119-83910-1|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=James|first=Edward|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LahKXPsiyBYC&dq=hyperspace+teleportation+manticorian&pg=PA266|title=Voyages and Visions: Towards a Cultural History of Travel|first4=Joan Pau|date=1999|publisher=Reaktion Books|isbn=978-1-86189-020-7|editor-last=Elsner|editor-first=Jaś|language=en|chapter=Per ardua ad astra: Authorial Choice and the Narrative of Interstellar Travel|editor-last2=Rubiés|editor-first2=John}}</ref>{{Rp|265–266}}

== History ==
[[File:Amazing stories quarterly 1931spr.jpg|thumb|The earliest references to hyperspace in fiction appeared in publications such as ''[[Amazing Stories Quarterly]]'' (shown here is the Spring 1931 issue featuring [[John W. Campbell|John Campbell]]'s ''[[Islands of Space]]'').]]
Emerging in the early 20th century, within several decades hyperspace became a common element of [[Interstellar travel|interstellar]] [[Space travel in science fiction|space travel]] stories in science fiction.<ref name=":6" /><ref name=":1" /> [[Kirk Meadowcroft]]'s "The Invisible Bubble" (1928) and [[John W. Campbell|John Campbell]]'s ''[[Islands of Space]]'' (1931) feature the earliest known references to hyperspace, with Campbell, whose story was published in the [[science fiction magazine]] ''[[Amazing Stories Quarterly]]'', likely being the first writer to use this term in the context of space travel.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":3" />{{Rp|72–73}}<ref name="Stableford20063" />{{Rp|238–239}}<ref name=":9">{{Cite web|title=Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction: hyperspace|url=https://sfdictionary.com/view/59|access-date=2021-12-05|website=sfdictionary.com}}</ref> According to the [[Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction]], the earliest known use of the word "hyper-drive" comes from a preview of [[Murray Leinster]]'s story "The Manless Worlds" in ''[[Thrilling Wonder Stories]]'' 1946.<ref name=":0" />

Another early work featuring hyperspace was [[Nelson Bond]]'s ''[[The Scientific Pioneer Returns]]'' (1940).<ref name="Stableford20063" />{{Rp|238–239}} [[Isaac Asimov]]'s [[Foundation (book series)|''Foundation'' series]], first published in ''[[Astounding]]'' starting in 1942, featured a [[Galactic Empire (Asimov)|Galactic Empire]] traversed through hyperspace through the use of a "hyperatomic drive".<ref name=":7">{{Cite book|last=Palumbo|first=Donald E.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NvcWDAAAQBAJ&dq=asimov++%22Hyperatomic+Drive%22++hyper-space&pg=PA100|title=An Asimov Companion: Characters, Places and Terms in the Robot/Empire/Foundation Metaseries|date=27 April 2016|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-1-4766-2394-8|language=en}}</ref>{{Rp|100}}<ref>{{Cite web|title=Asimov, Isaac|url=https://sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/asimov_isaac|access-date=2022-02-03|website=[[The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction]]}}</ref> In ''[[Foundation (Asimov novel)|Foundation]]'' (1951), hyperspace is described as an "...unimaginable region that was neither space nor time, matter nor energy, something nor nothing, one could traverse the length of the Galaxy in the interval between two neighboring instants of time."<ref>{{Cite book|last=Asimov|first=Isaac|url=https://archive.org/details/foundationfounda00isaa/page/5|title=Foundation|publisher=[[Bantam Books]]|year=1991|isbn=0-553-29335-4|location=N.Y.|url-access=registration}}</ref>{{Rp|5}} [[Edwin Charles Tubb|E. C. Tubb]] has been credited with playing an important role in the development of hyperspace lore; writing a number of [[space opera]]s in the early 1950s in which space travel occurs through that medium. He was also one of the first writers to treat hyperspace as a central part of the plot rather than a convenient background gadget that just enables the faster-than-light space travel.<ref name=":6" /><ref name="visual" />{{Rp|75}}

In 1963, [[Philip Harbottle]] called the concept of hyperspace "a fixture" of the science fiction genre,<ref name=":6" /> and in 1977 [[Brian Ash (bibliographer)|Brian Ash]] wrote in ''[[The Visual Encyclopedia of Science Fiction]]'' that it had become the most popular of all faster-than-light methods of travel.<ref name="visual" />{{Rp|75}} The concept would subsequently be further popularized through its use in the ''[[Star Wars]]'' franchise.<ref name=":2" />

In the 1974 film ''[[Dark Star (film)|Dark Star]]'', special effects designer [[Dan O'Bannon]] created a visual effect to depict going into hyperspace wherein the stars in space appear to move rapidly toward the camera. This is considered to be the first depiction in cinema history of a ship making the jump into hyperspace. The same effect was later employed in ''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars]]'' (1977) and the "star streaks" are considered one of the visual "staples" of the ''Star Wars'' franchise.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Taylor|first=Chris|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=z7GbBAAAQBAJ&dq=%22dark%20star%22%20special%20effects%20hyperspace&pg=PT115|title=How Star Wars Conquered the Universe: The Past, Present, and Future of a Multibillion Dollar Franchise|date=2014|publisher=Head of Zeus|isbn=978-1-78497-045-1|language=en|access-date=5 January 2021}}</ref>{{rp|115}}<ref>{{Cite web|last=Howell|first=Elizabeth|date=12 December 2017|title=Warp Speed: The Hype of Hyperspace|url=https://www.space.com/32712-warp-drive-hyperspace.html|access-date=5 November 2021|website=Space.com|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Muir|first=John Kenneth|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GoWNAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA189|title=A History and Critical Analysis of Blake's 7, the 1978-1981 British Television Space Adventure|date=2015-09-15|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-1-4766-0493-0|language=en}}</ref>{{rp|189}}

== Characteristics ==<!--Section title used as anchor for Redirect [[Underspace]: please amend there if altering-->

Hyperspace is typically described as chaotic and confusing to human senses; often at least unpleasant – transitions to or from hyperspace can cause symptoms such as [[nausea]], for example – and in some cases even [[hypnotic]] or dangerous to one's sanity.<ref name=":6" /><ref name="Stableford20063" />{{Rp|238–239}}<ref name="Westfahl2005" />{{rp|405}} Visually, hyperspace is often left to the reader's imagination, or depicted as "a swirling gray mist".<ref name="visual" />{{Rp|75}}<ref name=":6" /> In some works, it is dark.<ref name="Westfahl2005" />{{rp|405}} Exceptions exist; for example, [[John Russell Fearn|John Russel Fearn]]'s ''Waters of Eternity'' (1953) features hyperspace that allows observation of regular space from within.<ref name=":6" />

Many stories feature hyperspace as a dangerous, treacherous place where straying from a preset course can be disastrous. In [[Frederick Pohl]]'s ''[[The Mapmakers (novel)|The Mapmakers]]'' (1955), navigational errors and the perils of hyperspace are one of the main plot-driving elements,<ref name=":3" />{{Rp|72–73}}<ref name="visual" />{{Rp|75}} and in [[John Brunner (novelist)|K. Houston Brunner]]'s ''[[Fiery Pillar]]'' (1955), a ship re-emerges within Earth, causing a catastrophic explosion.<ref name="visual" />{{Rp|75}} In some works, travelling or navigating hyperspace requires not only specialized equipment, but physical or psychological modifications of passengers or at least navigators, as seen in [[Frank Herbert]]'s ''[[Dune (novel)|Dune]]'' (1965), [[Michael Moorcock]]'s ''[[The Sundered Worlds]]'' (1966), [[Vonda N. McIntyre|Vonda McIntyre]]'s ''[[Aztecs (novel)|Aztecs]]'' (1977), and [[David Brin]]'s ''[[The Warm Space]]'' (1985).<ref name="Stableford20063" />

While generally associated with science fiction, hyperspace-like concepts exist in some works of [[fantasy]], particularly ones which involve movement between different worlds or dimensions. Such travel, usually done through portals rather than vehicles, is usually explained through the existence of [[Magic (supernatural)|magic]].<ref name="Westfahl2005" />{{rp|405}}

== Use ==
While mainly designed as means of fast space travel, occasionally, some writers have used the hyperspace concept in more imaginative ways, or as a central element of the story.<ref name=":3" />{{Rp|72–73}} In [[Arthur C. Clarke]]'s "[[Technical Error]]" (1950), a man is laterally reversed by a brief accidental encounter with "hyperspace".<ref name=":8">{{Cite book|last=Pickover|first=Clifford A.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LOUiWjsgue8C&dq=%22Technical+Error%22+hyperspace&pg=PT205|title=Surfing through Hyperspace: Understanding Higher Universes in Six Easy Lessons|date=2001-05-17|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-992381-6|language=en}}</ref>{{Rp||page=177}} In Robert A. Heinlein's ''[[Glory Road]]'' (1963) and [[Robert Silverberg]]'s "[[Nightwings (novella)|Nightwings]]" (1968), it is used for storage.<ref name="Westfahl2005" />{{rp|405}} In [[George R. R. Martin|George R.R. Martin's]] ''[[FTA (novel)|FTA]]'' (1974) hyperspace travel takes longer than in regular space, and in [[John E. Stith]]'s ''[[Redshift Rendezvous]]'' (1990), the twist is that the relativistic effects within it appear at lower velocities.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":3" />{{Rp|72–73}}<ref name="Stableford20063" />{{Rp|238–239}} Hyperspace is generally unpopulated, save for the space-faring travellers. Early exceptions include Tubb's ''[[Dynasty of Doom]]'' (1953), Fearn's ''[[Waters of Eternity]]'' (1953) and [[Christopher Grimm]]'s ''[[Someone to Watch Over Me (novel)|Someone to Watch Over Me]]'' (1959), which feature denizens of hyperspace.<ref name="Stableford20063" />{{Rp|238–239}}<ref name="visual" />{{Rp|75}}<ref name=":6" /> In ''[[The Mystery of Element 117]]'' (1949) by [[Milton Smith (author)|Milton Smith]], a window is opened into a new "hyperplane of hyperspace" containing those who have already died on Earth,<ref name=":8"/>{{Rp||page=181}} and similarly, in [[Bob Shaw]]'s ''[[The Palace of Eternity]]'' (1969), hyperspace is a form of [[afterlife]], where human minds and memories reside after death.<ref name="Westfahl2005" />{{rp|405}} In some works, hyperspace is a source of extremely dangerous energy, threatening to destroy the entire world if mishandled (for instance [[Eando Binder]]'s ''[[The Time Contractor]]'' from 1937 or [[Alfred Bester]]'s "[[The Push of a Finger]]" from 1942).<ref name=":6" /><ref name="Stableford20063" />{{Rp|238–239}} The concept of hyperspace travel, or space folding, can be used outside space travel as well, for example in [[Stephen King]]'s short story "[[Mrs. Todd's Shortcut]]" it is a means for an elderly lady to take a shortcut while travelling between two cities.<ref name=":11">{{Cite book|last=Nahin|first=Paul J.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4NfJDQAAQBAJ&dq=hyperspace+wormhole&pg=PA85|title=Time Machine Tales: The Science Fiction Adventures and Philosophical Puzzles of Time Travel|date=2016-12-24|publisher=Springer|isbn=978-3-319-48864-6|language=en}}</ref>{{Rp|85|page=}}

In many stories, a starship cannot enter or leave hyperspace too close to a large concentration of mass, such as a planet or [[star]]; this means that hyperspace can only be used after a starship gets to the outside [[Planetary system|edge of a solar system]], so that it must use [[Spacecraft propulsion|other means of propulsion]] to get to and from planets.<ref name="visual" />{{Rp|76}} Other stories require a very large expenditure of energy in order to open a link (sometimes called a ''jump point'') between hyperspace and regular space; this effectively limits access to hyperspace to very large starships, or to large stationary ''jump gates'' that can open jump points for smaller vessels. Examples include the "jump" technology in ''[[Babylon 5]]'' and the star gate in Arthur C. Clarke's ''[[2001: A Space Odyssey (novel)|2001: A Space Odyssey]]'' (1968).<ref name="Westfahl2005" />{{rp|404}}<ref name=":4">{{Cite book |last1=Grazier |first1=Kevin R. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=u9VECgAAQBAJ&dq=babylon+5+hyperspace+jumpgate&pg=PA231 |title=Hollyweird Science: From Quantum Quirks to the Multiverse |last2=Cass |first2=Stephen |date=2015 |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-3-319-15072-7 |language=en}}</ref> Just like with the very concept of hyperspace, the reasons given for such restrictions are usually [[technobabble]], but their existence can be an important [[plot device]].<ref name="visual" />{{Rp|74–76}}<ref name=":5" />{{Rp|554}} Science fiction author [[Larry Niven]] published his opinions to that effect in ''[[N-Space (short story collection)|N-Space]]''. According to him, an unrestricted FTL technology would give no limits to what heroes and villains could do.<ref name=":5">{{Cite book |last=Niven |first=Larry |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IX98QgAACAAJ&q=0312850891 |title=N-space |date=1990 |publisher=Tom Doherty Associates |isbn=978-0-312-85089-0 |language=en}}</ref>{{Rp|554}} Limiting the places a ship can appear in, or making them more predictable, means that they will meet each other most often around contested planets or space stations, allowing for narratively satisfying battles or other encounters. On the other hand, a less restricted hyperdrive may also allow for dramatic escapes as the pilot "jumps" to hyperspace in the midst of battle to avoid destruction.<ref name=":5" />{{Rp|557}} In 1999 science fiction author [[James P. Hogan (writer)|James P. Hogan]] wrote that hyperspace is often treated as a plot-enabling gadget rather than as a fascinating, world-changing item, and that there are next to no works that discuss how hyperspace has been discovered and how such discovery subsequently changed the world.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Hogan|first=James P.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iO0QPvU7pqkC|title=Minds, Machines and Evolution|date=1999|publisher=Baen Books|isbn=978-0-671-57843-5|pages=|language=en|chapter=Discovering Hyperspace}}</ref>{{Rp|107–108}}

== See also ==
*[[Minkowski space]]
*[[Teleportation in fiction]]
*[[Wormholes in fiction]]
*[[Warp (video games)]]

== Notes ==
{{noteslist}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== Further reading ==
* {{Cite book |last=Pickover |first=Clifford A. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LOUiWjsgue8C |title=Surfing through Hyperspace: Understanding Higher Universes in Six Easy Lessons |date=17 May 2001 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-992381-6 |language=en}}

== External links ==
* [http://www.theforce.net/swtc/hyperspace.html Hyperspace] by Curtis Saxton at Star Wars Technical Commentaries
* [https://archive.today/20130112010656/http://www.astronomycafe.net/anthol/scifi2.html Who Invented Hyperspace? Hyperspace in Science Fiction] by Sten Odenwald at Astronomy Cafe
* [https://sfdictionary.com/view/59 Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction entry for ''hyperspace'']
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Hyperspace (Science Fiction)}}
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