An atlas of
impossible places.
Discover realms defined by a single impossible truth.
Wander. Question. Enjoy.
Enter the Atlas →FEATURED WORLD
樓上城
你的童年，還在施工
石門市裡，每逢門牌能被五整除的住宅樓，頂層走廊盡頭連著的，正是這座城二十年前的自己——而二十年前的石門，正在大興：塔吊排到天邊，滿街馬賽克瓷磚與金色鏡面玻璃，卡拉OK唱到四點，樓盤的紅底白字許諾這裡將是天底下最富的一座城。你在樓上做的任何事都改不了已經發生的事。你只能在裡面買東西、在裡面哭一場，然後回家。
走進這個世界 →THE ATLAS
逆行
每隔七代，就有一代人倒著活
歉齡
只要有人欠你一句道歉，你就不會變老
休死日
一年之中有一天，什麼都死不了
知期
人人都知道自己死在哪一天
褪字
墨只活一年。記誦是一門職業。
四十忘
年滿四十，人人忘掉此前二十年
傳藝
教，就是失去——手藝由掌心相授
借思
人人耳裡，住著一個陌生人的心聲
真名
知我全名者，每年可向我討一件事
慢光
站在街口，你能看見昨天正沿街走來
見火
火只在有人看著的時候燃燒
逆雨
每逢第七日，雨往上落
浮世
一萬年前，人類選了海
寶船
太平洋是中國的內湖
蒸汽羅馬
帝國走上了工業化，卻始終沒學會停下來
書城
亞歷山大城從未起火。掌書人治世。
契膚
一切契約刺在皮上——老人便是泥金寫本
重力局
重力是公用事業。窮人活得沉。
擇親
七歲那年，每個孩子自己挑父母
不夜城
太陽奉旨不落——代價由外州償還
萬聲
說過的每一句話都還留在空氣裡
贈壽
工錢、嫁妝與善舉，一律以壽命支付
潮國
兩個國家，一片土地，相隔半年
直城
城牆之內，無人能說謊
回信
死者會回信——一年一頁
共夢市
分區法到了午夜也不打烊
長昏街
一條街，四萬公里，沒有早晨
忘川
最富的人，什麼都不記得
萬孔
買賣、婚嫁與戰爭，都要過牆
樓上城
你的童年，還在施工
東歸蓮花傳
龍旗之下，白火不息
No worlds match that search.
THE RULE
One hinge
Each world is allowed exactly one impossible fact — with hard, written limits.
Pure consequence
Laws, trades and customs all exist because of something. Nothing is decoration.
Ask it anything
Question any world's Lorekeeper — the answer stays in canon, or extends it by cause and effect.
STAY IN THE LOOP
New worlds, stories and updates from the Atlas.
QUESTIONS
What is 99 Worlds?
An atlas of ninety-nine invented worlds. Each turns on a single impossible fact, and everything else — its laws, its prices, its customs and its taboos — follows from that one fact by cause and effect. This is original fiction, not reference material.
Are these worlds published anywhere else?
No. They are written for this atlas and exist nowhere else. Every world, every law and every price you read here lives only here.
How should I explore it?
Start with today's world, or simply wander the Atlas. Each dossier reads straight through, but it also rewards dipping in — the laws and the price list will often tell you where you are faster than the opening paragraph does.
Can I ask a world questions?
Yes. Every world has a Lorekeeper who answers from inside it — how a trial works, what dinner costs, what happens to someone who breaks the rules. Where the dossier is silent, the answer is extended by cause and effect from what is written; it will never contradict the canon.
Why only one impossible fact per world?
Because that is what makes a world convincing. One divergence, rigorously followed, produces a place that holds up when an economist, a lawyer or a soldier starts asking questions. Ten divergences produce wallpaper.
Can I use a world in my own work?
Read it, quote it and take inspiration freely. If you want to use a world substantially in something you publish, write to us — the answer is usually yes, and we would like to know where it went.
Why two languages?
Every world is written twice, in English and in Traditional Chinese. The Chinese is not the English translated: proper nouns get Chinese names, proverbs get Chinese shapes, and the sentences are written to read as Chinese.
What does it cost?
Nothing. The whole atlas is free to read, supported by advertising. Asking a Lorekeeper carries a small daily allowance, which exists to bound compute costs and deter abuse. There is no paywall and no subscription.