ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we address core concepts such as sign, system, and complexity to delve into the intricate streams of transmedia storytelling and its essential worldbuilding nature. We refer to a qualitative conceptual study theoretically framed by the general theory of signs or Peircean semiotics and the general systems theory for the congruence they share. In addition, we present different instances of the complexity of worldbuilding in transmedia storytelling—including the concepts of storyworld and paratexts. We conclude the chapter by discussing the implications of what we call the “transmedia effect”: the expansion of storyworlds that are robust and exciting enough to function across multiple levels of interest, from audiences to producers, to authors to financiers.
