Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction

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Word Definition
faan n. (1953) a science fiction fan, esp. one regarded as non-serious, or devoted more to fandom than to science fiction itself; cf. sercon adj.
faanish adj. (1959) of or relating to fandom, esp. on a superficial level; typical of a faan n.
face plate n. (1930) the transparent window of a spacesuitโ€™s helmet
fan v. (1941) to participate in fandom; cf. slightly earlier fanning n.
fanac n. (1952) participation in fandom, such as publishing fanzines, attending conferences, or writing letters to fanzines
fanarchist n. (1942) a fan who shuns organized fandom; a fan who believes in fanarchy n.
fanarchistic adj. (1944) preferring to avoid organized forms of fandom
fanarchy n. (1942) a juxtaposition of fandom and anarchy; (specif. and usu.) an opposition to organized fandom; a preference for individual or small-group fan activities
fanboy n. (1919) a male fan (in later use chiefly of comics, film, music, or science fiction), esp. an obsessive one
fandom n. (1936) science-fiction fans collectively; the state or attitude of being a science-fiction fan
fanette n. (1941) a female fan; = fanne n.
fanfic n. (1968) = fan fiction n.
fan fiction n. (1938) fiction, usually fantasy or science fiction, written by a fan rather than a professional author, esp. that based on already-existing characters from a television series, book, film, etc.; (also) a piece of such writing
fan film n. (1961) a movie made by a fan; audiovisual fan fiction n.
fangirl n. (1934) a female fan (chiefly of comics, film, music, or science fiction), esp. an obsessive one
fangirl v. (2003) esp. of a girl or woman: to exhibit extreme devotion (to) or excitement (about); to act like a fangirl n.
fankind n. (1940) fans, considered collectively
fanmag n. (1928) a magazine for fans; (specif.) = fanzine n.
fanne n. (1942) a female fan
fanning n. (1940) the practice or activity of being a fan; participation in fandom
fannish adj. (1901) of or relating to a dedicated or obsessive fan
fannishness n. (1943) the quality of being fannish
fanspeak n. (1951) distinctive language used by science-fiction fans
fantascience n. (1934) = science fantasy n. 3; science fiction n. 2
fantasist n. (1923) a writer of fantasy n. 1
fantastic n. 1 (1923) of a creative work: that which has the qualities of fantasy n. 1
fantastic n. 2 (1937) a work of fantasy n. 1
fantastic adj. (1930) having the quality of fantasy n. 1
fantastical n. (1995) of a creative work: that which has the qualities of fantasy n. 1
fantasy n. 1 (1931) a genre of fiction which contains elements of magic or the supernatural, frequently set in a world other than our own
fantasy n. 2 (1933) a work (story, film, etc.) in the fantasy genre
fanzine n. (1940) a magazine for fans, esp. those of science fiction
farside n. (1958) the side of the Moon that faces away from Earth; cf. earlier darkside n. 1, nightside n.
faster-than-light adj. (1940) that is travelling or can travel faster than light
faster than light adv. (1928) at a speed faster than that of light
feelie n. (1929) a motion picture augmented by tactile effects which are felt by the viewer; chiefly in plural (frequently with the): the screening of such pictures; such pictures as a type of entertainment
feghoot n. (1960) a very short story that culminates in an (elaborate) pun
fembot n. (1976) a robot resembling a woman in appearance; (also) a woman characterized as having robotic behavior or demeanor
femmefan n. (1940) a female fan
fen n. (1940) plural of fan
ferry n. (1941) a small spacecraft used, esp. on a regular schedule, to transport passengers or cargo over a relatively short distance, as between an orbiting craft and a planetโ€™s surface
filk n. (1953) among science fiction and fantasy fans: a type of popular music, commonly performed at fan conventions, characterized by the use of familiar or traditional songs whose lyrics have been rewritten or parodied (usually on themes drawn from science fiction or fantasy literature)