Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction
Order by: alphabetical | chronological
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| future history n. (1937) | a fictional, self-contained, consistent, chronological framework (esp. realized across a body of work); (also) the subgenre of science fiction that uses such a framework |
| future war n. (1931) | a subgenre of science fiction dealing with warfare and how it will be practiced in the future |
| gadget story n. (1942) | a story in which the primary focus is on inventions or the process of inventing |
| gafia n. 1 (1940) | participation in fandom |
| gafia n. 2 (1950) | the state of having quit fandom (cf. earlier gafia n. 1); cf. gafiation n. |
| gafiate n. (1956) | a person who has quit fandom; one who has gafiated |
| gafiate v. (1959) | to cease involvement with science fiction fandom |
| gafiation n. (1959) | the state of having quit fandom; cf. gafia n. 2 |
| galactic n. 1 (1942) | an inhabitant of the galaxy; a member of a galaxy-wide civilization |
| Galactic n. 2 (1954) | a language commonly spoken throughout the galaxy; cf. Standard n. |
| galactographer n. (1965) | one who maps the physical structure of galaxies; an expert in galactography n. |
| galactographic adj. (1950) | relating to galactography n. |
| galactography n. (1950) | the science of mapping celestial objects within galaxies |
| galaxy-wide adj. (1937) | extending throughout a galaxy |
| galaxy-wide adv. (1949) | throughout a galaxy |
| gameplay n. (1979) | the (characteristic) way in which a player interacts with an (electronic) game; the tactical aspects of play, such as rules, plot, etc., as distinct from graphics or sound effects |
| gamer n. (1973) | a participant in a war-game or role-playing game; a player or creator of such games |
| Ganymedian n. (1928) | a native or inhabitant of Ganymede, the largest satellite of Jupiter |
| Ganymedian adj. (1928) | of, relating to, or from Ganymede, the largest satellite of Jupiter |
| gas giant n. (1952) | a large planet composed mostly of gaseous material thought to surround a solid core; spec. each of the four largest planets in the solar system (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune) |
| gate n. (1931) | a matter transmission device, esp. a portal or device by means of which something may be (instantaneously) transported to another point in space or time, or into another dimension or alternate universe; cf. slightly earlier gateway n. |
| gateway n. (1928) | a portal allowing travel or communication between dimensions, alternate universes, etc.; = gate n. |
| geas n. (1921) | in fantasy writings: a spell; a magical compulsion |
| gee n. 1 (1949) | a measure of gravitation or acceleration |
| gee n. 2 (1951) | spec. a unit of acceleration equal to that due to gravity at Earthβs surface; a force arising from such acceleration; cf. earlier gravity n. |
| generation ship n. (1955) | an interstellar spacecraft in which multiple generations of passengers are born, live, and die before arrival at its destination |
| generation starship n. (1979) | = generation ship n. |
| genetically engineered adj. (1969) | produced by genetic engineering n. |
| genetic engineer n. (1954) | a scientist who works in the field of genetic engineering n. |
| genetic engineering n. (1951) | the alteration of the genome of an organism by laboratory techniques, esp. by the insertion, alteration, or removal of a gene |
| gengineer n. (1987) | = genetic engineer n. |
| gengineer v. (1989) | to produce, develop, or alter through genetic engineering n. |
| gengineering n. (1985) | = genetic engineering n. |
| genre n. (1993) | the literary fields of science fiction, fantasy, and horror collectively; imaginative fiction |
| genre fantasy n. (1977) | stories, novels, etc. that are explicity written or published in the genre of fantasy, as opposed to ones which contain fantastic or supernatural elements but are written or published as mainstream fiction, or in another genre |