Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction
Order by: alphabetical | chronological
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| ftl adj. (1950) | = faster-than-light adj. |
| ftl adv. (1950) | = faster than light adv. |
| fugghead n. (1949) | a stupid, obnoxious, or incompetent person |
| fuggheaded adj. (1949) | stupid; obnoxious; incompetent |
| fuggheadedness n. (1949) | the quality of being stupid, obnoxious, or incompetent |
| 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) | of, relating to, or extending throughout a galaxy |
| galaxy-wide adv. (1949) | across or extending 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. 1 (1928) | a native or inhabitant of Ganymede, the largest satellite of Jupiter |
| Ganymedian n. 2 (1936) | the language or dialect of Ganymedians |
| 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. |