Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction
Order by: alphabetical | chronological ( asc | desc )
| First date | Word | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| 1958 | sercon n. (1958) | a sercon fan; a sercon item, sercon activities |
| 1958 | skin job n. 1 (1958) | a skin transplant (esp. for the purpose of changing or concealing oneβs identity); cosmetic surgery performed on the skin |
| 1958 | solar sail n. (1958) | a surface designed to utilize the pressure of solar radiation to provide the propulsive force for a spacecraft to which it is attached |
| 1958 | space relay n. (1958) | a relay station, as for a radio transmission, in space or on a moon |
| 1958 | stargate n. (1958) | a portal or device that transports something to another point in the universe (usually another such location or device) in a manner that bypasses the intervening space; cf. gate n., jump gate n. |
| 1958 | telempathic adj. (1958) | of or by means of telempathy n. |
| 1958 | xenobiological adj. (1958) | of or relating to xenobiology n. |
| 1957 | hard science fiction n. (1957) | science fiction that does not violate known scientific laws; science fiction based or focused on the hard sciences |
| 1957 | jumpship n. (1957) | a spaceship that makes interstellar jumps |
| 1957 | offworlder n. (1957) | a person or being from another planet; an alien |
| 1957 | out-system n. (1957) | an area outside of a solar system |
| 1957 | robocop n. (1957) | a robotic or bionic law enforcement officer |
| 1957 | science fictiony adj. (1957) | characteristic of science fiction n. 2; resembling something which might exist in a work of science fiction; futuristic |
| 1957 | skinsuit n. (1957) | a thin, tight-fitting spacesuit, often intended for short-term or emergency use |
| 1957 | unsuit v. (1957) | to remove a spacesuit |
| 1957 | unsuited adv. (1957) | without wearing a spacesuit |
| 1957 | wormhole n. (1957) | an interconnection between widely separated regions of space-time, allowing faster-than-light travel between them |
| 1956 | chronoscopy n. (1956) | viewing past or future events |
| 1956 | cold fusion n. (1956) | nuclear fusion taking place at temperature lower than ordinarily required, spec. at or near room temperature |
| 1956 | cold sleep v. (1956) | to undergo suspended animation for a period of time; (transitive) (rare) to put a person into cold sleep n. |
| 1956 | Earthish n. (1956) | a universal language of Earth; = Earthian n. 2 |
| 1956 | empath n. (1956) | a person or being with the paranormal ability to perceive or share the feelings or emotional state of another |
| 1956 | empathy n. (1956) | the paranormal perception of othersβ emotions; cf. empath n. |
| 1956 | gafiate n. (1956) | a person who has quit fandom; one who has gafiated |
| 1956 | Heinleinian adj. (1956) | of, relating to, or characteristic of the writing of Robert Heinlein |
| 1956 | insectoidal adj. (1956) | = insectoid adj. |
| 1956 | jaunt v. (1956) | esp. in reference to teleportation by psychic rather than technological means: = teleport v. 1; = teleport v. 2 |
| 1956 | matter transporter n. (1956) | = matter transmitter n.; = transporter n. |
| 1956 | men in black n. (1956) | dark-clothed men of unknown identity or origin, who supposedly visit those who have encountered a UFO or alien in order to prevent them from publicizing their experience |
| 1956 | neo n. (1956) | = neofan n. |
| 1956 | pod person adj. (1956) | an alien, a monster; a person considered to be conformist, unoriginal, or emotionless; one who lacks personality or individuality |
| 1956 | relaxacon n. (1956) | a science fiction convention with few or no fixed program events or organized activities |
| 1956 | space-based adj. (1956) | based in outer space |