Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction
Order by: alphabetical | chronological
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| heat ray n. (1897) | = ray n. |
| Heinleinian adj. (1956) | of, relating to, or characteristic of the writing of Robert Heinlein |
| helicab n. (1943) | a helicopter serving as a taxi |
| hell planet n. (1932) | a planet regarded as dangerous or unpleasant, esp. one having climate conditions that are inhospitable for humans |
| heroic fantasy n. (1961) | = sword and sorcery n. |
| high fantasy n. (1971) | a subgenre of fantasy set in an imaginary world, typically having a medieval-style society and level of technology, usually featuring a quest or a conflict between Good and Evil, and often written in an elevated style |
| hive mind n. (1943) | = group mind n. |
| hobbit-hole n. (1974) | a hobbitβs house; any small cozy house |
| hobbitish adj. (No cites) | resembling a hobbit, hobbit-like |
| hobbitlike adj. (1954) | like a hobbit |
| hobbitry n. (1944) | the culture or behaviour of hobbits; hobbits collectively, or their qualities |
| holo n. (1970) | a hologram; a device that displays holograms; holograms as a form of entertainment |
| holocam n. (1968) | a device that takes holographic images |
| holocamera n. (1975) | = holocam n. |
| holodeck n. (1987) | chiefly in the fictional universe of the Star Trek franchise: a room providing a holographic environment |
| holoscreen n. (1969) | a screen that displays a hologram |
| holovid n. (1973) | a holographic video; a device or system that displays or records holographic videos; cf. holovision n. |
| holovision n. (1966) | = tri-v n. |
| home galaxy n. (1936) | the galaxy that an individual being is from; the galaxy in which a species originated |
| home planet n. (1896) | = homeworld n. |
| home star n. (1939) | the star which the homeworld orbits; cf. earlier home sun n. |
| home sun n. (1929) | = home star n. |
| home system n. (1930) | the solar system in which an individual being is from; the solar system in which a species originated |
| homeworld n. (1900) | the planet on which an individual being was born; the planet on which a species originated; cf. slightly earlier home planet n. |
| Homo superior n. (1935) | the hypothetical successor species to Homo sapiens, having greater intellect or physical abilities and often possessing paranormal powers |
| hooman n. (1943) | a human (used by, or in (implied) reference to, non-humans) |
| hopepunk n. (2017) | a subgenre of (esp. fantasy) fiction in which characters rebel against a challenging and esp. dystopian situation with optimism, kindness, or cooperation |
| horror n. (1898) | a genre intended to create a feeling of fear in the reader or viewer, especially one employing supernatural elements or monstrous creatures |
| hoverboard n. (1964) | a board, resembling a skateboard without wheels, which hovers above the ground using antigravity technology and may be ridden like a skateboard; cf. earlier hovercar n. |
| hovercar n. (1958) | a car that hovers above the ground, typically conceived as using antigravity technology |
| hubward adv. (1977) | (of a rotating or circular body, as a space station) near or towards the center, rather than the edge |
| Hugo n. (1953) | any of several awards presented annually at the World Science Fiction Convention for excellence in science fiction or fantasy writing, art, publishing, etc. |
| hull v. (1942) | (usu. passive) to rupture the hull of a spaceship (cf. slightly earlier hulled adj.) |
| hulled adj. (1941) | of a spaceship: having a ruptured hull |
| humanoid n. (1940) | a non-human being that has a human-like bodily form |
| humanoid adj. (1940) | esp. of a robot or alien: having a humanoid form; of or relating to humanoids |
| hyperdrive n. (1946) | a spaceship drive that enables travel faster than the speed of light; (also) the state of such travel; cf. hyperspace n. |