Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction
Order by: alphabetical | chronological
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| 3-di n. (No cites) | see three-D n. |
| 3V n. (No cites) | see tri-v n. |
| actifan n. (1941) | someone who is actively involved in fandom |
| adamantium n. (1912) | a metal alloy having exceptional strength |
| adult fantasy n. (1932) | fantasy intended for adults rather than children |
| aerocab n. (1908) | = aircab n. |
| aerocar n. (1900) | a small, personal flying vehicle |
| Africanfuturism n. (2018) | Nnedi Okoraforβs term for: a subgenre of science fiction that heavily features elements of African history or culture; cf. Afrofuturism |
| Afrofuturism n. (1993) | a movement in literature, music, art, etc., featuring futuristic or science-fictional themes which incorporate elements of Black (American) history and culture |
| Afrofuturist adj. (1994) | of, relating to, or characterized by Afrofuturism n. |
| Afrofuturistic adj. (2000) | = Afrofuturist adj. |
| AI n. (1973) | a sentient computer; = artificial intelligence n. |
| aircab n. (1934) | a flying taxicab; cf. earlier aerocab n. |
| aircar n. (1871) | = aerocar n. |
| airlock n. (1930) | a small intermediate compartment with controlled pressure and two airtight doors, used to facilitate movement between the interior and exterior of a spacecraft; (also) either of the doors to such a compartment; cf. space lock n. |
| Aldebaranian n. 1 (1930) | a native or inhabitant of the Aldebaran system |
| Aldebaranian n. 2 (1939) | the language of Aldebaranians |
| Aldebaranian adj. (1937) | of, pertaining to, or characteristic of the Aldebaran system or its inhabitants |
| alien n. (1820) | an (intelligent) being from a location other than oneβs own, esp. such a being that is not from Earth |
| alien adj. (1919) | of or pertaining to an (intelligent) being or beings from another planet; that derives from another world |
| alien life form n. (1937) | = alien n. |
| Alpha Centaurian n. (1931) | a native or inhabitant of the Alpha Centauri star system; cf. Centaurian n. 1 |
| Alpha Centaurian adj. (1934) | of or relating to the Alpha Centauri star system or its inhabitants; cf. Centaurian adj. |
| alternate future n. (1941) | in time-travel contexts: one of a number of possible futures; cf. slightly earlier alternative future n. |
| alternate history n. (1954) | a timeline that is different from that of our own world, usually extrapolated from the changing of a single event; the subgenre featuring such a timeline; (also) a story featuring this |
| alternate reality n. (1950) | = alternate world n. |
| alternate universe n. (1950) | = alternate world n. |
| alternate world n. (1944) | one of many possible universes, which may have different physical laws or a different history than our own |
| alternative future n. (1932) | = alternate future n. |