Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction
Order by: alphabetical | chronological ( asc | desc )
| First date | Word | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| 1948 | avian n. (1948) | a bird-like alien |
| 1948 | BNF n. (1948) | someone who is extremely prominent within a particular fandom |
| 1948 | Bradburyesque adj. (1948) | = Bradburyish adj. |
| 1948 | Bradburyish adj. (1948) | of, relating to, or characteristic of the writing of Ray Bradbury, esp. in focusing on psychological concerns (often based on the presumed simplicity of personal interactions) rather than technological developments |
| 1948 | catastrophe adj. (1948) | = disaster adj. |
| 1948 | golden age n. (1948) | a period in the past regarded as the time when science fiction was at its best |
| 1948 | omniverse n. (1948) | all universes collectively; cf. multiverse n. 1 |
| 1948 | paradise planet n. (1948) | a planet regarded as peaceful or beautiful, esp. one having unspoilt natural beauty; cf. pleasure planet n. |
| 1948 | planet hop n. (1948) | a (short) trip made from one planet to another |
| 1948 | precog v. (1948) | to predict the future; to predict (something) in the future |
| 1948 | science fantasy n. 3 (1948) | a genre which combines elements of science fiction and fantasy; a work in this genre |
| 1948 | space ark n. (1948) | a large ship designed to move or rescue large numbers of people, often with large ecosystems and many animals and plants on board |
| 1948 | space-pale adj. (1948) | pale from being in space; cf. space-tanned adj. |
| 1948 | star drive n. (1948) | a propulsion device for a spaceship capable of interstellar travel, esp. one that permits the ship to travel faster than light; cf. earlier space drive n. |
| 1948 | subetherics n. (1948) | a device which uses sub-ether (esp. with allusion to a means of faster-than-light communication) |
| 1948 | suit up v. (1948) | to put on a spacesuit |
| 1948 | teleporting adj. (1948) | capable of teleportation n.; causing teleportation n. |
| 1948 | three-D n. (1948) | a device or system capable of transmitting or displaying a three dimensional image or video; (also) a three-dimensional image or video; cf. tri-D n. |
| 1948 | warp drive n. (1948) | a device by which a spaceship is enabled to travel through space by means of a space warp; a faster-than-light drive |
| 1947 | astroengineer n. (1947) | an engineer who works on spacecraft or in space; a person who designs or operates the propulsion systems of spacecraft |
| 1947 | bemmy n. (1947) | = BEM n. |
| 1947 | Capellan adj. (1947) | of or relating to the Capella system or its inhabitants |
| 1947 | crudzine n. (1947) | a zine regarded as low quality |
| 1947 | earthie n. (1947) | = earthling n. |
| 1947 | Earthside adv. (1947) | on or towards Earth |
| 1947 | flying saucer n. (1947) | any of various unidentified disc- or saucer-shaped objects reported as appearing in the sky, presumed to be of extraterrestrial origin; (hence) a saucer-shaped alien spacecraft |
| 1947 | Frankenstein complex n. (1947) | Isaac Asimov’s term for: the anxiety and distrust humans feel for robots |
| 1947 | hypospray n. (1947) | an injection device that forces a fine, high-pressure jet of fluid through the skin without breaking it |
| 1947 | ion drive n. (1947) | a spacecraft propulsion system that uses electrically accelerated ions |
| 1947 | nonhumanoid adj. (1947) | not having a human or human-like bodily form |
| 1947 | primary world n. (1947) | the real world, as opposed to the secondary world of a work of fiction |