Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction
Order by: alphabetical | chronological ( asc | desc )
| First date | Word | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| 1941 | mutation n. (1941) | an organism (occ. a human) that has arisen by genetic mutation; mutant n. |
| 1941 | mutie n. (1941) | = mutant n. |
| 1941 | parking orbit n. (1941) | an orbit around the earth or some other planet from which a space vehicle can be launched farther into space; also, an orbit which is stable and from which visits to the planet surface can conveniently be made |
| 1941 | planetography n. (1941) | the study of the geography or physical features of planets |
| 1941 | problem story n. (1941) | a story concerned primarily with the resolution of a (technical) problem |
| 1941 | prodom n. (1941) | the world of professional writing, in contrast to fan writing or activities |
| 1941 | pseudo-gravitation n. (1941) | = pseudogravity n. |
| 1941 | robotics n. (1941) | the technology or science of the design, construction, operation, and use of robots and similar automatic devices |
| 1941 | space cadet n. (1941) | a trainee spaceman or spacewoman; a young astronaut |
| 1941 | space dinghy n. (1941) | a small spaceship; a lifeboat or shuttle |
| 1941 | space opera n. (1941) | a subgenre of science fiction featuring adventure-driven, extravagantly dramatic plots (often including elements of romance) set in outer space; a subgenre of science fiction which uses stock characters and settings, especially those of Westerns translated into outer space; a work in this genre, regarded as being of an unsophisticated or clichΓ©d type |
| 1941 | space taxi n. (1941) | a small spacecraft designed for short-distance ferrying of passengers |
| 1941 | stunner n. (1941) | = stun gun n. |
| 1941 | suit radio n. (1941) | = suit phone n. |
| 1941 | terrene adj. 2 (1941) | made of matter (as opposed to antimatter); cf. contraterrene adj. |
| 1941 | time-slip n. (1941) | a rift or flaw in the fabric of time that allows travel between two or more periods of time or timelines; any accidental or unexplained movement between periods of time; cf. timequake n., time storm n. |
| 1941 | Vestan adj. (1941) | of or relating to the asteroid Vesta or its inhabitants |
| 1941 | zine n. (1941) | = fanzine n. |
| 1942 | Asimovian adj. 1 (1942) | of, relating to, or characteristic of the writing of Isaac Asimov |
| 1942 | asteroid field n. (1942) | a region of space in which there is a high density of asteroids; cf. asteroid belt n. |
| 1942 | colony planet n. (1942) | a planet occupied by settlers (or their descendants) from another planet or area, typically under the political control of the parent state |
| 1942 | Cthulhu mythos n. (1942) | the fictional universe used as the setting for a range of works by H.P. Lovecraft, later used as a shared world |
| 1942 | Earth-norm adj. (1942) | = Earth-normal adj. |
| 1942 | esper n. (1942) | a person or being with extrasensory powers |
| 1942 | everywhen n. (1942) | (in time-travel contexts) all points in time |
| 1942 | fanarchist n. (1942) | a fan who shuns organized fandom; a fan who believes in fanarchy n. |
| 1942 | fanarchy n. (1942) | a juxtaposition of fandom and anarchy; (specif. and usu.) an opposition to organized fandom; a preference for individual or small-group fan activities |
| 1942 | fanne n. (1942) | a female fan |
| 1942 | gadget story n. (1942) | a story in which the primary focus is on inventions or the process of inventing |
| 1942 | galactic n. 1 (1942) | an inhabitant of the galaxy; a member of a galaxy-wide civilization |
| 1942 | gyrocab n. (1942) | a flying taxi |
| 1942 | hull v. (1942) | (usu. passive) to rupture the hull of a spaceship (cf. slightly earlier hulled adj.) |
| 1942 | letterhack n. (1942) | a fan who frequently writes letters to magazine or fanzine letter columns |
| 1942 | neuronic adj. (1942) | designating a weapon that causes pain (but usu. not lasting injury) by stimulating the nervous system or brain |
| 1942 | nova n. (1942) | to go nova (of a star) to become a nova; (more generally, of a star, planet, etc.) to explode (also used figuratively) |