Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction
Order by: alphabetical | chronological ( asc | desc )
| First date | Word | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| 1943 | Campbellian adj. (1943) | of, relating to, or characteristic of the writing that appeared in the magazines edited by John W. Campbell, esp. in featuring heroic characters in technologically advanced scenarios; cf. earlier Campbellish adj. |
| 1943 | Centaurian n. 2 (1943) | the language of Centaurians |
| 1943 | Earthian n. 2 (1943) | a language spoken on Earth, esp. a universal language spoken widely by Earth people |
| 1943 | elsewhen n. (1943) | (in time-travel contexts) another time |
| 1943 | everywhen adv. (1943) | (in time-travel contexts) in or to all points in time |
| 1943 | fannishness n. (1943) | the quality of being fannish |
| 1943 | Gernsbackian adj. (1943) | of, relating to, or characteristic of Hugo Gernsback, and esp. of the writing that appeared in the magazines he edited, esp. in featuring extensive discussions of scientific or technological issues |
| 1943 | helicab n. (1943) | a helicopter serving as a taxi |
| 1943 | hooman n. (1943) | a human (used by, or in (implied) reference to, non-humans) |
| 1943 | kryptonite n. (1943) | in the fictional world of the comic book hero Superman: a substance that renders Superman weak when he is exposed to it; (hence, in figurative or allusive use) something that can weaken or damage a particular person or thing; an Achilles heel |
| 1943 | mag- prefix (1943) | magnetic |
| 1943 | mundane n. 1 (1943) | a non-imaginative story |
| 1943 | needle v. (1943) | to fire a needle gun or needle-beam at |
| 1943 | offworld adv. (1943) | away from Earth, or any place treated within a given fictional context as the native world; on or towards another world or planet |
| 1943 | out-planet n. (1943) | = outworld n. |
| 1943 | probability world n. (1943) | an alternate universe, viewed as one of many such which have differing probabilities of existing |
| 1943 | slan shack n. (1943) | a dwelling inhabited by two or more science fiction fans |
| 1943 | sol-type adj. (1943) | of the same class of star as Sol n. 1 |
| 1943 | space capsule n. (1943) | a small spacecraft, or self-contained section of a larger one, containing the instruments or crew for a space flight |
| 1943 | space epic n. (1943) | a subgenre of science fiction featuring adventure-driven plots set in outer space; a work in this genre; cf. space opera n. |
| 1943 | usuform adj. (1943) | of a robot: designed strictly for functional purposes, rather than having an anthropomorphic form |
| 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 | Denebian n. 1 (1942) | a native or inhabitant of the Deneb system |
| 1942 | Denebian adj. (1942) | of, pertaining to, or characteristic of the Deneb system or its inhabitants |
| 1942 | Earth-norm adj. (1942) | = Earth-normal adj. |
| 1942 | Encyclopedia Galactica n. (1942) | any of various reference works that aim to include all knowledge in a galaxy |
| 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 |