Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction
Order by: alphabetical | chronological
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| Plutonian n. 2 (1950) | the language of Plutonians |
| Plutonian adj. (1931) | pertaining to the planet Pluto |
| pocket universe n. (1946) | a universe or reality completely separate from ours which is much smaller, may have different natural laws, and may be artificially created |
| pod person n. (1956) | an alien, a monster; a person considered to be conformist, unoriginal, or emotionless; one who lacks personality or individuality |
| port n. (1932) | = spaceport n. |
| portal n. (1931) | a means of entering another dimension or an alternate universe, or of travelling instantaneously from one place or time to another, often portrayed as a door or other structure that may be passed through; cf. gate n. |
| porthole n. (1911) | a small window in a spacecraft |
| positronic adj. (1936) | related to or designed to use positrons |
| post-apocalypse adj. (1968) | = post-apocalyptic adj. |
| post-apocalyptic adj. (1960) | pertaining to a time or setting after the collapse of civilization |
| postcyberpunk adj. (1989) | of or pertaining a subgenre of science fiction that employs some of cyberpunk's themes, especially the exploration of the effects of a high rate of technological change on society, but rejects the alienation and dystopianism of cyberpunk |
| postholocaust adj. (1962) | = post-apocalyptic adj. |
| posthuman n. (1954) | a (hypothetical) descendant of humans who is sufficiently different from present-day humans in form or capabilities to be regarded as a new species or otherwise fundamentally different from present-day humans; (also) a human who has been genetically or bionically augmented; cf. earlier posthuman adj. |
| posthuman adj. (1916) | of or relating to a hypothetical species that might evolve from human beings, as by means of genetic or bionic augmentation; cf. posthuman n. |
| posthumanism n. (1971) | the idea that humanity can be transformed, transcended, or eliminated either by technological advances or the evolutionary process; artistic, scientific, or philosophical practice which reflects this belief; cf. posthuman n. |
| posthumanist adj. (1985) | of or related to posthumanism n. |
| posthumanity n. (1985) | the society or condition of posthumans |
| power-up n. (1983) | in a video game: an item that immediately provides temporary extra abilities to a player |
| precog n. 1 (1954) | a person with precognitive abilities; cf. earlier precog v. |
| precog n. 2 (1954) | precognition; foreknowledge, esp. as a form of extrasensory perception; cf. precog n. 1 and earlier precog v. |
| precog v. (1948) | to predict the future; to predict (something) in the future |
| prespace adj. (1949) | = pre-spaceflight adj. |
| pre-spaceflight adj. (1952) | from, or characteristic of, a time before spaceflight |
| pressor n. (1931) | = pressor beam n. |
| pressor beam n. (1931) | a device that emits a beam that repels its target; (also) the beam itself; cf. tractor beam n. |
| pressor ray n. (1942) | = pressor beam n. |
| pressure suit n. (1928) | = space suit n. |
| primary world n. (1947) | the real world, as opposed to the secondary world of a work of fiction |
| prime directive n. (1947) | a chief objective, goal, or requirement; a rule or law that overrides or guides other rules or laws; (specif.) a rule forbidding interference in the affairs of less developed planets or cultures |
| probability world n. (1943) | an alternate universe, viewed as one of many such which have differing probabilities of existing |
| problem story n. (1941) | a story concerned primarily with the resolution of a (technical) problem |
| prodom n. (1941) | the world of professional writing, in contrast to fan writing or activities |
| promag n. (1937) | a professional magazine; prozine n. |
| proto-cyberpunk n. (1986) | a writer of proto-cyberpunk works; (also) a proto-cyberpunk protagonist |