Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction
Order by: alphabetical | chronological ( asc | desc )
| First date | Word | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Asimovβs 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 |
| 1947 | 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 |
| 1947 | saucer n. (1947) | = flying saucer n. |
| 1947 | saucerian n. (1947) | a being that travels in a flying saucer; = alien n. |
| 1947 | secondary world n. (1947) | the setting of a work of fantasy where this setting is different from the real world, but is internally consistent; cf. primary world n. |
| 1947 | sentience n. 2 (1947) | an intelligent being |
| 1947 | space v. 1 (1947) | to travel to or in space; cf. earlier spacing n. 1 |
| 1947 | sub-creation n. (1947) | J. R. R. Tolkienβs word for: the action or process of creating a fully realized and internally consistent imaginary or secondary world n. |
| 1947 | sub-creator n. (1947) | J. R. R. Tolkien's word for: a person who creates a secondary world (see sub-creation n.); (later also more generally) an author regarded as occupying the position of God in relation to his or her own fictional creation |
| 1947 | sublight adj. (1947) | occurring below the speed of light; (also) relating to travel at speeds below the speed of light |
| 1947 | universe n. (1947) | the setting of a work or series of fiction, esp. of imaginative fiction |
| 1948 | apazine n. (1948) | an individual fanzine distributed by an apa n. |
| 1948 | atmosphere suit n. (1948) | = space suit n. |
| 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 | fugghead n. (1948) | a stupid, obnoxious, or incompetent person |
| 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 | 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. |