Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction
Order by: alphabetical | chronological ( asc | desc )
| First date | Word | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| 1952 | fanac n. (1952) | participation in fandom, such as publishing fanzines, attending conferences, or writing letters to fanzines |
| 1952 | gas giant n. (1952) | a large planet composed mostly of gaseous material thought to surround a solid core; spec. each of the four largest planets in the solar system (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune) |
| 1952 | gravity well n. (1952) | the area of space near a large mass (such as a planet or star) in which significant energy must be expended in order to counteract the object’s gravitational pull; the gravitational pull exerted by a large body in space |
| 1952 | grounder n. (1952) | a person who lives on a planet, rather than in space; = groundhog n. |
| 1952 | jet pack n. (1952) | a device, worn over the shoulders like a backpack, that enables the wearer to travel through the air or in space by means of jet propulsion |
| 1952 | jump v. (1952) | to journey through hyperspace n.; to engage in any (nearly) instantaneous travel over a long distance; cf. jump n. |
| 1952 | medikit n. (1952) | a small collection of equipment and supplies used for emergency medical treatment, a first-aid kit; (also) a device providing automated medical functions |
| 1952 | pantropy n. (1952) | James Blish’s term for: the modification of humans, esp. by genetic engineering, to make them able to survive in an alien environment |
| 1952 | planetside adv. (1952) | on or onto the surface of a planet |
| 1952 | pre-spaceflight adj. (1952) | from, or characteristic of, a time before spaceflight |
| 1952 | pseudo-grav n. (1952) | = artificial gravity n.; cf. pseudogravity n. |
| 1952 | roboticized adj. (1952) | that is or has been made robotic |
| 1952 | saucer people n. (1952) | = saucerians |
| 1952 | space v. 2 (1952) | to execute (a person) by forcing them into space without a spacesuit |
| 1952 | space biology n. (1952) | the study of biology in outer space or (broadly) in locations other than Earth |
| 1952 | speculative fiction n. 2 (1952) | = imaginative fiction |
| 1952 | Standard n. (1952) | (the name of) a language spoken on multiple worlds or by multiple species; the common language of a group or place; cf. Galactic n. 2 |
| 1952 | telempathy n. (1952) | the psionic ability to sense others’ emotions |
| 1952 | transmat n. (1952) | = matter transmitter n. |
| 1952 | warp speed n. (1952) | a faster-than-light speed, attained by a spaceship with a propulsion mechanism capable of manipulating space-time; (also, in extended use) an extraordinarily high speed |
| 1953 | apazine n. (1953) | a contribution to an apa n. |
| 1953 | Bonestellian adj. (1953) | of, relating to, or characteristic of the art of Chesley Bonestell, esp. in featuring accurate depictions of astronomical objects |
| 1953 | cityship n. (1953) | a large spacecraft having the size or complexity of a city |
| 1953 | conreport n. (1953) | a report of the events of a convention |
| 1953 | dirtside adv. (1953) | on or to the surface of a planet (as opposed to in space) |
| 1953 | dystopian adj. (1953) | of or pertaining to a dystopia n. 2 |
| 1953 | Earthan adj. (1953) | = Earthian adj. |
| 1953 | Earthside n. (1953) | a group or department based on Earth; Earth itself |
| 1953 | eetee n. (1953) | = ET n. |
| 1953 | faan n. (1953) | a science fiction fan, esp. one regarded as non-serious, or devoted more to fandom than to science fiction itself; cf. sercon adj. |
| 1953 | filk n. (1953) | among science fiction and fantasy fans: a type of popular music, commonly performed at fan conventions, characterized by the use of familiar or traditional songs whose lyrics have been rewritten or parodied (usually on themes drawn from science fiction or fantasy literature) |
| 1953 | filk song n. (1953) | a song in the filk style |
| 1953 | Hugo n. (1953) | any of several awards presented annually at the World Science Fiction Convention for excellence in science fiction or fantasy writing, art, publishing, etc. |
| 1953 | mainstream adj. (1953) | belonging to or characteristic of the dominant or traditional literary modes, especially representational fiction |
| 1953 | nova bomb n. (1953) | an extremely powerful nuclear bomb |