Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction

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First date Word Definition
1981 Clarke belt n. (1981) the ring-shaped region around the Earth containing all possible geostationary orbits
1981 doppel n. (1981) a duplicate version of a person, as a clone, a virtual-reality representation, a shapeshifter, etc.
1981 filker n. (1981) one who sings filk songs; = filk singer n.
1981 flux capacitor n. (1981) in the film Back to the Future and its sequels: the core component of the time machine made of a DeLorean automobile
1981 Jedi mind trick n. (1981) in the fictional universe of the Star Wars franchise: a telepathic technique of psychological manipulation used by the Jedi
1981 jump engine n. (1981) = jump drive n.
1981 SF/F n. (1981) science fiction and fantasy, regarded as a single broad genre
1981 skin job n. 2 (1981) a robot that has skin; (spec.) an android that cannot easily be distinguished from a human
1981 utopian adj. (1981) possessing or regarded as having impossibly or extravagantly ideal conditions in respect of politics, customs, social organization, etc.
1981 xenoanthropologist n. (1981) a person who studies alien cultures; a specialist in xenoanthropology n.
1982 cyberspace n. (1982) the notional environment within which electronic communication occurs, esp. when represented as the inside of a computer system; space perceived as such by an observer but generated by a computer system and having no real existence; a virtual reality environment
1982 gravitics n. 2 (1982) any of various devices making use of gravity or gravitational waves, as (a) sensors that use gravitational waves to detect objects in space; (b) a system that creates artificial gravity
1982 Kobayashi Maru n. (1982) in the Star Trek universe: a training exercise in which a cadet commanding a ship must rescue a civilian vessel in enemy territory, with any strategy leading to an unsuccessful outcome; (hence) any no-win situation, esp. one used as a test of character
1982 nowhen adv. (1982) (in time-travel contexts): in or at no time
1982 Whovian n. (1982) a fan of the British television series Doctor Who
1983 cryosuspension n. (1983) = cryostasis n.
1983 filking n. (1983) among science fiction and fantasy fans: the writing or performing of filk songs
1983 jump pilot n. (1983) one who pilots a spaceship through a jump n.
1983 power-up n. (1983) in a video game: an item that immediately provides temporary extra abilities to a player
1983 Singularity n. (1983) usually with the: the point at which technological innovation radically transforms society, esp. the point at which artificial general intelligence outpaces human intelligence; the transition to posthumanity
1983 teleport n. 3 (1983) an act of teleportation n.
1984 cloak v. (1984) to make invisible or undetectable, esp. by means of a cloaking device n.
1984 cyberpunk n. 1 (1984) a subgenre of science fiction typified by a bleak, high-tech setting in which a lawless subculture exists within an oppressive society dominated by computer technology
1984 cyberpunk n. 2 (1984) an author of, or protagonist in, cyberpunk n. 1
1984 dirtsider n. (1984) a person who lives on a planet (in contrast to a person who lives or frequently travels in space)
1984 meat puppet n. (1984) the human body; a physical human being, esp. in contrast to virtual reality or artificial intelligence
1984 slash n. (1984) a subgenre of fiction, originally published in fanzines and now esp. online, in which characters who appear together in popular films or other media are portrayed as having a sexual (esp. homosexual) relationship
1984 Tardis-like adj. (1984) denoting something whose capacity is greater than is suggested by its exterior appearance
1984 threedy n. (1984) three-dimensional television or film
1985 anime n. (1985) a Japanese animated film or television programme, drawn in a meticulously detailed style, usually featuring characters with distinctive large, staring eyes, and typically having a science-fiction or fantasy theme, sometimes including violent or sexually explicit material; this genre of entertainment
1985 gengineering n. (1985) = genetic engineering n.