Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction
Order by: alphabetical | chronological ( asc | desc )
| First date | Word | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| 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. 1 (1984) | a physical (human) body that is controlled by another person or entity; a person who is controlled in this way |
| 1984 | slash n. (1984) | a subgenre of fan 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 |
| 1985 | gengineering n. (1985) | = genetic engineering n. |
| 1985 | posthumanist adj. (1985) | of or related to posthumanism n. |
| 1985 | posthumanity n. (1985) | the society or condition of posthumans |
| 1985 | redshirt n. (1985) | a character who is not portrayed in depth; (esp.) a character whose main plot function is to be killed |
| 1985 | shared world n. (1985) | a fictional setting in which multiple authors set their stories, esp. one created for this purpose |
| 1985 | -verse suffix (1985) | (used to form nouns denoting the fictional universe used as the setting of a series (or occasionally a work), typically in combination with the title, main character, or creator of the series); (also) any media, fandom, etc. connected to a series; cf. slightly earlier Whoniverse n. |
| 1986 | avatar n. (1986) | a graphical representation of a person in a computer-generated environment (as a game) |
| 1986 | gray goo n. (1986) | the notional substance which would be all that remains after the consumption of all biomatter on earth by self-replicating nanobots; a scenario hypothesizing this process or result |
| 1986 | gripping hand n. (1986) | on the gripping hand: used to introduce a third point of view, fact, case, etc., that contrasts with two previous statements |
| 1986 | mecha n. 1 (1986) | chiefly in anime or manga: a large combat robot having humanoid form, typically controlled by an occupant |
| 1986 | mindfood n. (1986) | a substance taken as food or drink containing chemicals which increase oneβs mental ability |
| 1986 | nanomachine n. (1986) | a nanotechnological machine |
| 1986 | nanotechnological adj. (1986) | resulting from developments in nanotechnology; of or relating to nanotechnology |
| 1986 | proto-cyberpunk n. (1986) | a writer of proto-cyberpunk works; (also) a proto-cyberpunk protagonist |
| 1987 | gengineer n. (1987) | = genetic engineer n. |
| 1987 | holodeck n. (1987) | chiefly in the fictional universe of the Star Trek franchise: a room providing a holographic environment |
| 1987 | mecha n. 2 (1987) | a subgenre, show, movie, etc. featuring mecha n. 1 |
| 1987 | medbed n. (1987) | a bed equipped with technology providing medical monitoring, diagnosis, or treatment |
| 1987 | nano n. (1987) | = nanotechnology n.; (also) = nanobot n. |
| 1987 | nanotech adj. (1987) | = nanotechnological adj. |
| 1987 | offworld n. (1987) | a place away from Earth, or a particular planet or world regarded as the native world; another world or planet |
| 1987 | proto-cyberpunk adj. (1987) | of or relating to works that prefigure the themes of cyberpunk n. 1; cf. post-cyberpunk adj. |
| 1987 | replicant n. 2 (1987) | a person who acts or behaves like a replicant n. 1, esp. in imitating or resembling others; a conformist person; a clone |
| 1987 | sharecropper n. (1987) | a writer of sharecrops |
| 1987 | sharecropping n. (1987) | the practice of writing sharecrops |
| 1987 | splatterpunk n. 1 (1987) | a subgenre of horror fiction characterized by the frequent and graphic description of grisly violence, bloody deaths, and extreme sexual situations; (in later use also) a similar genre of movies, video games, etc. |
| 1987 | splatterpunk n. 2 (1987) | an author of splatterpunk writing |
| 1987 | steampunk n. 1 (1987) | a writer of steampunk n. 2 |