Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction
Order by: alphabetical | chronological ( asc | desc )
| First date | Word | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | planetary romance n. (1978) | a subgenre of science fiction that focuses on adventures taken on a planet's surface, especially in which the description of the planet is integral to the story; a work in this subgenre |
| 1978 | regeneration n. (1978) | in the British television series Doctor Who: the process by which a Time Lord transforms themself into a new physical form, esp. after an experience that would otherwise be fatal; (also) a particular manifestation of a Time Lord |
| 1978 | technothriller n. (1978) | a thriller which employs science fictional technology or gadgetry |
| 1978 | transhuman n. (1978) | a person who has gained abilities (as through genetic engineering or cybernetic augmentation) sufficiently advanced that they are regarded as a different species |
| 1978 | urban fantasy n. (1978) | a genre of fantasy that uses a (modern) city as its primary setting; a work in this genre |
| 1977 | alternate universe n. 2 (1977) | esp. in fan fiction: a setting, of a story or group of connected stories, that differs from that of the canon universe |
| 1977 | genre fantasy n. (1977) | stories, novels, etc. that are explicity written or published in the genre of fantasy, as opposed to ones which contain fantastic or supernatural elements but are written or published as mainstream fiction, or in another genre |
| 1977 | hubward adv. (1977) | (of a rotating or circular body, as a space station) near or towards the center, rather than the edge |
| 1977 | Jonbar adj. (1977) | in time-travel or alternate-history contexts: denoting a point at which a (trivial) action can result in a significantly different timeline (chiefly in form Jonbar hinge, Jonbar point) |
| 1977 | landspeeder n. (1977) | in the fictional universe of the Star Wars franchise: a small vehicle that uses antigravity technology to hover close to the ground |
| 1977 | medbot n. (1977) | a bot that specializes in medical care |
| 1977 | military science fiction n. (1977) | a subgenre of science fiction that focuses on the military and warfare, esp. set in outer space or on other worlds |
| 1977 | mundane n. 3 (1977) | a person without supernatural powers |
| 1977 | science-fictionality n. (1977) | the condition or quality of being science fictional adj.; (of a work of fiction) being science-fictional |
| 1977 | soft science fiction n. (1977) | science fiction based on the soft sciences (as sociology, anthropology, etc.); (also) science fiction in which the scientific elements are relatively unimportant to the story |
| 1976 | areologist n. (1976) | a scientist specializing in areology n. |
| 1976 | cyborg v. (1976) | to make into a cyborg |
| 1976 | cyborged adj. (1976) | (of a biological organism) made into a cyborg n. |
| 1976 | Earthish adj. (1976) | of or pertaining to Earth or its inhabitants |
| 1976 | escape pod n. (1976) | a small, minimally equipped spacecraft for emergency use; = lifeboat n. |
| 1976 | fembot n. (1976) | a robot resembling a woman in appearance; (also) a woman characterized as having robotic behavior or demeanor |
| 1976 | Mary Sue n. (1976) | a writer who inserts an idealized version of themselves in their own fan fiction n.; such a story or character |
| 1976 | matrix n. (1976) | with the: = cyberspace n. |
| 1976 | mindmeld v. (1976) | to engage in a mind-meld (with) |
| 1976 | Planet X n. (1976) | (an arbitrary designation for) an unknown or hypothetical alien planet |
| 1976 | torch drive n. (1976) | a fusion-powered, slower-than-light space drive |
| 1976 | vape v. (1976) | to vaporize by means of a weapon; to destroy completely, to annihilate |
| 1975 | cryostasis n. (1975) | a frozen state of a person or body induced in order to preserve it for long periods; cryosuspension n. |
| 1975 | Dark Side n. 2 (1975) | the force of evil |
| 1975 | ecotopia n. (1975) | a place, society, or condition thought to resemble Ecotopia; a place or state which is utopian from an ecological perspective |
| 1975 | fix-up n. (1975) | a novel constructed from shorter material written separately |
| 1975 | holocamera n. (1975) | = holocam n. |