Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction

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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.