Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction
Order by: alphabetical | chronological ( asc | desc )
| First date | Word | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Padawan n. (1973) | in the fictional universe of the Star Wars franchise: an apprentice Jedi; also (often humorously) in extended and allusive use: a youthful, naive, or untrained person |
| 1973 | realspace n. (1973) | the ordinary universe; space that exists outside of hyperspace, wormholes, or other notional regions used for faster-than-light travel; cf. otherspace n. |
| 1973 | SFX n. (1973) | special effects |
| 1973 | shapechange v. (1973) | to change shape, by an imagined natural capability, and adopt the form and sometimes abilities of an animal or other being |
| 1973 | skiffy n. (1973) | = sci-fi adj. |
| 1973 | starfaring n. (1973) | interstellar traveling |
| 1973 | vibroknife n. (1973) | = vibroblade n. |
| 1972 | cryosleep n. (1972) | = cold sleep n. |
| 1972 | downtime adv. (1972) | esp. in time-travel contexts: in, into, or toward the past; cf. uptime adv. |
| 1972 | metahuman adj. (1972) | being or relating to superpowers; being a metahuman n. |
| 1972 | novum n. (1972) | a scientific (rather than supernatural or fantastic) element in a work that demonstrates that the work takes place in a world different from our own, thus establishing that the work should be regarded as science fiction |
| 1972 | spacing n. 2 (1972) | the act of executing a person by forcing them into space without a spacesuit; cf. space v. 2 |
| 1972 | Tuckerize v. (1972) | to use the name of (a real person) as a name of a character in a work of fiction; also intrans. |
| 1972 | uptime adv. (1972) | esp. in time-travel contexts: in, into, or toward the future; cf. downtime adv. |
| 1972 | uptime adj. (1972) | esp. in time-travel contexts: in or from the future; cf. downtime adj. |
| 1972 | xenopsychology n. (1972) | the psychology of alien races |
| 1971 | astroengineering n. (1971) | large-scale structural engineering in space, esp. the modification of the physical structure or configuration of a planet, a star, or an entire solar system; cf. terraforming n.; (also) (broadly) any form of engineering in or related to space, such as the design or operation of the propulsion systems of spacecraft |
| 1971 | genre science fiction n. (1971) | stories, novels, etc. that are explicity written or published as science fiction, as opposed to ones which contain science fictional elements but are written or published as mainstream fiction, or in another genre |
| 1971 | high fantasy n. (1971) | a subgenre of fantasy set in an imaginary world, typically having a medieval-style society and level of technology, usually featuring a quest or a conflict between Good and Evil, and often written in an elevated style |
| 1971 | launching laser n. (1971) | a high-powered laser used for the launching of spacecraft, either by vaporizing propellant at the rear of the craft, or by radiation pressure on a solar sail n. |
| 1971 | Orwellian n. (1971) | an admirer of the works and ideas of George Orwell |
| 1971 | pew n. (1971) | (used to represent the sound of a weapon, esp. a beam weapon) |
| 1971 | posthumanism n. (1971) | the idea that humanity can be transformed, transcended, or eliminated either by technological advances or the evolutionary process; artistic, scientific, or philosophical practice which reflects this belief; cf. posthuman n. |
| 1971 | terraformation n. (1971) | = terraforming n. |
| 1970 | alternative history n. (1970) | = alternate history n. |
| 1970 | antispinward adv. (1970) | in the opposite direction that something (as a space station or a galaxy) is rotating |
| 1970 | auton n. (1970) | an autonomous robot or robotic device; (specif. in form Auton) in the British television series Doctor Who: one of a group of malevolent humanoid robots having plastic-like skin |
| 1970 | construct n. (1970) | an intelligent entity that is not biological, as a sentient hologram or a digital intelligence; an artificially created or hybridized being |
| 1970 | holo n. (1970) | a hologram; a device that displays holograms; holograms as a form of entertainment |
| 1970 | jack in v. (1970) | to connect one's brain directly to a computer or cybernetic device by means of a cybernetically implanted data jack |
| 1970 | mind-control v. (1970) | to use mind control on (a person); to control or influence (a person) telepathically |
| 1970 | shapeshift v. (1970) | to change shape, by a natural capability, and adopt the form and sometimes abilities of an animal or other being |
| 1970 | smof n. (1970) | a fan who is very active in fandom and in particular with organizing conventions |
| 1970 | supervillainess n. (1970) | a woman who uses superpowers or superscience for malevolent purposes; a female supervillain n. |
| 1970 | Tuckerization n. (1970) | = Tuckerism n. |
| 1969 | artificial intelligence n. (1969) | a computer program or system capable of reasoning in a manner regarded as equivalent to a human being; a sentient computer |