Subject: SF Criticism
Terms used in the criticism or discussion of science fiction, e.g. names of genres or tropes.
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| Tolkienesque adj. (1967) | characteristic of or resembling J.R.R. Tolkien or his writings; cf. Tolkienian adj. |
| Tolkienian adj. (1954) | of or pertaining to J.R.R. Tolkien or his writings; cf. Tolkienesque adj. |
| uchronia n. (1938) | = alternate history n. |
| uchronian adj. (1974) | of or relating to uchronias |
| uchronic adj. (1938) | of or relating to uchronias |
| universe n. (1947) | the setting of a work or series of fiction, esp. of imaginative fiction |
| urban fantasy n. (1978) | a genre of fantasy that uses a (modern) city as its primary setting; a work in this genre |
| utopia n. (No cites) | a place, state, or condition ideally perfect in respect of politics, laws, customs, and conditions |
| utopian n. (No cites) | one who conceives, proposes, or introduces schemes supposed or intended to bring about improved or perfect social and political conditions, etc.; an advocate of social reform |
| utopian adj. (1981) | possessing or regarded as having impossibly or extravagantly ideal conditions in respect of politics, customs, social organization, etc. |
| Vernean adj. (1883) | of, pertaining to, or characteristic of the science fiction of Jules Verne |
| -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. |
| weird n. (1923) | something that is weird adj.; weird fiction collectively |
| weird adj. (1923) | describing supernatural horror (often in weird fiction, weird story, etc.) |
| weirdist n. (1936) | an author or fan of weird fiction |
| weird science n. (1927) | a genre that combines elements of weird with science fiction |
| Wellsian n. (1914) | a devotee or follower of H. G. Wells |
| Wellsian adj. (1895) | of, pertaining to, or resembling the ideas and writings of H. G. Wells, esp. in his science fiction, social comment, etc. |
| Whoniverse n. (1981) | the fictional universe used as the setting for the British television series Doctor Who; (also) any media, fandom, etc. connected to Doctor Who |
| widescreen baroque n. (1964) | Brian Aldissβs term for: a subgenre of science fiction characterized by larger-than-life characters, violence, intrigue, extravagant settings or actions, and fast-paced plotting; a form of space opera n. |
| worldbuilder n. (1892) | a writer who engages in world-building n. |
| world-building n. (1920) | the creation of fictional realms and their geology, geography, biology, etc., often including the history and culture of their inhabitants |