sci-fic n.

abbreviation of science fiction n. 2

Now rare.

SF Criticism

  • 1933 C. Amsbury Letter in Amazing Stories Feb. 1050/1 page image Clifton Amsbury

    I haven’t heard much about the Junior Association since I left home, but what I have seen in your columns about all the boy’s sci-fic. clubs looks like Jim’s chance.

  • 1936 The Third Science Fiction Test in Wonder Stories Feb. 882/1 page image

    The correct abbreviation for ‘science fiction’ is: (1) sfn. (2) sci-fic. (3) stn. (4) s-f.

  • 1938 Imagination! (#6) Mar. 18 page image

    We expect to surpass the Hi in Fun-tasy establisht in the Apr Fool edition of the early Sci Fic Di-jest.

  • 1940 ‘Forry’ & ‘Morojo’ Hash Ish in Voice of the Imagi-Nation (#9) Sept. 3 page image Forrest J. Ackerman Morojo

    Almost unheralded comes IMAG-INDEX, LA’s latest contribution to fandom. Presenting Table of Contents of every pro sci-fic mag from ’26 to ’38... 72 mimeod pages between stiff covers, priced at only 50c!

  • 1946 ‘B. Tucker’ Bloomington News-Letter (#2) Feb. (unpaged) page image Wilson Tucker

    New semi-slick fantasy and scific magazine to appear soon. Details scarce and confidential, but [...] quality will be reflected in the fact that yours truly, BT, has sold story to mag. (That last is a joke, gents.)

  • 1952 ‘J. Merril’ The Reader Speaks in Thrilling Wonder Stories Dec. 6/1 page image Judith Merril

    Does your science-fiction story taste different lately? Is the flat familiar stale taste disappearing? Have you noticed a new tingling sensation in the area of your brain? Do you suffer from discomfort in your social thinking? Dislocation of perspective? There’s a reason. Its name is Synthesis, and sci-fic is its prophet.

  • 1971 R. S. Shaver Letter in Amazing Stories Nov. 111/2 page image Richard S. Shaver bibliography

    About the time I left the sci-fic scene…sex took over as the main theme of sci-fic as well as in other fields. [ellipsis in orig.]

  • 2005 Time Out N.Y. 20 Oct. 119/4

    But his wrinkle-in-time sci-fic melodrama still looks ravishing.

Research requirements

antedating 1933
Research History
Fred Galvin submitted a 1952 cite from a guest editorial by Judith Merril in Thrilling Wonder Stories.
Fred Galvin submitted a 1952 cite from If, which quotes Wilson (Bob) Tucker's fanzine "Science Fiction News Letter"; Keith Stokes verified it in the original Feb. 1946 "Bloomington News Letter".
Ben Ostrowsky submitted 1938 and 1940 cites.

Earliest date in OED: 1963.

Last modified 2022-02-16 16:11:06
In the compilation of some entries, HDSF has drawn extensively on corresponding entries in OED.