science fictional adj.

pertaining to or characteristic of science fiction n.

SF Criticism

  • 1932 F. J. Ackerman Letter in Astounding Stories Nov. 282/2 page image Forrest J. Ackerman

    Announcement Science Fictional: the Fantasy Fans Fraternity! Science-fantasy differs from the usual run of book and magazine fiction in many ways but primarily in the unflagging loyalty and alert interest of its many followers. No other class of readers can compare in these respects with genuine Science Fiction fans. It is for them that the Fantasy Fans Fraternity is being launched. There are no restrictions; no recommendations are needed. Girls, boys, men, women, may join freely. All lovers of the diverse forms of fantasy are invited. (This goes for you Strange Tales readers, too!)There are no dues or fees of any kind, except for a very nominal charge (only a trifle more than a new copy of the magazine you are now reading) for a membership card. This card allows the Fraternizers special privileges and derives them much benefit.

  • 1935 F. J. Ackerman in Wonder Stories Feb. 1139/1 Forrest J. Ackerman

    ‘The Final Struggle’ unfortunately impressed me as being very bad as a science-fictional, fantastic, or any kind of story.

  • 1949 A. J. Cox in Astounding Science Fiction Oct. 150/1

    Grudge is one of the first interesting science-fictional characters to come along in a long while.

  • 1950 Planet Stories Fall 100/2

    We will have authors, and fans, auctions and speachs [sic] on science-fictional subjects.

  • 1980 M. Z. Bradley Darkover Retrospective in Planet Savers/Sword of Aldones (1982) 310 Marion Zimmer Bradley bibliography

    It never occurred to me to write fantasy until I discovered the science-fictional fantasy style of the novels of Moore and Kuttner.

  • 1991 Locus May 19/3

    Where the book is good it is very good, though not necessarily in science fictional ways.

  • 1993 SFRA Rev. May 69

    He has assembled a history of the Star Wars saga seen not primarily as a filmic or science-fictional work but as a series of design and marketing efforts.

  • 1993 Science Fiction Studies Nov. 307

    The Great Romance is unusual among SF works of the time in being…science-fictional from the outset.

  • 1993 Locus June 58/2

    Peter Weir is out, presumably because his films are not explicitly science-fictional enough.

  • 1994 Interzone Sept. 59/2

    She also retains the kind of science-fictional curiosity which searches assiduously for a sense of wonder in expanding imaginative horizons, and the story contrives to attain a most unexpected conclusion.

  • 2000 S. Robinson Callahan's Key xv. 254 Spider Robinson

    Nobody has any idea what the hell they are, but all kinds of guesses have been made, some of them fairly science fictional. Black holes colliding. Star drives switching on. Wormholes eating galaxies.

  • 2006 S. M. Stirling Sky People iii. 75 S. M. Stirling

    Sort of science-fictional, Marc thought. But then, we're exploring an alien planet, eh?

Research requirements

antedating 1932
Earliest cite

Forrest Ackerman in Astounding
Research History
Fred Galvin submitted a cite from a letter by Rick Sneary in the Fall 1950 Planet Stories.
Mike Christie submitted a 1949 cite from a letter by Arthur Cox in Astounding.
Jeff Prucher submitted a 1935 cite from a letter in Wonder Stories by Forrest Ackerman.
Fred Galvin submitted a cite from a letter by Forrest J. Ackerman in Astounding from 1932.

Earliest cite in the OED: 1954.

Last modified 2020-12-16 04:08:47
In the compilation of some entries, HDSF has drawn extensively on corresponding entries in OED.