Search results
- Alien: Alien is a word that has long been used to refer to something foreign, but when did it become the go-to term for a being from another planet?
- Android: Long before the invention of the word "robot," humans dreamed of mechanical beings. Clockwork artisans would construct all manner of automata—birds that flap their wings, monks that shuffle in silent prayer, dolls that pretend to serve tea or play the dulcimer.
- Ansible: Ursula K. Le Guin coined this word for a device for instantaneous communication across the vast distances of space in her 1966 novel Rocannon's World.
- Beam: While the word "beam" evokes visions of Captain Kirk saying, "Beam me up, Scotty," beam already refers to the transport of matter in the "Matter Transmitter" entry in the 1951 Dictionary of Science Fiction.
- What Is Science Fiction?
- Science Fiction vs. Fantasy
- Examples of Science Fiction
Science fiction, popularly shortened as sci-fi, is a genreof fiction that creatively depicts real or imaginary science and technology as part of its plot, setting, or theme. The fiction part of science fictionmeans, of course, that it’s a fictional story—not a real-life account. The word science refers to the fact that the story in some way involve...
The genres of science fiction andfantasy are often considered to be part of an even larger genre known as speculative fiction, defined as “a broad literary genre encompassing any fiction with supernatural, fantastical, or futuristic elements.” Speculative fiction speculatesabout fictional worlds and characters completely different from our own or w...
Science fiction began as a literary genre. It has spawned written works in many forms, including countless novels, short stories, and works of flash fiction. But the genre is also extremely popular in other forms of media, including comic books, graphic novels, movies, shows, and video games. In general, there are certain topics, themes, and plots ...
In “Myth and Archetype in Science Fiction” (1976) she tackled the grander themes that underlie the appeal of the genre for many readers. Here she sets a very high standard for the true artists of science fiction. She sorts through the false ideas of mythology, then hits on its origins in our own psyches. Myth is not primitive science, no ...
The term "science fiction" came into general use in the 1930s, an early appearance being in Hugo Gernsback's editorial to #1 of Wonder Stories (June 1929). Rather later in the UK, the term was used in Scoops (Summer 1934 and later) to describe individual stories, and Walter Gillings used the term on the cover of the first issue of Tales of Wonder (Summer 1937) to designate the issue as a whole ...
Jan 26, 2021 · The Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction includes some 1,800 separate entries, from “actifan” and “aerocar” to “zero-gravity” and “zine.”. Headwords and other display type are ...
Science fiction (SIGH-innss FICK-shun) is a type of literature that deals with inventive technologies, futurism, space travel and exploration, and other science-based components.
Apr 19, 2024 · science fiction, a form of fiction that deals principally with the impact of actual or imagined science upon society or individuals. The term science fiction was popularized, if not invented, in the 1920s by one of the genre’s principal advocates, the American publisher Hugo Gernsback.
