scientifiction

scientifiction

English

Etymology

Blend of scientific +‎ fiction. Coined in 1916 by Hugo Gernsback.

Noun

scientifiction (uncountable)

1. (dated) science fiction.
   • 1916 January, Hugo Gernsback, Electrical Experimenter, page 474:

     I am supposed to report Münchhaussen's^[sic] doings; am supposed to be writing fiction, scientifiction, to be correct.

   • 1926, Hugo Gernsback, Amazing Stories, "A New Sort of Magazine"

     There is the usual fiction magazine, the love story and the sex-appeal type of magazine, the adventure type, and so on, but a magazine of "Scientifiction" is a pioneer in its field in America. By "scientifiction" I mean the Jules Verne, H. G. Wells, and Edgar Allan Poe type of story—a charming romance intermingled with scientific fact and prophetic vision.

   • 1949, Chad Walsh, C. S. Lewis: Apostle to the Skeptics:

     Lewis's novels are the scientifiction of a philosopher.

   • For more examples of usage of this term, see Citations:scientifiction.

Synonyms

• science fiction
• sci-fi
• SF

Derived terms

• scientifictional
• stf

See also

• fantasy
• speculative fiction

References

• “scientifiction” in Brave New Words: The Oxford Dictionary of Science Fiction, Oxford University Press, 2007, →ISBN.