Scientifiction

(Did you mean a Walter Gillings fanzine, a Pete Lyon fanzine or Scientifiction: The First Fandom Report?)

Scientifiction, a scientificombination coined by Hugo Gernsback in 1915 and first printed in the January, 1916, issue of Electrical Experimenter, is a term once used for what is now called "science fiction" (or "speculative fiction" – or, regretably, "sci-fi"). An even earlier term was scientific romances.

Scientifiction was used fairly commonly in the 1930s; it’s now used nostalgically. It‘s abbreviated "stf" (pronounced "stef") and the adjective form is stfnal. Fans today are more likely to use stf than they are scientifiction.

From Fancyclopedia 2, ca. 1959

(Gernsback) A scientificombination of "scientific fiction" coined before Amazing Stories appeared, back when the Electrical Experimenter was publishing the stuff. It was not replaced by "science-fiction" with or without hyphen till about 1930, and its abbreviation "stf" still persists. One reason the word itself fell into disuse is the difficulty of pronouncing it so as to show its elements; "scienti-fiction" is more natural than "scien-TIF-FIC-tion". It should properly designate only such science-fiction as is extrapolation on science, tho the abbreviation "stf" equals "SF".

From Fancyclopedia 1, ca. 1944

(Gernsback) - A scientificombination of "scientific fiction", coined before Amazing Stories appeared, back when the Electrical Experimenter was publishing the stuff. It was not replaced by "science-fiction" (with or without hyphen) until around 1930, and is still in use, especially by non-fans; fans often use "stf". One reason for its falling into disuse is the difficulty of pronouncing it so as to show its elements: "scienti-fiction" is more natural than "scien-TIF-FIC-tion". It should designate only such s-f as is extrapolation upon science.

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Fanspeak

This is a fanspeak page. Please extend it by adding information about when and by whom it was coined, whether it’s still in use, etc.