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SF and Literary Terms - A Glossariki!

LY, light year

The distance traveled by light in one Earth year. Light travels at 300,000 km/sec, so a light year is [1 light year = 9.4605284 × 1015 meters]. One light second - 300,000 km or the distance light travels in one second

FTL

faster than light.

FTL drive

the drive that enables ships to cross interstellar distances fast than light would (so in a relatively short time)

Robot

A robot is an electro-mechanical device or group of devices that can perform autonomous or preprogrammed tasks unaided by human intervention. C-3PO and R2-D2 are examples of robots.

Android

An android is a robot made to resemble a human, usually both in appearance and behavior. Data from Star Trek is an example of an android.

Cyborg

Stands for a CYBernetic ORGanism. In essence a creature that is part organic and part mechanical, computerized, etcetera. The Terminator is an example of a cyborg, for it is a mechanical body covered with organic skin and flesh.

Elements of an SF Story

Common elements in SF books/movies/tv shows/etc:

• involves science/extrapolations on science
• technology gone wrong
• aliens
• other worlds/parallel worlds
• magic/things that couldn't happen
• space travel
• robots
• artificial intelligence
• monsters
• utopia
• dystopia
• the future
• Social Commentary
• anti-heroes
• unrealistic turn of events
• exploring the unknown
• military
• large corporations
• mythology
• apocalyptic
• time travel
• vast worlds