EAC234
Revision as of 08:20, 20 September 2009 by Robert.boyczuk (talk | contribs) (→Our Definition of SF)
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