OPENS: AUgust 15, 2008
RATING: PG (Violence, Smoking, Adult Situations)
GENRE: Space Opera, Animation

A new Star Wars cartoon will debut on the Cartoon Network this fall.

Somebody at Lucasfilm got the bright idea to make a 90-minute introduction movie to kick the series off. That’s good.

Somebody (or somebodies) else at Warner Brothers in paring up with Lucasfilm got the bright idea of taking that made-for-TV film and dumping it out in theatres this weekend. That’s not-so-good.

The result? A hybrid computer animated film that is not up to par with what a movie-going audience expects when plopping over $8 to $10 a pop to see a film these days.

Among those panning the film, most noted a boring storyline and painful dialogue that insults fans of the Star Wars saga. Others called it a blatant money grab for George Lucas that insults the legacy of the franchise. Others said this film marks the death of Star Wars as a popular culture touchstone.

But others were not do fast to dismiss this film. As a kid’s film its fast pace and not-too-complicated story is perfect mindless last weekend before back-to-school fun for the pre-teen set.

WATCH THE TRAILER

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• Squarely aimed for the middle school audience.
• Good preview of the upcoming TV series.

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• Poor writing
• Animation is stiff

{/rw_bad} –>

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{for="Newsday" value="1"}

"A money-making spin-off from the Lucas franchise, "Clone Wars" has all the magic and heart of a cereal commercial." – Rafer Guzman

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{for=”Space.com” value=”6″}

“If you’re looking for some solid action, that’s one thing this film will give you in spades. Just don’t look too closely at the characters themselves, and you’ll do fine.” – Steve Fritz

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{for=”New York Times” value=”6″}

“The Clone Warshas an uncluttered look and furious pace that make it more or less as satisfying as its wildly overdesigned predecessors.” – Nathan Lee

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{for=”Chicago Tribune” value=”1″}

“The film’s purpose is clear. It is a full-length teaser for the forthcoming TV series of the same name.” – Michael Phillips

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{for=”Chicago Sun-Times” value=”3″}

“You know you’re in trouble when the most interesting new character is Jabba the Hutt’s uncle.” – Roger Ebert

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{for=”San Francisco Chronicle” value=”6″}

“The movie’s tone will probably send original-trilogy loyalists over the edge, the final shove that sends their Hoth Ice Planet action play sets into exile on eBay. Meanwhile, children will thrill at the notion that the latest part of the saga was made especially for them.” – Peter Hartlaub

{/for}

{for=”Los Angeles Daily News” value=”3″}

“Big disaster, this Star Wars cartoon is… The ugly-looking movie is a straightforward, unapologetic cash grab, taking footage intended to be part of Cartoon Network’s upcoming Clone Wars TV series and slapping it together to lure in those few who haven’t already torn up their fan club membership cards in disgust.” – Glenn Whipp

{/for}

{for=”Washington Post” value=”1″}

“Lucas fulfills his lifelong dream of completely dehumanizing his space opera, replacing it with a digitally animated style that is somewhere between cartoons, Christmas specials and panoramic paintings on the side of a van.” – Hank Stuever

{/for}

{/rw_score} –>

There are many words and abbreviations of special relevance to science fiction. In addition, over the years science fiction fandom has created many new terms. A list of some of these words and abbreviations is provided here for N3F members and for any others who are interested in the history of science fiction and science fiction fandom. Additions and/or corrections are invited.

X

• X. – Pseudonym of SF personality Donald A. Wollheim.
• Xenophile – The first, regularly-published, periodical devoted to collecting pulps (March 1974 to March1980), edited/published by Nils Hardin. There were 44 issues in all.
• Xero – A general SF fanzine, edited and published by Richard (Dick) Lupoff, that is credited with being the first fanzine to carry comic material (in a series of articles on the comics of the 1940s: “All In Color For A Dime”). Issue #1 was dated September, 1960. Xero won the Hugo-award (Amateur Magazine) in 1962. The Best of Xero was published in 2004.
• Xlent – Short for excellent.
• XLIB/Xlib/xlib – Short for Ex Libris. See Ex. Lib.
• X-Over – See Cross Over.

Y

• Yaazz – Fanspeak for “yes, definitely.”
• Yandro – Hugo-winning SF fanzine (1965/Amateur Publication), edited/published by Robert “Buck” Coulson and his wife Juanita Wellons Coulson. Yandro was a Hugo nominee for ten consecutive years,
  1959-1968.
• Yarat – A blood-curdling scream.
• Yazz – Variation of Yaazz, which see.
• Year of the Jackpot – Between January 1958 and January 1959 many famous SF fans/writers died (including two suicides), and these deaths were widely reported in widely circulated newszines of the time. Subsequently, this year became known in fandom as the Year of the Jackpot (from a story by Robert A. Heinlein).
• Yed – See Ye Ed.
• Ye Ed/YE ED – The editor, as of a fanzine.
• Yellowback Library – a long-running fanzine devoted to juvenile series books, initially was issued six times a year. It is now published monthly and remains one of the best resources of information about this field of fan interest.
• YF – Abbreviation for Young Fandom, which see.
• Yngvi – Used by SF fans in the catch phrase: “Yngvi is a louse.” [from de Camp & Pratt’s “The Roaring Trunpet” (May 1940 issue of Unknown), later included in their book The Incompleat Enchanter]
• Young fan – See neofan.
• Young Fandom – A SF club started by Rick Sneary and others in the 1940s.

Z

• Zap – Sound a zapgun makes when fired. See Zapgun.
• Zap gun/Zapgun – Either a toy ray gun or a water pistol.
• Zap gun and Blaster – Fannish term for a SF space opera, much as Sword and Sorcery denotes a certain kind of fantasy.
• “Zap” stories – British term for “get’em” stories, which see.
• Zilch – Absolutely nothing.
• Zine – Short for magazine, the prefix usually determining just what kind of magazine is being designated: prozine, fanzine, etc.
• Zinemanship - The art of convincing another fan that his fanzine is just so much wasted paper. Attributed to UK science fiction fan/author Bob Shaw. See Fansmanship.
• Zorch ray guns – A pair of old glue guns that resembled a pair of ray guns.
• Z ray/Z-ray – Mysterious ray found in many early SF stories.

There are many words and abbreviations of special relevance to science fiction. In addition, over the years science fiction fandom has created many new terms. A list of some of these words and abbreviations is provided here for N3F members and for any others who are interested in the history of science fiction and science fiction fandom. Additions and/or corrections are invited.

T

• Tabloid – A magazine approximately 11 by 16 inches in size. The British magazine Science Fiction Monthly was this size.
• TAFF – Transatlantic Fan Fund (see Fan Funds).
• TANSTAAFL – Abbreviation for There Ain’t No Such Thing As A Free Lunch (a fannish dictum coined by author Robert Heinlein).
• TAPA – Abbreviation for the APA Terran Amateur Press Association.
• TAPS – Abbreviation for the Terran Amateur Press Society, an APA characterized by a rotating Official Editor, in which each member takes a turn at sending out the mailing.
• TASFIC – Short for Tenth Anniversary Science Fiction Convention, held in Chicago in 1952 and popularly known as Chicon II. Hugo Gernsback was Guest of Honor; Julian C. May was Con Chair.
• TATS – Abbreviation for Tentacles Across the Sea, which see.
• TAWF – The Tenth Anniversary Willis Fund, a special fund set up to transport British SF fans Walt and Madeleine Willis to Chicago in 1962.
• TC – Short for The Circle.
• Techie – A member of General Technics, a Midwestern fan club whose members are interested in do-it-yourself technology and rocketry, or to anyone in fandom with such interests. The term has also come into mundane use to describe computer engineers and other technical professionals.
• Television Tie-In – A book issued in conjunction with a television feature or series.
• Tentacles Across the Sea – Organization formed in the 1950s to exchange dollar and sterling currencies, in order to facilitate payment of FAPA dues, etc.
• Texas SF Inquirer – Hugo-award winning (1987) SF fanzine, edited by Pat Mueller.
• TFS – Abbreviation for the Toledo Fantasy Society.
• TFSC – Abbreviation for the Teen’s Fantascience Club.
• “That crazy Buck Rogers stuff” – Public perception of science fiction, especially in the early pulp magazine days, the reference being to the Buck Rogers comic strip.
• “That REAL Old-Time Religion” – A filk song with over 650 verses, sung to the familiar revival tune, chronicling the lives of mythological gods/goddesses with outrageous puns.
• Thingie – An item, or any item. See Flange.
• Third Fandom – The historical stage of SF fandom from 1940 to 1944.
• Third Retch – An aborted plan of LAFandom to take over SF fandom. A parody of World War II.
• Thish/Thisish – Contractions of “This Issue”. See Ish.
• Thnx – Short for “Thanks” or “Thank You.”
• Thomas D. Clareson Award – The Clareson Award for Distinguished Service has been presented since 1996 for outstanding service activities: promotion of SF teaching/study, editing, reviewing, editorial writing, publishing, organizing meetings, mentoring, and leadership in SF/fantasy organizations. The first recipient was Frederik Pohl.
• Thought variants - An idea of pulp editor/writer F. Orlin Tremaine, intended to get original elements (ideas, plots, treatment, etc.) into SF stories. As editor of ASF in the 1930s, he featured at least one “thought variant” story in each issue.
• Thrust — Science Fiction in Review. A genzine that began as the organ of the University of Maryland Science Fiction Society early in 1972. Editor D. Douglas Fratz made it an independent publication in 1977, emphasizing critical comments on current SF. Several well-known SF writers/personalities contributed columns to the publication, including Michael Bishop, Charles Sheffield, and Ted White. Thrust was a Hugo finalist for best fanzine in 1980, and for best semi-professional magazine in 1988, 1989, 1990, and 1991 (the last year under its new title Quantum).
• Thud and Blunder – Action stories in SF prozines that feature space opera.
• Th-v – Abbreviation for thought variants, which see.
• Tie-ins – Comic books that contain stories relating to other stories in other comic books. The term also refers to novelizations that are published to coincide with the release date of a film or TV program.
• Tightbeam – A fanzine of N3F. See National Fantasy Fan Federation.
• Timebinders – An organization of fans, established in 1994 as the Society for the Preservation of the History of Science Fiction Fandom; it is interested in the preservation of old fanzines and the promotion of research on fandom.
• Timebinding – A term/concept originated by semanticist Alfred Korzybski. In fandom it refers to the uniquely human quality of appreciating/passing on information to future generations through communication, thus allowing the future to build on the past. See Timebinders.
• Timebinding Day – August 9th honors the birthday of John B. (Jack) Speer, author of Up To Now (1939), the first history of SF fandom, and Fancyclopedia (1944).
• The Time Traveller – Early SF fanzine produced by Mort Weisinger and Julius Schwartz, with Allen Glasser as editor, premier issue dated January 9, 1932. It ran for nine issues — until November 1932. Often abbreviated as TTT.
• Tiptree Award – The James Tiptree Jr. Memorial Award recognizes “gender bending” SF or fantasy from the previous year. The name honors the SF writer James Tiptree, Jr. (1915-1987), the pseudonym of Dr. Alice B. Sheldon, an experimental psychologist.
• TLC – Abbreviation for The London Circle, a British SF club.
• TNFF – Abbreviation for The National Fantasy Fan, a fanzine of N3F. See National Fantasy Fan Federation.
• TNO - Abbreviation for The Nameless Ones, which see.
• TOC/ToC/toc – Abbreviations for Table of Contents.
• Tolkien Society – A British fan group devoted to fantasy author J. R. R. Tolkien and his work.
• Tolkienzine – A fanzine featuring the life and work of J. R. R. Tolkien.
• Tomoro – Fan spelling of tomorrow.
• Torcon – The 1948 Worldcon, held in Toronto, Canada. Robert Bloch was GoH; Bob Tucker was fan GoH; Ned McKeown was Con Chair.
• Torcon 2 – The 1973 Worldcon, held in Toronto, Canada. Robert Bloch was GoH; William Rotsler was fan GoH; Lester del Rey was toastmaster; John Millard was Con Chair.
• Trade – Method of obtaining fanzines by fan editors (i.e., one fanzine is traded for another rather than obtained by buying or by a LOC, which see).
• Trap Door – An annual genzine, edited by Robert Lichtman.
• Trekfan – Name for the more serious Star Trek fan.
• Trekker – Another name for a fan of Star Trek.
• Trekkie – Another name for a fan of Star Trek.
• Tribe X – A British fantasy world, related to PADS, in which living fans are used as characters.
• Tricon – The 1966 World SF Convention, held in Cleveland, OH. L. Sprague de Camp was GoH; Isaac Asimov was toastmaster; Ben Jason was Con Chair.
• Trimbled – Lost under a pile of kipple, never to be found again. See Kipple.
• Tripoli – Nickname of SF personality E. Everett Evans (Triple E).
• True fan/Trufan – One who is seriously immersed in various forms of fan-ac. See Actifan. See FIAWOL.
• Trufandom – The body of trufans who make up the core of fandom.
• Tru fen/Trufen – Plural of True fan/Trufan, which see.
• Trumpet – A fanzine once published by SF fan Tom Reamy.
• TS – Short for the Tolkien Society, which see.
• TSR – Role playing game company in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, publisher of Dungeons and Dragons.
• TT – Short for the The Terrean.
• TTT – Short for The Time Traveller.
• Tubby – Nickname of SF fan T. Bruce Yerke.
• Tucker, Bob – Name by which SF fan Arthur Wilson Tucker was known in fandom. He published his professional work as Wilson Tucker.
• Tucker Hotel – A fan’s dream con hotel, complete with every desirable feature and none of the undesirable ones.
• Tuckerism – Long-time SF fan/author Arthur Wilson “Bob” Tucker made a habit of using the names of fans and writers for characters in his SF and mystery stories. Some members of fandom liked this practice, some did not.
• Tuckerize – To place the names of friends into one’s stories. See Tuckerism.
• TVTI – Abbreviation for Television Tie-In, which see.
• Twiddlepop – Sheer crud, garbage.
• The Twilight Zone Magazine – Slick genre magazine published during the 1980s, also known as Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone Magazine. Despite the title (Serling had died in 1975), the editor was T. E. D. Klein.
• Twil-tone – A brand name for an obsolete type of mimeograph paper once commonly used for fanzine reproduction.
• Twippledop – An individual zine made into a department of another zine.
• Twonk’s Disease – The ultimate in afflictions of any nature, possibly synonymous with falling of the armpits.
• Type 15 fan – A dangerous maniac who is to be avoided at all costs (from Joe Gilbert’s graphology article that described several types of fans).
• Typer – Short for typewriter.
• Typo – Short for typographical error.
• Typover – A method of ignoring typos by simply typing over them.

There are many words and abbreviations of special relevance to science fiction. In addition, over the years science fiction fandom has created many new terms. A list of some of these words and abbreviations is provided here for N3F members and for any others who are interested in the history of science fiction and science fiction fandom. Additions and/or corrections are invited.

S

• SAE – See SASE.
• SaM – Contraction of name used by SF personality Sam Moskowitz.
• S&S – Abbreviation for Sword & Sorcery, which see.
• Saphire Awards – Annual awards for the best SF romance stories of the year, given in both novel length and short fiction categories.
• SAPS – Abbreviation for the APA organization, the Spectator Amateur Press Society.
• SAS – Abbreviation for the phrase “smiling, always smiling,” used in fanzines and other APA publications.
• SASE – Abbreviation for Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope. Pronounced either as the initials or as “Say-See,” an SASE is considered a necessary enclosure with any request of a fan or pro editor, publisher, or author.
• SASP – Abbreviation for Self-Addressed Stamped Postcard, usually included with any manuscript submitted to a fan or pro editor, so a reply on the disposition of the manuscript may be made more easily.
• Satellite Science Fiction – Digest-sized SF magazine published from October 1956 until May 1959, for a total run of 18 issues (with the 1959 issues pulp-sized). Contents featured novel-length stories and a regular column by Sam Moskowitz. Editors included Sam Merwin, Leo Margulies, and Frank Belknap Long. Mrs. Leo Margulies (Cylvia Kleinman) was Managing Editor/Editorial Director.
• Satevepost – Fannish abbreviation for the slick magazine The Saturday Evening Post.
• Satirezine – Fannish term for a fanzine featuring satiric content.
• Saturn Awards – Awards presented in a number of categories by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films and Cinescape Magazine.
  SCA – Short for Society for Creative Anachronism, which see.
• SCC – Short for the Science Correspondence Club, an early SF club started in 1928 by Aubrey Clements, a resident of Montgomery, Alabama.
• Science fantasy – Fantasy stories with science elements. See Scientifantasy.
• Science Fantasy Correspondent – See Amateur Correspondent.
• Science fiction – A genre of fiction devoted to stories about the future, time travel, space exploration, and other fantastic topics. Originally considered to be a sub-genre of fantasy fiction, it is now thought of as a separate genre of fantastic fiction in which science and/or technology play an important role. Early writers in the field were Jules Verne and H. G. Wells, but science didn’t become a separate genre until Hugo Gernsback began publishing Amazing Stories in 1926. See SF/Sf/sf.
• Science Fiction – Early fanzine by Cleveland teenagers Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, creators of Superman (“The Reign of the Superman” [this character a villain] appeared in their January 1933 issue). This mimeographed zine ran for five issues with Volume 1, Number 1 dated October 1932.
• Science Fiction Advancement Association – The SFAA was created in the 1930s by San Francisco fan C. Hamilton Bloomer. The official organ of the association was the fanzine Tesseract.
• Science Fiction Age – A bi-monthly slick SF magazine published during the 1990s by Sovereign Media Company in Virginia. The premiere issue was dated November 1992, and the magazine had a total run of some 45 issues. The editor was Scott Edelman, with Mark Hintz the publisher.
• Science Fiction Chronicle – New York SF news magazine, owned/edited for years by SF fan Andrew Porter. See Algol.
• Science Fiction Chronicle Awards – Annual awards sponsored by the magazine Science Fiction Chronicle. The awards were first presented in 1981 and were voted upon by readers of the magazine. See Science Fiction Chronicle.
• Science Fiction Collector, The – SF fanzine published from 1936 until 1941. It was edited first by Morris Scott Dollens (May 1936 to June 1937) and then by John V. Baltadonis (July 1937 to Winter 1941). At least one issue was titled The New Science Fiction Collector.
• Science-fictioneer/science fictioneer – Early term for a SF writer/fan.
• Science-fictionist/science fictionist – Early term for a SF writer/fan.
• Science Fiction Digest – Early SF fanzine (“The Fans’ Own Magazine”) edited by Conrad H. Ruppert and Julius Schwartz. Volume 1, No. 1 was dated September 1932. The title was changed to Fantasy Magazine with the January 1934 issue. Often abbreviated as SFD.
• Science Fiction Eye – A critical science fiction semiprozine that began publication with a Winter 1987 issue devoted to cyberpunk. The magazine was published irregularly in the 1990s, during which time Stephen P. Brown and Daniel Steffan were the editors. Brown assumed sole editorship with issue #6. In addition to SF topics, current controversies involving music, technology, and communications were featured. The magazine suspended publication after issue #15, dated Fall 1997.
• Science Fiction Fan, The – Early SF fanzine, published/edited during the 1930s-1940s by Olon F. Wiggins and others. Many well-known fans made contributions to this fanzine, including Donald A. Wollheim and other members of The Futurians.
  Science Fiction Five Yearly – Founded and originally edited by Lee Hoffman, this fanzine is advertised as the world’s only intentionally five-yearly publication. In recent years guest editors have been used, with Hoffman serving as the honorary editor. Issue #11, dated November 2001, was published 50 years after the first issue.
• Science Fiction Foundation - An organization, founded in 1970 and based at the University of Liverpool, England. The aim of the organization is the promotion of the study of SF as a serious form of literature, and its members are involved in the annual judging of the Arthur C. Clarke Award. The Foundation supports the publication of Foundation, a magazine devoted to the academic study of SF.
• Science Fiction League – The SF organization started by Hugo Gernsback in 1934 with his essay, “Science Fiction League” in Wonder Stories (May 1934). The SFL provided a structure for SF fans to communicate, and the fans then began publishing their own fanzines.
• Science Fiction Monthly – A large tabloid-sized SF magazine published by New English Library in London from February 1974 until May 1976, for a total run of 28 issues. Artwork was emphasized. A prominent feature of the magazine was a regular essay on “Modern Masters of Science Fiction” by Walter Gillings. A digest SF magazine of the same title was published during 1955-1957 in Melbourne, Australia. See Tabloid.
• Science Fiction Oral History Association – The SFOHA is a non-profit organization devoted to the preservation of the history of SF in audio form. Founded in 1975 at the first ConFusion in Michigan, it maintains an archive of audio and video recordings of historic people and events related to SF. Its ongoing mission is to capture future historical legends (both fan and pro) on tape for future generations to enjoy. SF author Lloyd Biggle, Jr. was associated with the organization until his death in 2002.
• Science Fiction Syndicate, The – Business name adopted by early SF fan, D. R. Welch, resident of Austin, Texas in the 1930s. Welch published Science Fiction Bibliography, credited with being the first SF bibliography, in 1935
• Science Fiction Times – Early Hugo-award winning (1955/Best Amateur Publication) fanzine when it was titled Fantasy Times, edited by James V. Taurasi, Ray Van Houten, and Frank Prieto, Jr. A monthly newspaper of the same name was published by Galileo Magazine, Inc., beginning in the late 1970s. See Fantasy Times.
• Science Fiction Review – Hugo-award winning (1969/Best Amateur Magazine) fanzine, edited by Richard E. Geis. The title was revived as a semi-professional magazine in the 1990s, with the first issue dated Spring 1990. See The Alien Critic. See Psychotic.
• Science-Fiction Plus – Hugo Gernback’s last SF magazine, the first five issues of which were published in a glossy, folio-format. A total of only seven issues appeared, March to December 1953. Sam Moskowitz was Managing Editor.
• Science Fiction Union of Unpublished Authors – The SFUUA (pronounced “S, F, double-U, A”) was founded by Lew Wolkoff. Any member who got published professionally had to consign all “futures” rights to the organization. Anyone with five or more stories published was deemed “irredeemably” published and drummed out of the organization.
• Sciencerely – Salutation used by some SF fans in closing letters.
• Scienti – Prefix meaning scientific or scientifictional.
• Scientifantasy/scienti-fantasy – Fantasy stories with science elements.
• Scientific – Early synonym for science fiction.
• Scientificombined – The merging of words in Fan Speak.
• Scientificomics – Comic strips of the SF/fantasy genre.
• Scientifiction – Early term for SF, which see. Term for scientific fiction (stf), coined by editor Hugo Gernsback. A UK fanzine of this title, edited by Walter Gillings, was published during 1937-1938. Scientifiction: The First Fandom Report is also the title of First Fandom’s official publication. See First Fandom.
• Scientifiction – British fanzine published in the late 1930s, edited by Walter Gillings.
• Scientifiction: The First Fandom Report – Official fanzine of First Fandom, the so-called “dinosaurs of science fiction.”
• Scientifiction Day – August 16th, commemorating the birthday of Hugo Gernsback, the founder of Amazing Stories. As the publisher of the first all-SF magazine, Gernsback is considered to be the “father of magazine SF” and therefore of SF fandom.
• Scientifilm – SF film/movie.
• Scientitale – An early proposed substitute for the term Scientifiction.
• Scientology – The first SF religion, created by pulp writer L. Ron Hubbard. See Dianetics.
• SCIFI – See Rotsler Memorial Fanzine Artist Award.
• Sci-fi/Sci-Fi/SciFi/scifi – A media term for science fiction, attributed to SF personality Forrest J Ackerman.
• SCIFS – Short for the Scifan Society.
• Scoops – Britain’s first all-SF magazine, published in tabloid format by C. A. Pearson, Ltd. in London from February 10, 1934 until June 23, 1934, for a total run of twenty issues.
• Scrod – Miscellaneous flea-market items, presented for sale at dealers’ rooms at conventions. See Convention. See Dealers’ room. See Hucksters’ room.
• Seacon – The 1961 Worldcon, held in Seattle, WA. Robert A. Heinlein was GoH; Harlan Ellison was toastmaster; Wally Weber was Con Chair.
• Seacon ’79 – The 1979 Worldcon, held in Brighton, England. Brian Aldiss was UK GoH; Fritz Leiber was US GoH; Harry Bell was fan GoH; Bob Shaw was toastmaster; Peter Weston was Con Chair.
• Section G Report, The – Fanzine of the 1970s devoted to SF writer Mack Reynolds.
• Second Fandom – The historical stage of SF fandom from 1937 to 1938.
• Secret Master of Fandom – A person who considers himself/herself one of the “rulers” of fandom, i. e., a person who runs fan politics, organizes conventions, etc. Often abbreviated as SMOF.
• Secret Master of Gaming – A person who is certain s/he knows every rule of every game ever played, what new games are being marketed and by whom, and can even tell anyone who will listen the “real” story behind every game. Often abbreviated as SMOG.
• Seduction of the Innocent – Book on comic book censorship by Dr. Fredric Wertham, published in 1953, that helped bring about the Comics Code. Often referred to as SOTI.
• Seiun Awards – The Seiun Taisho is the Japanese equivalent of the American Hugo Award, and is voted upon by members of the Japanese National Science Fiction Convention. The physical prize has varied from year to year.
• Selling out of the room – Practice of turning one’s hotel room into a salesroom at a con, instead of going to the trouble/expense of buying a table in the dealers’ room.
  Semi-cancel – To strike out words in such a way that they remain legible, usually used in a humorous fashion.
• Semi-professional fanzine – Fanzine that has gone beyond the status of an amateur magazine done for the amusement of its editor. A semi-professional fanzine may pay contributors, have paid advertising, and boast a relatively large circulation. See Semiprozine.
• Semiprozine/semi-prozine – A semi-professional magazine, strictly defined by using the criteria of the Hugo Awards. The category was adopted by the World SF Society in 1985 because several publications had been nominated for years as fanzines even though their circulation and/or format were no longer really in the fanzine category. In general usage, a semi-prozine is a type of magazine between a fanzine and a prozine.
• Sensawunda – A deliberate slurring of the original phrase “sense of wonder” which see.
• Sense of wonder – The feeling that SF/fantasy is supposed to inspire in readers. The phrase is attributed to SF personality Sam Moskowitz in the 1940s.
• Sensitive fannish face – The countenance of someone with a sense of wonder (which see), or perhaps just a myopic look about him/her. The phrase usually is used ironically.
• Sercon – Contraction of serious and constructive, and usually applies to a fan or fandom concerned with criticism, bibliography, and other factual information. Originally it insultingly referred to the fan who took his hobby too seriously.
• Serfan – Contraction of serious fan, a SF fan who took the hobby too seriously. See Sercon.
• Sergeant Saturn – The editor of letter columns for various pulp SF magazines in the 1940s-1950s.
• Serial – Short for a movie serial , which see.
• Serzine – Fanzines that discuss serious topics, such as the current state of SF or the growing importance of women in the genre.
• SESFA – Abbreviation for the Southeastern Science Fiction Achievement awards, which see.
• SETI – Short for Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence.
• 770 – The room number of SF fandom’s most famous party, an all-night affair at the St. Charles Hotel during Nolacon I in 1951 (9th Worldcon). Mike Glyer named his fanzine after this party. See File: 770. See Worldcon.
• SF/Sf/sf – The accepted abbreviation for science fiction and/or speculative fiction, pronounced “esseff.” Stf (pronounced “stef”) is an older term (from scientifiction). Sci-fi is a media term, and one not usually used by members of SF fandom for print SF.
• S-F, S-f, s-f – Variant abbreviations for SF/Sf/sf, which see.
• SFAA – Abbreviation for the Science Fiction Advancement Association, which see.
• SF Age – See Science Fiction Age.
• SFC – Abbreviation for the Southern Fandom Confederation, which see.
• SFC Bulletin – See Southern Fandom Confederation.
• SFCol – Abbreviation for The Science Fiction Club of London.
• SFCon – The 1954 World Science Fiction Convention, held in San Francisco, CA. John W. Campbell, Jr. was GoH; Robert Bloch was toastmaster; Lester Cole and Gary Nelson were Con Chairs.
• SFD – Abbreviation for Science Fiction Digest, which see.
• SF Eye – Abbreviation for Science Fiction Eye.
• SFF – Abbreviation for Science Fiction and Fantasy.
• SFFan – Abbreviation for the fanzine The Science Fiction Fan.
• SFFH – Abbreviation for the combined science fiction, fantasy, and horror genres.
• SFFY – Abbreviation for Science Fiction Five Yearly, which see.
• SFI – Abbreviation for Science Fiction International.
• SFL – Abbreviation for Science Fiction League, which see.
• SFOHA – Abbreviation for Science Fiction Oral History Association, which see.
• SFPA – Abbreviation for Southern Fandom Press Alliance, which see.
• SFR – See Science Fiction Review.
• SFSA – Abbreviation for Science Fantasy Society of America.
• SFT – Abbreviation for Science Fiction Times, which see.
• SFUUA – Abbreviation for the Science Fiction Union of Unpublished Authors, which see.
• SFWA - Abbreviation for Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, the organization of SF professional writers and editors that awards the Nebulas each year.
• SFX – Pronounced as initials, this term is a shorthand for special effects, a staple of SF films and TV programs.
• Sgt. Ack-Ack – See Ack-Ack.
• Sgt. Saturn – See Sergeant Saturn.
• Shaggy – Nickname for Shangri-L’Affaires, the fanzine of LASFS.
• Shaver Mystery – A crackpot theory created by writer Richard S. Shaver (1907-1975) in a series of stories in Amazing in the 1940s, presented as based on fact by Ray Palmer (1910-1977), then AMZ’s editor. The June 1947 AMZ was an all-Shaver issue; and the July 1958 Fantastic was a “Shaver Mystery Issue” that contained a novel by Shaver and five articles concerning him and his mystery. Palmer later claimed that the Shaver stories gave AMZ the highest circulation ever achieved by a science fiction magazine.
• Shayol – A slick semi-pro magazine that was published irregularly from November 1977 until Winter 1982. During its run of six issues it served as a showcase for new writers and artists. Arnold Fenner was editor/publisher; Pat Cadigan was executive editor.
  Short story- A work of SF under 7,500 words in length.
• Sidewise Award – The Sidewise Award for Alternate History has been given annually since1995 for alternate history SF in the categories of Long-Form, Short-Form, and Special Achievement.
• Sinisterra – One of the club publications of The Nameless Ones, a SF club in Seattle, Washington during the 1940s-1950s.
• Sixth Fandom – The historical stage of SF fandom from 1950 to 1953.
• Sixth Transition, The – See The Phony Seventh.
• 60th Worldcon – See ConJosé.
• Skiffy – Another term for sci-fi, often used by those who are aware that sci-fi is not the preferred term in SF fandom. Also, sometimes used as an ironic term for the entire field of science fiction.
• Skyhook – Award-winning SF fanzine of Redd Boggs.
• Skylark Award – Given by NESFA at the annual Boskone convention, the Edward E. “Doc” Smith Award (also known as the Lensman Award) honors Smith’s “Lensman” series of stories. The award consists of a trophy with a large lens.
• Slan Center – Proposed project of Battle Creek, Michigan SF fans early in 1943. The Center was to consist of an entire city block and consist of homes, stores, and even its own heating/electrical generating plants. The only manifestation of this proposed plan was the Slan Shack, which see.
• Slans – Telepathic super-humans in a story by A. E. van Vogt, first published in 1940. The term was adopted by some SF fans, who identified with the fictional slans and sometimes announced themselves with the slogan: “Fans Are Slans!”
• Slan Shack/Slan-shack/Slanshack – Conceived in 1943 by Battle Creek, Michigan SF fans, the original Slan Shack was an eight-room house in which a number of fans resided for almost two years. The term later became a generic one, meaning any temporary residence in which two or more SF fans live. See Fan Shack.
• Slash fiction – SF fan fiction in which fictional characters are paired.
• Slashout – Fannish equivalent of the humorous stage aside, the slashout is used to indicate something the writer pretends to have decided that he shouldn’t have said. The slashout partially obscures the word or words, yet allows them to be read.
• SLF Awards – See Speculative Literature Foundation.
• Slick/s – Term for the mainstream magazines that paid higher rates and used more expensive, slick paper than the pulp magazines. SF writers/artists of the 1940s aspired to sell their work to the “slicks” rather than the “pulps.” A few, such as Robert Heinlein and Ray Bradbury, were able to do so on a regular basis.
• Slip sheet – A sheet inserted between the pages of mimeoed copy as they come off the machine in order to prevent ink spots.
• SMC – Abbreviation for Shaver Mystery Club. See Shaver Mystery.
• SMOF/Smof/smof – Abbreviation for the Secret Master of Fandom, which see. When written lower case (smof), also means to talk with fans about fan activity.
• SMOG/smog – Abbreviation for Secret Master of Gaming, which see.
• Smooth/Smoooth/Smooooooth – To enter into a drinking ceremony. The leader of the ceremony takes a sip from a bottle, puts his hand in the air, and passes the bottle to the next person in line who does the same. All keep their hands raised until the bottle comes back to the leader, who takes another sip, at which time everyone shouts “Smooth!” and swings their arms down in a wide curve. The ceremony is credited to Wilson “Bob” Tucker who once stated that he got it from a movie in which Red Skelton performed in a similar manner.
• Snailmail – The usual mailing of LOCs, fanzines, and other materials through the post office, as opposed to e-mail sent electronically via computer.
• Snide – A SF fanzine (the “thud and blunder” fanzine) published in the early 1940s by Damon Knight (2nd issue with fellow art student Bill Evans), before he moved to New York and joined The Futurians.
• Snogging – Fanish term for necking.
• Socialac – Short for social activity.
• Society for Creative Anachronism – A group founded in 1966 by SF/fantasy writers and their friends in Berkeley, California, the purpose of which was to re-create the Middle Ages as they would have liked to have lived them. Poul Anderson was one of the founders. The Society is often abbreviated SCA.
• Soft Science Fiction – Stories that feature the so-called “soft” sciences such as anthropology, economics, medicine, psychology, sociology, etc.
• Solacon – The 1958 Worldcon, held in South Gate, CA (suburb of LA). Richard Matheson was GoH; Anthony Boucher was toastmaster; Anna S. Moffatt was Con Chair.
• SOTI – Abbreviation for the book Seduction of the Innocent, which see.
• Southeastern Science Fiction Achievement Awards – Annual awards for achievement in science fiction, fantasy, or horror, to persons born or living in the Southeastern United States. The first awards (Best Novel, Best Short Fiction) were presented in 2002 for works published in 2001.
• Southern Fandom Confederation – An organization of SF fans in Alabama and other southern states, founded in the early 1970s mainly through the efforts of SF fan Meade Frierson III. The official organ of the SFC was the SFC Bulletin.
• Southern Fandom Press Alliance – An APA in southern states, begun in the early 1970s.
• SPA – Short for Spectator Press Association.
• Space opera – A sub-genre of SF for classic, but often hackneyed and without much characterization, “spaceship stories” in which “good guys” fight “bad guys” and usually win. The term was coined by Wilson “Bob” Tucker in 1941 as a complement to the term “soap opera” made popular on radio (to denote corny domestic dramas, often sponsored by soap companies).
• S.P.C.T.S.F.M.R. – Abbreviation for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty To Science Fiction Magazine Readers (from the fanzine Fantasy Herald).
• Special Convention Awards – See Worldcon Special Convention Awards.
• Spectrum Award – Short for the annual Gaylactic Network Spectrum Awards, which honor SF, fantasy, and horror works that deal positively with gay characters, themes, and issues.
• Speculative fiction – Any fiction of a speculative nature, but — in fannish terms — usually limited to the genres of science fiction, fantasy, and horror.
• Speculative Literature Foundation – A foundation founded in 2003 to give out an assortment of grants and awards in speculative fiction. The first of these awards was the SLF Fountain Award, a $1000 prize for excellence in short fiction.
• Spicey pulps – The pulp magazines that featured risqué subject matter and lurid covers.
• Splash panel – A larger-than-normal panel in a comic story, especially the lead panel of the story or the first panel of an episode.
• Spockanalia - Reputedly the first mediazine, begun in 1966 and devoted to the “Star Trek” TV series.
• Spot illo – Abbreviation for a spot illustration. Spot illustrations provide graphics to a text article.
• SPWSSTFM – Abbreviation for Society for the Prevention of Wire Staples in Scientifiction Magazines, a humorous group founded by Wilson “Bob” Tucker.
• Squinka – The written continuity for a comic book story or cartoon, attributed to SF writer Manly Wade Wellman. See Continuity.
• SSS – Abbreviation for Super Science Stories, a pulp SF magazine published in the United States from 1940 to 1951.
• Stand alone/standalone – A term used to describe a story that, while it may be related to other works (e. g., take place in the same fiction universe), is a complete story by itself and not part of a series.
• Standlee – A unit of measurement, approximately one meter, used to indicate the distance of con facilities from each other. The name comes from the length of the stride of Bay Area fan Kevin Standlee.
• Stan’s Weekly Express – A nostalgia adzine (1969-1972) begun by Stanley Blair, who was succeeded by Ron Frantz and then by Harry Hopkins.
• Staple bound/staple-bound – Publications with pages bound together with staples, as opposed to pages glued to a flat spine. See Perfect binding.
• Starship – See Algol/Starship.
• Stef – Pronunciation of the abbreviation for science fiction, from the early term “stf” (from scientifiction).
• Stef-fans – Early name for science fiction fans.
• Stefnist – Early term for fan (or for a former fan) who has little interest in professional SF.
• Stencil – In the language of fanzine publishing, a stencil is always a mimeograph stencil. See Mimeo.
• STET – Name of a SF fanzine began in 1990 by journalist Leah Zeldes Smith and her husband Dick. The title comes from a proofreaders’ term used to indicate copy previously marked for deletion that should be allowed to stand, and from the German word Gestetner.
• STF/stf – Early abbreviation for science fiction, pronounced “stef.” The pronunciation was once a matter of controversy. See SF/Sf/sf.
• Stfans – Early name for science fiction fans.
• Stfay – Abbreviation for the SF fanzine Scientifantasy, published quarterly — for a total of four issues — by Bill Kroll and John Grossman of Des Moines, Iowa in the late 1940s.
• Stfcon – Early term for a science fiction convention. See Convention.
• Stfn – Abbreviation for the early 1930s SF fanzine Stf News, edited by FJA.
• Stfnic – Early fandom adjectival term meaning SF-like.
• St.Louiscon – The 1969 Worldcon, held in St. Louis, MO. Jack Gaughan was GoH; Eddie Jones the TAFF guest (fan GoH); Harlan Ellison was toastmaster; Ray and Joyce Fisher were Con Chairs.
• Stoker Award – See Bram Stoker Award.
• Stranger Club – See Nameless Ones, The.
• Street and Smith Comics – A pulp magazine publisher since the 19th Century (Astounding Science Fiction), Street and Smith entered the comic-book field in 1940 with adaptations of two of its most popular pulp magazine characters, Doc Savage Comics and Shadow Comics. Its most innovative comic book was Supersnipe, featuring “The Boy With the Most Comic Books in America.” Street and Smith left the comic book business in the summer of 1949.
• Strip zine – A fanzine devoted to comic strips.
• STSFG – Short for Stokes on Trent Sci-Fantasy Group.
• Sturgeon’s Law – SF author Theodore Sturgeon once stated that, while it is true that 90 per cent of SF is crud, it must be remembered that 90 per cent of everything is crud. This statement has come to be known as “Sturgeon’s Law” and is quoted frequently in genre literature.
• Subzine – A fanzine that is part of another, larger fanzine.
• SunCon – The 1977 Worldcon, held in Miami Beach, FL. Jack Williamson was GoH; Robert A. Madle was fan GoH; Robert Silverberg was toastmaster; Don Lundry was Con Chair.
• Sunned – The fading of paper or binding as a result of sun exposure.
• Superhero – A fictional character with extraordinary abilities. Doc Savage was the prototypical pulp superhero, while Superman has become the prototype for all comic book superheroes.
• Super Science Stories – Pulp SF magazine published from March 1940 until August 1951. For a short period of time it was titled Super Science Novels Magazine. The first editor was Frederik Pohl. From 1940 until 1942 it was published as a companion magazine to Astonishing Stories, also edited by Pohl. There were Canadian versions of both magazines.
• Sword & Sorcery – A sub-genre of fantasy fiction in which magic and medieval fighting play important roles.

Starring: Ian Abercrombie, Samuel L. Jackson, Anthony Daniels, Christopher Lee,

Director: Dave Filoni

Writer: Henry Gilroy based on George Lucas’s story and characters

Plot: As the Clone Wars sweep through the galaxy, the heroic Jedi Knights struggle to maintain order and restore peace. More and more systems are falling prey to the forces of the dark side as the Galactic Republic slips further and further under the sway of the Separatists and their never-ending droid army. Anakin Skywalker and his Padawan learner Ahsoka Tano find themselves on a mission with far-reaching consequences, one that brings them face-to-face with crime lord Jabba the Hutt. But Count Dooku and his sinister agents, including the nefarious Asajj Ventress, will stop at nothing to ensure that Anakin and Ahsoka fail at their quest. Meanwhile, on the front lines of the Clone Wars, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Master Yoda lead the massive clone army in a valiant effort to resist the forces of the dark side.

There are many words and abbreviations of special relevance to science fiction. In addition, over the years science fiction fandom has created many new terms. A list of some of these words and abbreviations is provided here for N3F members and for any others who are interested in the history of science fiction and science fiction fandom. Additions and/or corrections are invited.

P

• Pacificon – The fourth Worldcon, held in Los Angeles in 1946. A. E. van Vogt and E. Mayne Hull were Guests of Honor; Walter J. Daugherty was Con Chair.
• Pacificon II – The 1964 Worldcon, held in Oakland, CA. Leigh Brackett and Edmond Hamilton were Guests of Honor; Forrest J Ackerman was fan Guest of Honor; Anthony Boucher was toastmaster; J. Ben Stark and Al haLevy were Con Chairs.
• PADS – Abbreviation for The Publishing And Distributing Service. See Tribe X.
• Pagan Apa – An APA organization concerned with neopaganisms.
• Page count – The number of pages in an issue of a fanzine or an APA.
• Paleo/Paleofan – An old-time fan.
• Palmerism – Term for the type of SF that was epitomized by Raymond A. Palmer when he was editor/publisher of magazines that gave space to crackpot ideas like the Young Rosicrucians, the Shaver Mystery, and various mystical and occult forms of Cosmic Wisdom.
• Panelologist – One who studies, preserves, and/or venerates panel art. Jerry Bails published an early comics fanzine titled The Panelologist. See Panelology.
• Panelology – The study, preservation, and veneration of panel art. Term coined by Jerry G. Bails in the early 1960s to describe the interests of comic book fandom.
• Paperback Parade – A magazine for paperback readers and collectors that has been published since 1986. Many issues have included articles on SF and/or SF authors.
• PAR – Short for Pay After Reading, which see.
• Parade of Pleasure – Book by Geoffrey Wagner, published in England in 1954, containing an illustrated section on censorship in American comic books. Frequently abbreviated as POP. See Seduction of the Innocent.
• Passifan/Passi-fan – A person who reads SF or goes to SF movies, but has no interest in fandom. See FIJAGDH.
• Pass On Funds – Delay funds until the next year.
• Paul Award – See Frank R. Paul Award.
• Pay After Reading – Paying what you think a fanzine is worth after reading it.
• PB/pb – Abbreviation for a paperback book, as opposed to a hardback.
• P/B – Dealer abbreviation for a pin back button.
• PBO – Abbreviation for Pocket Book Original, which see.
• PC/pc – Dealer’s abbreviation for post card.
• PEAPS – Abbreviation for the Pulp Era Amateur Press Society, which see.
• Pep pin – A penny-sized litho tin pinback button, inserted as a premium in boxes of Kellogg’s Pep cereal beginning around 1943. Each of the first two series consisted of 18 military insignias and four larger WWII airplanes. In 1945 the first comic character series was issued, with new series added periodically over the next two years for a total of 86 different characters. The sets were advertised on the Superman radio program, and a Superman pin was included with every comic character series. Other superheroes were also included in the sets.
• Perfect binding – Type of binding used for paperback books, trade paperbacks, and magazines when there are too many pages to use staples. In perfect binding the pages are glued together and then placed in the covers of the publication.
• Perri, Leslie – Fan name of Doris Baumgardt (also known as Doë), early member of The Futurians and later wife of SF writers Frederik Pohl and Richard Wilson.
• Pers. – Short for personalzine, which see.
• Personalized Fanzine – See Personalzine.
• Personalzine – A fanzine written solely by the editor/publisher.
• Perzine – See personalzine.
• Pete Seeger’s Antidote – A cure for Frank Hays Disease, in which the filker stares at the ceiling until the lyrics to the filk song he/she has forgotten magically appear. See Frank Hays Disease. See Filker. See Filk song.
• Phantagraph, The – SF fanzine edited/published by Donald A. Wollheim from 1935 until 1946. Wollheim provided an index to the first eight years of his journal in 1941; and a collection of The Phantagraph’s fiction, articles, and poetry, Operation: Phantasy, was published by Donald M. Grant in 1967.
• Phantasmicon – A SF fanzine published in the 1970s.
• Philadelphia Science Fiction Society – The PSFS was founded in 1935 by SF fans Milton Rothman, Robert Madle, John Baltadonis, Ossie Train, and Ray Mariella.
• Philcon – The 1947 Worldcon, held in Philadelphia, PA. John W. Campbell, Jr. was GoH; L. Jerome Stanton was toastmaster; Milton Rothman was Con Chair. Also, the annual conventions run by the Philadelphia SF Society.
• Philip K. Dick Memorial Award – Award that honors the best American original paperback book of the year. Named after SF writer Philip K. Dick, the award began in 1982, and is awarded each year by the Philadelphia SF Society.
• Phildickian – Term created by fans to refer to the work/ideas of SF author Philip K. Dick. See Dickian.
• Phony Seventh, The – The last stage of historical fandom, in 1953-1954. Also known as the Sixth Transition.
• Photo-ref – Photos of actors in movies/TV series used as reference material for artists who illustrate the stories in mediazines, which see.
• Pick, pass, or play – Procedure used in organizing a filk-sing in which each player gets a turn to either pick a song for someone else to sing, pass and not take a turn, or play a song of his/her own choosing.
• Pict. – Dealer’s abbreviation for pictorial (e. g., book bound in pictorial wrappers).
• Pilgrim Award – Created in 1970 by the SFRA, the Pilgrim honors lifetime contributions to SF and fantasy scholarship. The award was named from the title of the first serious academic study of SF, Pilgrims Through Space and Time (1947) by J. O. Bailey.
• Pittcon – The 1960 Worldcon, held in Pittsburg, PA. James Blish was GoH; Isaac Asimov was toastmaster; Dirce Archer was Con Chair.
• PKD – Initials of SF author Philip K. Dick.
• PKD Award – See Philip K. Dick Memorial Award.
• Planet, The – The second SF fanzine (1st issue July 1930), edited by Allen Glasser for the New York Scienceers.
• Planet Stories – SF pulp magazine, specializing in space opera, that was published from Winter 1939 to Summer 1955 for a total run of 71 issues. Malcolm Reiss was in editorial control for the entire run of the magazine although other supporting editors were also involved, including SF author Jerome Bixby in 1950-1951.
• Plastic bags – Mylar or polyethylene bags, used to cover and protect collectibles.
• Plokta – Contemporary UK fanzine on the Internet, edited/published by Alison Scott and Steve Davies.
• Ploy – A maneuver to outwit other fans, usually more good-humored than a hoax, which see.
• Pocket Book Original – A paperback original, i.e., a never-before published story. The first SF PBO is considered by many to be Time Trap by Rog Phillips (Roger Phillips Graham ), published by Century Books in 1949, although other candidates for this honor exist.
• Pocket Program – Daily listing of events at a convention, printed just before the con begins so that it is as accurate as possible.
• Poctsards – Government postcards that found favor in fandom (due to a typing error) but which are sold only in Georgia and Ireland.
• POD – Abbreviation for print-on-demand publishing.
• Poor – The worst possible grade for a collectible item, the next thing to not having the item at all. Usually an item of this grade is only seen as a fill-in until a better grade can be obtained. See Grading.
• POP – Abbreviation used in genre literature for the book Parade of Pleasure, which see.
• PorSFans - Abbreviation for SF fans of the 1940s who were members of the Portland Science Fantasy Society. Several of them, including editor Donald Day, were involved in publishing The Fanscient, a popular fanzine of the day.
• Post Awful – Term by fans for the Postal Service, which seems at times to be entered into a conspiracy against fandom. At one time fans were dependent upon the postal service for communications, and they saw postal rates go up and up while services in some localities were cut. Other terms that have been used for the Postal Service include “Pest Awful” and “Post Offal,” when service was especially bad.
• PP – Abbreviation for Pegasus Publications and also for Paperback Parade.
• PPD/ppd – Abbreviation used by dealers to indicate postage paid.
• PPP – Abbreviation for Perfidious Press Publications.
• PR – Abbreviation for Progress Report, which see.
• Pre-Code – Term used to identify comic books published before the formation of the Comics Code Authority (1954).
• Presentation costume – Term for an elaborate costume intended to be entered formally in a masquerade competition at a convention. Many are so elaborate that they are very uncomfortable to wear. See Master costumer. See Convention.
• Pricey – Fannish term for a collectible that will command a high price.
  Print – A reproduction of a work of art, sold either individually or in a set. Many genre artists reproduce their own cover art and sell the prints at cons.
• Prix Apollo – Award given from 1971-1990 to honor the best SF novel (original or translated) published in French during the preceding year. The awards were suspended in 1991.
• Prix Aurora Awards – See Aurora Award.
• Prix Jules Verne Award – A French award given to novels “in the spirit of Jules Verne.” The award was discontinued in 1980.
• Pro – A professional, i. e., one who receives money for his/her work. Pros often arise from the ranks of fans. The difference between a pro and a fan can be very slight in the SF genre.
• Proac – Professional activity, as distinguished from fanac (fan activity).
• Pro/am – Abbreviation for professional and amateur.
• Probability Zero – A fan-oriented, readers’ department appearing in Astounding in 1942-1943. Readers of the magazine could submit stories for possible publication in this department, and be paid for those accepted. Ray Bradbury’s “Eat, Drink, and Be Wary” appeared in this department in the July 1942 issue. The department was later revived for a brief time.
• Pro-Con/pro-Con – A convention run by a professional entrepreneur for the purpose of promoting SF films, TV series, comics, etc. These gatherings began in the 1970s as an outgrowth of the Star Trek Conventions. See Fan-con.
• Pro-ed – A professional editor, as distinguished from a fan-ed, which see.
• Professor Challenger Society – A club for fans of both Arthur Conan Doyle and SF.
• Profiteering – Taking advantage of a shortage (sometimes specious or artifically created), charging inflated prices, and thereby making excessive profits.
• Programming – The organized events of a convention, as listed in the Pocket Program, which see.
• Program book – The souvenir booklet handed out at a con. Although they vary in size and quality, these booklets usually contain very useful information about the cons and their participants.
• Progress Report – Progress reports are irregular publications provided by the organizers of conventions to inform the convention-goer of any changes in the con’s scheduling of events, programming, films, guests, sites, etc. They take many forms, and some become collectibles in their own right. Often abbreviated as PR.
• PromComm - Short for Program Committee, the group that organizes events at a convention. See Programming.
• Prometheus Award – Created in 1979 to promote “pro-freedom” fiction, Prometheus Awards are given annually by the Libertarian Futurist Society (LFS). The Prometheus Hall of Fame Award was created by the LFS in 1982 as a retrospective counterpart to the Prometheus Award. The prize for both the Prometheus and the Hall of Fame awards is a gold coin, mounted on an engraved plaque.
• Propellor beanie – Symbol of a typical SF fan, credited to Ray Faraday Nelson. See Beanie.
• Protofan – A person with fannish characteristics who has not yet made contact with fandom.
• Provenance – The history of a collectible, documenting previous ownership, etc.
• Prozine – The opposite of a fanzine, i. e., a contraction of professional magazine. Also, in more recent times, a fanzine published by professionals.
• PrtSFS – Short for Portland Science Fiction Society.
• Pseudo-science – Pseudo-science refers to fraudulent or unproven sciences that make use of scientific terminology and are believed in by at least some of their adherents. SF stories, on the other hand, generally are extrapolations of present-day sciences, and their authors consider them to be fiction. The fine line between the two has been crossed at times when SF writers espoused various pseudo-scientific beliefs.
• Pseudo-science fiction/pseudoscience fiction – Early term for science fiction.
• Pseuicide – Name that came to be associated with the fake suicide of Earl Singleton, a prominent New England fan who perpetuated the hoax in the early 1940s, a decade of fan hoaxes. See Fan hoaxes.
• PSFS – Short for the Philadelphia Science Fiction Society, which see.
• Psi powers – Short for psionic powers. These powers are the several super-normal mental abilities such as telepathy, telekinesis, precognition, teleportation, levitation, etc. Many SF stories have featured such powers. ESP, or extra-sensory perception, is a synonym for psi powers, although it usually only pertains to super-perception abilities such as telepathy, precognition, and clairvoyance.
• Psychotic – The 1968 winner of the Hugo Award (for best Amateur Publication), edited by Richard E. Geis. See Science Fiction Review. See Alien Critic.
• Pub – Short for publish.
• Pubbed – Short for published.
• Pubber – Short for publisher.
• Pulpcon – Annual convention for devotees of the early pulp magazines, including the all-SF pulps and the other pulps that carried SF stories. See Lamont Award.
• The Pulp Era – An amateur magazine devoted to the pulps, edited by Lynn Hickman of Wauseon, Ohio. The magazine began in 1959 and was published into the 1970s. This magazine was an outgrowth of Hickman’s long-running fanzine JD-Argassy, which dealt with pulp magazines among other topics.
• Pulp Era Amateur Press Society – The PEAPS, devoted to the pulp magazines, was founded in 1987 by Lynn Hickman, an old-time SF fan and pioneering member of pulp fiction fandom.
• Pulp magazine – The most common form of mass-market fiction in the late 19th and early 20th centuries; the name comes from the cheap wood pulp on which the magazines were printed.
• Pulps – Short for pulp magazines. See Pulp magazine.
• Purple Fingers – What you get from using a ditto or hecto machine.
• PVC/pvc – Abbreviation for a collectible figure made out of poly vinyl chloride.