The only sci fi flick to debut this weekend was the Spanish-language Sleep Dealer, whichwas shown only an a hanful of theatres in Los Angeles and New York. It debuted at No. 10 on the genre movie list and No. 37 overall with just over $30 thousand.

The sole genre film set to debut next week: The Mutant Chronicles also is set for a limited release befire going to DVD and a broadcast TV debut on the Sci Fi Channel later this summer.

Following are the Top 10 speculative fiction movies in release in North America for the weekend of April 17-19 , 2009.

RANK #. (Overall Rank) Title – Weekend Gross | Total Gross [Budget]

1. (1) 17 Again – $24 milllion | $24 million [N/A]
2. (3) Monsters vs. Aliens – $13 million | 163 million [$175 million]
3. (8) Knowing – $3.4 million | $74 million [N/A]
4. (10) The Haunting in Connecticut – $3.2 million | $52 million [N/A]
5. (11) Dragonball Evolution – $1.6 million | $7.8 million [N/A]
6. (15) Race to Witch Mountain – $0.7 million | $64 million [N/A]
7. (23) Coraline – $0.2 million | $75 million [N/A]
8. (26) Push- $0.09 million | $32 million [$38 million]
9. optical channel(30) The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – $0.06 million | $127.5 million [$150 million]
10. (37) Sleep Dealer – $0.03 million | $0.03 million [N/A]

Source: Box Office Mojo – list only includes science fiction, spy fi, fantasy and dark fantasy/horror titles.

Every other science fiction, fantasy or horror show on broadcast TV last week was still in reruns.

In the battle for viewers, Fringe attracted 9 million viewers last Tuesday – topping the list of genre programs. The show’s debut brought in close to 10% of the viewing public, which is FOX’s highest debut for a drama series in two years.

The network ran a repeat episode of Fringe on Sunday, Sept. 14, where it attracted an additional 5.7 million viewers for about 6 percent of the TVs being used that night.

It’s a good start, but may not be an indication of how well the show will perform once ABC, CBS and NBC stop showing repeats and start airing new episodes on Tuesdays. Luckily, Fringe has a great lead-in following House starting on the 16th.

FOX’s other debut this past week, the sophomore season of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles didn’t fare as well against NBC’s Deal or No Deal and CBS’s repeat of The Big Bang Theory. Sarah Connor attracted a mere 6.3 million viewers, barely beating out a repeat of Ghost Whisperer for the No. 2 Genre TV spot.

Following are the ratings for speculative fiction shows that aired on the broadcast networks last week:

SHOW [NET] # Viewers – 18-49/% watching (18-34/%) | Date

• 1. Fringe [FOX] 9 million – 3.2/9 (2.5/8) | Sept. 9
• 2. Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles [FOX] 6.3 million – 2.4/7 (2.1/6) | Sept. 8
• 3. Ghost Whisperer (repeat) [CBS] 6.2 million — (1.6/5) | Sept. 12 (9 p.m.)
• 4. Fringe (repeat) [FOX] 5.7 2.3/6 (19./6) | Sept. 14
• 5. Ghost Whisperer (repeat) [CBS] 5.7 million — (1.5/5) | Sept. 12 (8 p.m.)
• 6. Chuck (repeat) [NBC] 2.5 million — (0.8/3) | Sept. 13
• 7. Smallville (repeat) [CW] 2 million – 0.8/2 (0.7/2) | Sept. 11
• 8. Supernatural (repeat) [CW] 1.7 million – 0.6/2 (0.5/2) | Sept. 11

Source: Nielsen Media Research

Airs: Tuesdays, 9 p.m. (ET/PT)
Network: FOX
Rating: TV-14 (Graphic Violence, Language, Adult Situations)

First of all, let’s settle one dispute: Fringe is not a true “science fiction” series. The physics used in the show do not add up. The “science” behind the wonders depicted in this series is just too unbelievable to be taken seriously. So don’t. If you can get past that, you will probably enjoy this series.

If you must label the show with a specific subset of genre fiction, Fringe would fall under “science fantasy” – which is just like any other fantasy story, except the traditional trappings such as magic potions, spells, and crystal balls are replaced by the trappings of science. Potions become drugs; spells become computer code and mathematical algorithms, and crystal balls become the Internet. The list goes on, but you get the point.

According to interviews in the mainstream press, J.J. Abrams wanted to recreate the allegorical qualities of classic science fiction, fantasy and horror TV such as that written by Rod Serling. His goal is to comment on today’s society while using a fantastic world of fiction to depict harsh realities without turning off network censors or the viewing public who just wants to be entertained.

That’s a tall order – but judging from the pilot episode, it just may work.

Fringe is a smart, thrilling, funny and scary series. It holds the potential to be as good as X-Files or Supernatural. That is – if FOX doesn’t cancel the show before audiences find it – as the network has done countless other times.

CAST

• Olivia Dunham, played by Anna Torv
• Peter Bishop, played by Joshua Jackson (Dawson’s Creek)
• Dr. Walter Bishop, played by John Noble (Lord of the Rings)
• Phillip Broyles, played by Lance Reddick (The Wire)
• Charlie Francis, played by Kirk Acevedo (Oz)
• Nina Sharp, played by Blair Brown

ABOUT THE STORY
(SPOILER WARNING)

Fringe follows the lives of a mid-level government security agent named Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv) and the people around her.

But before we get to her, the pilot episode starts out on an airplane during an international flight – when something horrible goes wrong. (So far, this looks and feels like the first episode of LOST – which is odd since that’s the show that J.J. Abrams is famous for creating).

The something wrong here appeared to be some sort of ultra-fast flesh-eating virus that literally causes the flesh to melt off the bones of the plane’s passengers and crew during mid-flight.

It turns out the plane landed safely because of auto pilot landing available at Boston’s airport. That’s when the Feds arrive: CIA. FBI, the CDC and Homeland Security. It turns out that the hero of the story, Olivia Dunham is some sort of inter-agency liaison set up after 9/11.

As agents from the different agencies gather, a man named Phillip Broyles (Lance Reddick) from Homeland Security takes charge – giving assignments to everyone except Dunham. As it happens, sometime in the past, she was an investigator that uncovered that some of Broyles friends were crooked – which led to their arrest. Broyels doesn’t like Dunham and mocks her and her job – but eventually relents and allows her to take part in the investigation – doing grunt work.

As it turns out, Dunham is having an affair with a co-worker – a fellow agent – which is forbidden by their employer. That man also is on the same case.

While checking out a warehouse, Dunham and her boyfriend are caught in an explosion. She had minor injuries – he got – “infected” by some mysterious fatal condition or disease … or something … that made his flesh turn translucent. But the fatality was slowed by inducing an artificial coma and putting him on ice – literally.

That’s the set up for this story. Dunham fights against time and a boss that hates her to save the life of her boyfriend. In doing so, she tracks down a man – Dr. Walter Bishop (John Noble) – who was working on similar technology for the U.S. government in the 1970s. Of course he went nuts and now lives in a loony bin – with no visitors except for immediate family. Her boss will not let her use federal authority to get the guy out of the asylum.

Now we have a woman fighting against time, a boss that hates her and her only hope to save her boyfriend is a man trapped in a loony bin. Getting interesting – if not plausible.

It turns out that all of Dr. Bishop’s immediate family is dead – except for a son – Peter Bishop (Joshua Jackson) who is running from the mob and trying to scam Iraqi government contractors into getting a job in Baghdad. Naturally, Peter Bishop has an IQ of 190 and is a genius like his father. He’s also running from the mob because of gambling debts incurred while trying to get rich off casinos.

Dunham uses some arm twisting and bluffing (the guy is obviously bad at gambling) to get Peter out of Iraq and on a plane to Boston to visit the elder Dr. Bishop – who Peter hates, naturally.

As it turns out, in saving her boyfriend’s life, Dunham uncovers a “pattern” and some secrets that the world governments are keeping from the general population. In this case, those “governments” also include a huge corporation called Massive Dynamic, which is kind of like a cross between Microsoft and GE. The owner of the company is Dr. Bishop’s former lab partner. We don’t met the big boss of Massive Dynamic, but we to meet Nina Sharp (Blair Brown), his left-hand woman (her right hand is bionic).

By the end of the pilot, Dunham has assembled a Scooby gang of sorts which includes the Bishops and her assistant Astrid Farnsworth (Jasika Nicole). Oh, and she also saves the life of her boyfriend, is betrayed and ultimately gains the acceptance and respect of her boss.

He likes her so much, he offers her a new job fighting “the pattern” and unlimited resources to get it done… Hence a series begins.

The CW pre-empted showings of Reaper, Supernatural and Smallville for the debut and repeat airings of re-tread teen soap opera 90210 - a re-make of the 1980s FOX hit series.

Following are the ratings for speculative fiction shows that aired on the broadcast networks last week (August 29-September 4, 2008):

SHOW | [NETWORK] | Rating (Air Date)

• National Treasure [NBC] 1.8 [August 31]
• Ghost Whisperer [CBS] 1.4 (August 29)
• Chuck [CBS] 0.7 (August 30)

Source: Nielsen Media Research

SHOW | [NETWORK] | Rating (Air Date)

• 1. (tie) Madagascar [ABC] 1.1 (August 23)
• 1. (tie) Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles [FOX] 1.1 (August 20)
• 3. (tie) Smallville [CW] 0.9 (August 24)
• 3. (tie) Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles [FOX] 0.9 (August 19)
• 5. (tie) Eli Stone [ABC] 0.6 (August 22)
• 5. (tie) Smallville [CW] 0.6 (August 21)
• 5. (tie) Supernatural [CW] 0.6 (August 21)
• 8.  Reaper [CW] 0.4 (August 19)

Source: Nielsen Media Research

Following are the ratings for all speculative fiction shows that aired on the broadcast networks between August 8 and 14, 2008 (all shows were in repeat):

SHOW | [NETWORK] | Rating (Air Date)

• 1. War of the Worlds [ABC] 1.2 (August 8 )
• 2. Ghost Whisperer [CBS] 1.1 (August 8 )
• 3. (tie) Hellboy [FOX] 1.0 (August 8 )
• 3. (tie) Shark Tale [ABC] 1.0 (August 9)
• 3. (tie) Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles [FOX] 1.0 (August 11)
• 3. (tie) Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles [FOX] 1.0 (August 12)
• 7. Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles [FOX] 0.9 (August 10)
• 8. Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles [FOX] 0.8 (August 13)
• 9. Eli Stone [ABC] 0.7 (August 9)
• 10. (tie) Smallville [CW] 0.6 (August 14)
• 10. (tie) Supernatural [CW] 0.6 (August 14)
• 12. Reaper [CW] 0.5 (August 12)

Source: Nielsen Media Research

SHOW | [NETWORK] | Rating (Air Date)

• 1. Fear Itself [NBC] 1.4 (July 31)
• 2. Ghost Whisperer [CBS] 1.3 (July 25)
• 3. Reaper [CW] 0.9 (July 29)
• 4. Peter Pan [ABC] 0.8 (July 26)
• 5. Smallville [CW] 0.7 (July 31)
• 6. (tie) Eli Stone [ABC] 0.6 (July 26)
• 6. (tie) Supernatural [CW] 0.6 (July 31)

Source: Nielsen Media Research

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.

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.

Q

• Quantum: Science Fiction & Fantasy Review - Formerly titled Thrust—Science Fiction in Review, Quantum was a fanzine published and edited by D. Douglas Fratz that boasted several award-winning SF authors as contributing editors. It was a Hugo finalist for best semi-professional magazine in 1991. See Thrust.
• Quasi-quote – Not an exact quote, but a fair summation of the speaker’s remarks (the substance, but not the exact words), indicated by quote marks with hyphens.
• Quish – The 1st anniversary issue of Lee Hoffman’s fanzine Quandry.
• Quote cards – Cards sent with letters, containing a witty or unusual saying, to be signed by the recipient and then passed on to someone else.
• Quote cover – A fanzine cover filled with remarks made by fans or other individuals; a cover filled with linos. See Lino.

R

• Radio premium – A toy given away (or sold for a box top and postage) by the sponsor of an OTR show to stimulate interest in the program and the sponsor’s product and to get an estimate of the size of the listening audience. Many were SF/fantasy related. See OTR.
• RAE/Rae/rae – Abbreviations for read and enjoyed, used in fanzines and other APA publications.
• RAE BNC – Abbreviation for the comment read and enjoyed, but no comment, used in fanzines and other APA publications. Although rarely used, this term is pronounced “ray bink” when spoken.
• RAP – Initials of SF personality Raymond A. Palmer, former SF fan and one-time editor of the SF magazines Amazing, Fantastic Adventures, and Other Worlds, and the occult magazine Fate.
• Rare – Any collectible of which twenty or fewer copies are known to exist.
• Rasff – The Usenet newsgroup rec.arts.sf.fandom, a sort of online con-cum-electronic APA. See APA.
• Ratings – In fanzine reviews, ratings usually range from 1 to 10, with 10 the highest.
• Raymond Z. Gallun Award – Award established at SUNY-Stonybrook to honor “outstanding contributions to the science fiction genre.” The award is named for the popular pulp SF author, Raymond Zinke Gallun (1911 – 1994).
• RBCC – Abbreviation for The Rocket’s Blast–Comicollector, one of the early comic book fanzines (1965-1976).
• Reader – In SF fan language, a mundane who only reads SF/fantasy. See Mundane.
• Readercon Small Press Award - An award, given in a variety of categories, that honors small press books and magazines. The awards are presented annually at the Noreascon by the Small Press Writers and Artists Organization.
• Real Soon Now – A promise of fannish activity that currently has the meaning of “far into the future.” Denotes sarcasm when written in all capital letters.
• Realms of Fantasy – A fantasy fiction magazine, published bimonthly in a slick format. The current editor is Shawna McCarthy.
• Re-creation costume – Judged by different standards than other costumes at a con, a re-creation costume attempts to reproduce an already existing costume seen on TV, in a movie, in a comic book, etc.
• Recursive science fiction – Self-referential SF stories (i. e., science fiction stories that refer to science fiction), the references usually being to authors/editors, fans, books/magazines, and/or conventions. An award-winning, recursive SF book is The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick.
• Reference Library, The – The book review section in Astounding which began in the October 1951 issue — originally conducted by P. Schuyler “Sky” Miller.
• REH – Initials of genre author Robert E. Howard, by which he is often identified.
• Rejected Canon – The material Dick Eney left out of Jack Speer’s Fancyclopedia I.
• Relaxacon – A con with no set program, usually intended as a relaxing weekend of socializing.
• Renaissance Fair – Gathering of actors, musicians, and craftsmen who try to reproduce the atmosphere of a medieval fair for a paying audience. Often abbreviated as Ren-Faire.
• Ren-Faire – See Renaissance Fair.
• Repro – Short for the quality of reproduction in a fanzine, for reproduction of a fanzine by any means, and as a verb meaning to make copies. Dealers often describe approved copies of collectibles offered for sale with this term.
• Restoration – Any attempt to improve the appearance of a collectible, professional or amateur.
• Retro Hugo Awards - In 1996 “retrospective” Hugo Awards (which began in 1953) were awarded for the year 1946. Isaac Asimov’s The Mule (a two-part “Foundation” serial in Astounding’s November and December 1946 issues) was named best novel. In 2001 Retro Hugo Awards were awarded for work published in the year 1950. Robert A. Heinlein’s Farmer in the Sky and The Man Who Sold the Moon were named best novel and best novella, respectively. Awards may be made for years in which the Worldcon had taken place but for which no Hugo Awards had been given. Awards are allowed only for specific years: 50, 75, or 100 years before the current Worldcon. See Hugos. See Worldcon.
• Revenant – A gafiate who has returned to fandom, usually after a long absence. See Degafiate. See Gafiate.
• Reviewzine – A fanzine specializing in reviews.
• Rhodomagnetic Digest – The official publication of the Elves’, Gnomes’, and Little Men’s Science Fiction Chowder and Marching Society. See Little Men. See Invisible Little Man Award.
• Rhysling Award - Created by the Science Fiction Poetry Association in 1978 (with winners selected each year by members of SFPA), this award is presented annually for the best poem in two categories: 1) long poem (50 lines or more), and 2) poems of shorter lengths. The name of the award comes from the Robert Heinlein character in “The Green Hills of Earth,” the blind poet Rhysling.
• Rider – A separate, usually smaller, fanzine that is mailed out with another fanzine.
• Riverside Quarterly – A fanzine edited/published by Leland Sapiro, a South Carolina (later California) SF fan, beginning with an August 1964 issue. For a few issues in the beginning RC carried the label “formerly Inside” [Jon White’s earlier fanzine]. Sapiro once wrote that his title/policy on RC was intended “to emulate the Hudson Review, possibly the best literary magazine of the time, performing the same office for SF/fantasy that the HR did for literature in general. RQ was considered by many to be the most academic zine of the 1960s, and was nominated for a Hugo Award in 1967, 1969, and 1970. After a lapse of several years, it resumed publication in 1977.
  Room parties – Parties held for fans at conventions, held in one of the private rooms being used by the con membership.
  Roomstuffing – The practice at conventions, usually among the younger fans, of allowing several people to stay in a hotel room that is registered to only one person. The idea is to share the cheaper cost of a single room among as many fans as possible.
• Roscoe – One of the fannish Ghods, incarnate as a beaver. See Ghods.
• Roscoe’s Birthday – Labor Day is a holy day for Rosconians, who gather with their friends to celebrate the birth of the beaver ghod. See Roscoe. See Ghods.
• Rosconians – Followers of the fannish ghod Roscoe. See Roscoe. See Ghods.
• Rotsler Award – See Rotsler Memorial Fanzine Artist Award.
• Rotsler Memorial Fanzine Artist Award – Presented annually by the Southern California Institute for Fan Interests (SCIFI), the Rotsler Award honors the lifetime work of outstanding fan artists. The award was created in 1997 and is named for the esteemed fan artist William Rotsler (1926-1997). The award consists of cash and a plaque. The first winner was Steve Stiles in 1998.
• Rotsler’s Rules of Costuming – Informal guide for would-be costume contestants at fan cons, drawn up by fan artist William Rotsler.
• Rotation Plan – The procedure by which Worldcons are moved each year to a different part of the United States or Canada (i. e., East, Midwest, and West), or overseas.
• Round Robin – Something started by one writer and continued/completed by others (e. g., a story in a fanzine).
• RPG – Abbreviation for Role Playing Game.
• RSN/rsn – Abbreviation for Real Soon Now, which see.
• Run off – To create copies on mimeo or ditto, which see.
• Ruthiechan – Fan name of Ruth R. Davidson, former president of N3F.

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.