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Brave new words:

the Oxford dictionary of science fiction
Front Cover
7 Reviews
Oxford University Press, May 7, 2007 - Reference - 342 pages
The first historical dictionary devoted to science fiction, Brave New Words:The Oxford Dictionary of Science Fiction shows exactly how science-fictional words and their associated concepts have developed over time, with full citations and bibliographic information. It's a window on a whole genre of literature through the words invented and passed along by the genre's most talented writers. In addition, it shows how many words we consider everyday vocabulary-words like "spacesuit," "blast off," and "robot"-had their roots in imaginative literature, and not in hard science.
Citations are included for each definition, starting with the earliest usage that can be found. These citations are drawn not only from science fiction books and magazines, but also from mainstream publications, fanzines, screenplays, newspapers, comics, film, songs, and the Internet. In addition to illustrating the different ways each word has been used, citations also show when and where words have moved out of the science fiction lexicon and into that of other subcultures or mainstream English.
Brave New Words covers the shared language of science fiction, as well as the vocabulary of science fiction criticism and its fans--those terms that are used by many authors in multiple settings. Words coined in science fiction have become part of the vocabulary of any number of subcultures and endeavors, from comics, to neo-paganism, to aerospace, to computers, to environmentalism, to zine culture. This is the first book to document this vocabulary transfer. Not just a useful reference and an entertaining browse, this book also documents the enduring legacy of science fiction writers and fans.

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Review: Brave New Words: The Oxford Dictionary of Science Fiction

User Review  - Anthony Patten - Goodreads

Great reference book. Inspires me every time. The resources are a bit dodgy/unnecessary, and there could be alot more content (the "space-" seciton was nearly half the book. Spaceman, spacegirl, I get it!). Read full review

Review: Brave New Words: The Oxford Dictionary of Science Fiction

User Review  - John Black - Goodreads

Got this is as a Christmas present. It's 'just' a dictionary so it's hard to say a lot about it… only that's it's pretty good. Seems to have just about every 'sf' word you can think of eg needle gun ... Read full review

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About the author (2007)


Jeff Prucher is a freelance lexicographer and an editor for the Oxford English Dictionary's science fiction project. He has previously been a bookseller, office temp, editorial assistant for Locus, and software quality assurance engineer. He lives in San Francisco with his wife and more books than they realistically have room for.

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