[from William Gibson's early-80s cyberpunk SF] A future cracker; a software expert skilled at manipulating cyberspace, especially at circumventing security precautions. Not yet used in other SF, [..]

[From Poul Anderson's `Polesotechnic League' stories, going back at least to 1963] An evolved biological intelligence. Implies human-level cognitive and linguistic ability but not necessaril [..]

[first use unknown] A biological robot, esp. a cloned or synthetic human (but compare droid). Clute and Nicholls' Encylopedia of Science Fiction traces the first modern use to Jack Williamson [..]

[from Ursula K. LeGuin's Oikumene stories beginning c.1965] General SFnal term for FTL radio; a communicator using a method with instantaneous or at least superluminal propagation speed.

[contraction of "antigravity"; first use unknown] General SFnal term for a hypothetical technology of local gravity nullification or control allowing objects (especially vehicles) to levitat [..]

[1970] Shortened noun form of "autonomous" used to describe a non-humanoid robot. First appeared in the "Dr. Who" episode "Spearhead from Space" in 1970, then in "Te [..]

[first use unknown; dates back at least to 1950] Critical term, abbreviation for "Bug-Eyed Monster". Use of this term is now rare and implicitly derogatory, equating the work in which the BE [..]

[first use unknown] General SFnal term for hypothetical technologies which combine genetic engineering, surgical, and nanotech methods to make the manipulation of living tissue as readily available an [..]

[coined by Fred Saberhagen, c.1961] A space-going autonomous war machine the size of a small asteroid, programmed to destroy all intelligent life not resembling its long-lost creators, and usually to [..]

[first use unknown, goes back at least to 1930s] General SFnal term for a hand weapon analogous to a pistol but firing some unspecified form of radiant energy. The term predates laser and maser techno [..]