Origin of the Term "Sci-Fi"

[Ben Ostrowsky]

> The OED's first use for "sci-fi" is dated 1955.  I e-mailed Ackerman and
> got a response from his assistant setting forth details of FJA's 1954
> published usage, which I then contributed to the OED.  The Ackerman web
> site indicates that Robert Heinlein used the term in a 1947 private
> letter.  I tried to get a usable citation to that letter for OED, but
> Ackerman's assistant was not able to provide me with anything.

The SF-in-OED project appears to have a 1949 citation.
http://www.jessesword.com/SF/sf_crit.shtml says "Jeff Prucher submitted a
cite from a 1949 letter printed in Robert Heinlein's 'Grumbles from the
Grave'. "

Ben