[Ads-l] Small antedating of "sci-fi"

Jesse Sheidlower jester at PANIX.COM
Mon Mar 28 18:31:10 UTC 2022


We've looked at the history of the term _sci-fi_ at various times on the list before. Despite the coinage being often credited to Forrest J. Ackerman in 1954, it has the feel of a Varietyism, and Fred Shapiro found an example in Variety on 17 Feburary 1954 (the earliest we have from Ackerman is December 1954). (There's a "1949" example in a collection of Robert Heinlein's letters, but this was subsequently shown to have been an editorial mistranscription of "sci-fic".)

Ben Ostrowsky, a reference librarian who has been contributing extensively to the Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction, found a reference in HathiTrust to a supposed January 1954 use in Cue magazine, and was able to confirm this in a physical issue (thank you, Indiana University library staff!). So, that's another three and a half weeks! Note the italicization of "sci-fi", as if it's a foreignism.

1954 J. Zunser _Donovan’s Brain_ in _Cue_ 23 Jan. 20/3 (review)
This is a taut little horror film about a surgeon who falls under the malignant influence of a disembodied brain he has extracted from a corpse. Taken in the usual _sci-fi_ spirit, it’s fun—a weird combination of fact, fiction and conviction—well acted by Lew Ayres as the surgeon, Gene Evans, Nancy Davis and Steve Brodie.

Jesse Sheidlower
<hat>HDSF</hat>

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org



More information about the Ads-l mailing list