[Ads-l] Speculative Fiction

[Jesse Sheidlower]

Thanks for this, Bill. I've put this into HDSF in brackets; unlike the 1889 quot. (which you also contributed), this one is future-looking but not really science-fictional.

Jesse Sheidlower

On Fri, Jan 30, 2026 at 06:11:10PM +0000, Bill Mullins wrote:
> SF Dictionary has 1889
> OED has 1953
> 
> 1802 G. Barrington The History of New South Wales 3
> 
> To trace from the Origin, the History of any Country, but more particularly the one of so promising an aspect of future importance as that of New South Wales, is an undertaking very interesting, but not often to be accomplished with that degree of certainty, which precludes every idea, of Speculative Fiction, though when capable of being effected, it forms a valuable acquisition to the World. 
> 
> https://archive.org/details/historyofnewsout00barrrich/page/n58/mode/1up?q=%22speculative+fiction%22
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> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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