Science fiction, or “sci-fi” as it’s fondly known, has captivated readers for over a century. From the pioneering works of H.G. Wells to the contemporary musings of Iain M. Banks, one element remains constant: the imagination-igniting power of well-crafted sci fi words. Whether it’s describing funky new tech or bizarre societal norms, these novel words hook readers, spark curiosity, and lay the foundation for the immersive worlds we adore.
The terminology chosen by sci-fi writers plays a critical role in shaping our understanding of the story. It dictates how we interpret the impact of the author’s vision on characters, setting, and plot. Without consistent and well-developed terminology, a sci-fi world can quickly descend into confusion.
Building on the success of our fantasy word list, we present a curated selection of essential sci-fi words to fuel your creative fire. Let these, be they extensions of existing concepts or entirely new inventions, inspire you to craft unique terminology that propels your story to new heights, regardless of narrative.
Remember: Terminology isn’t just about creating cool-sounding words. It’s about building a cohesive and believable universe where readers can suspend disbelief and immerse themselves in your world. It is also important to pay homage to existing science and to connect your new ideas to scientific principles that already exist (otherwise, it’s science fantasy!). Use our sci fi word list as a springboard to forge your own unique linguistic tapestry and weave a truly captivating sci-fi tale.
Before we delve into the word list, we want to begin with;
The definition of Sci FI
As we’ve explored on both our sci fi flash fiction section and our sci fi short story section, at Lore Publication we define science fiction as:
science fiction noun sahy–uhns fik-shuhn
1. a form of fiction that draws imaginatively on scientific knowledge and speculation in its plot, setting, theme, etc.Dictionary.com, 2024
science fiction uncountable noun /ˈsaɪəns ˈfɪk.ʃən/
(informal sci-fi); (also SF)
books, films, or cartoons about an imagined future, especially about space travel or other planetsCambridge Dictionary, 2024
To define what we mean by sci fi, we tend to focus on some key points from those two definitions:
- the involvement of imagination and the imaginary
- the emphasis on current scientific knowledge
- emphasis on the future
- emphasis on speculative prediction
These key points are fundamental to identifying what makes a sci fi story, well, a work of sci fi. There needs to be an element of the current scientific knowledge with an emphasis on the future or speculative prediction.
List of Sci Fi words
In the world of science fiction, just like with fantasy, suffixes can be powerful tools for crafting a distinctive and immersive vocabulary. These word endings, often derived from Latin or Greek, carry specific meanings that can be creatively combined with invented prefixes to breathe life into your fictional universe.
Take, for example, the suffix “-ium.” Commonly associated with elements like lithium or sodium on our periodic table, “-ium” instantly evokes a sense of material and can be used to create entirely new fictional metals or alloys that play a crucial role in your story. Imagine a new metal essential for faster-than-light travel:
- Warantium: This name incorporates the root “war” or “warp,” directly referencing the metal’s function in enabling faster-than-light travel.
- Traversium: The root “traverse” emphasizes the act of crossing or passing through, hinting at the metal’s role in overcoming the barrier of light speed.
- Shindinium: Here, the invented prefix “shind” could suggest properties like speed, fluidity, or luminescence, all relevant to the metal’s purpose.
Beyond “-ium,” consider these other suffixes for your sci-fi vocabulary building:
- -tron: Conveys the idea of a device or machine (e.g. hyperdrive, chronotron)
- -ite: Often used for minerals or synthetic materials (e.g. stardustite, neuronite)
- -ian: Can denote a resident of a specific place or a follower of a specific philosophy (e.g., Martian, Plutonian)
- -ic: Frequently indicates relating to something (e.g. cybernetic, telekinetic)
- -oid: This suffix often implies resemblance or similarity (e.g. mechanoid, planetoid)
- -ist: This suffix denotes a practitioner of a profession or activity. While it has common uses like “scientist” or “artist,” in sci-fi, it can be creatively applied to concepts like new professions.
- -urgy: This suffix often refers to a skilled practice or working with something. In a sci-fi context, it can be used to create words relating to new fields of study, or working with new materials, or developing advanced technologies.
- -ologist: his suffix signifies someone who studies a specific field. Building on “-ist,” it can be used in sci-fi for even more specialized areas of knowledge, for example a person who is adept in an advanced field of science, or new science.
- -ural: This suffix can be used in various ways, often indicating relating to the structure or formation of something. For instance, it could be used to describe new environments and social structures (eg. think along the lines of cultural).
- -grapher: This is a great phrase to describe someone that studies something, usually related to directions, places, or regions (eg. cartographers).
Remember, the flexibility lies in your hands. You can invent entirely new prefixes to match your world’s unique vocabulary and terminology. For example, if your story revolves around advanced bioengineering, you could create a prefix like “bio-” or “gene-” to combine with various suffixes and build words specific to your narrative, like “bioforge” or “geneforge” for technology related to manipulating biological matter.
By leveraging suffixes and unleashing your imagination, you can forge a rich and vibrant vocabulary that seamlessly integrates with your science fiction world, making it feel distinct, authentic, and truly your own.
Below are some interesting words to consider for sci fi, organised in alphabetical order:
‘A’ Words
- Augment
- Astrographer
- Artifical
- AI
- Anion
- Astropolis
- Anoxic
- Anomaly
- Antiverse
- Amphoteric
- Amphotroph
- Antienergy
- Antidrive
- Antiengine
- Antiurgy
- Arc (arcology)
- Augmentologist
- Artificial
- Antibody
- Antimatter (anti-matter)
- Aeronaut
- Aeronautician
- Anticodon
- Aquifer
- Atmosphere
- Atmosgrapher
- Atlas
- Ablation
- Akaline
- Autotroph
- Ampere
- Axon
- Astronaut
- Antigen
- Asteroid
- Andriod
- Aerobic
- Andrologist
- Alien
- Accelerator
- Automation
- Automator
- Antioxidant
- Antigravity (anti-gravity)
- Anti-ion
- Amplitude
- Arthropod
- Astrobiology
- Astrochemology
- Angstrom
- Abiogenesis
- Atom
- Atomic
- Acid
- Acidic
- Allele
- Archaea
- Adhesion
- Absorption
- Adaptation
- Aerobe
‘B’ Words
- Biomics
- Botnet
- Beam
- Bioluminescence
- Biohazard
- Battlecruiser
- Blockchain
- Binary
- Binar
- Beacon
- Baryonic
- Bioship
- Bot
- Brainwave
- Breach
- Biohack
- Battlestar
- Blaster
- Bitstream
- Blueprint
- Beamship
- Botship
- Bandwidth
- Byline
- Bioengineering
- Blink-drive
- Bioscan
- Bitscan
- Bionic
- Bulkhead
- Bytecode
- Bytengineer
- Baseline
- Baryogenesis
- Bussard-ramjet
- Blastwave
- Bitmimicy
- Barycentric
- Base-pair
- Baryon
- Bacteriophage
- Bond
- Bioinformatics
- Biome
- Biochemistry
- Binarydrive
- Binarygate
- Biosphere
- Bioverse
- Beta-particle
- Barometer
- Beta-decay
- Boron
- Biofilm
- Beta-reactor
- Bipedal
- Betamorph
- Betamorphic
- Benthic
- Basalt
- Black-hole
- Brainsteam
- Binary-star
- Biopsy
- Biomarker
- Bulge
- Bulgedrive
- Bulgespace
- Bulgeverse
‘C’ Words
- Comet
- Cosmology
- Cosmologist
- Cryologist
- Cryosleep
- Communicator
- Chromatic
- Chromolurgy
- Cybernetics
- Clone
- Clonographer
- Cortex
- Cryostasis
- Containment
- Cloaking
- Cosmic
- Cyborg
- Cyborologist
- Cyber
- Cosmonaut
- Chronostasis
- Chronography
- Clonography
- Cyrogenics
- Clonogenics
- Cyrography
- Cyrographer
- Carbine
- Cyropod
- Chronopod
- Constellation
- Conduit
- Condurlurgy
- Chronochemist
- Clonochemistry
- Cyberspace
- Chamber
- Cryptography
- Cloneware
- Colony
- Comm-array
- Cerebral
- Cognitive
- Crystalline
- Crystallasis
- Cyberdrive
- Crystalographer
- Cephalopod
- Cogniscent
- Cognisphere
- Cyberhive
- Chimera
- Cell
- Cogniverse
- Cyberverse
- Cytosine
- Carbon
- Chemical
- Catalyst
- Chromatid
- Catalmorphic
- Carnivore
- Covalent
- Concave
- Convex
- Cytoplasm
- Cytomorph
- Cystalmorphic
- Chitinmorph
- Cohesion
- Cladistics
- Cation
- Compound
- Centrifuge
- Cardiovascular
- Cytoskeleton
- Cytoskelemorph
- Chlorine
- Cellular
- Conjugation
- Conjugamorph
‘D’ Words
- Dimension
- Dimensogrophy
- Dimensographer
- Digital
- Degeneration
- Deathray
- Dysonsphere
- DNA
- Deflector
- Dimensional
- Duplication
- Duplosis
- Duplography
- Duplographer
- Devolution
- Drone
- Displacement
- Data
- Diode
- Disintegration
- Doomstar
- Datamine
- Deceleration
- Desynchronisation
- Dissonance
- Disruptor
- Dyad
- Deorbit
- Darkweb
- Disintegration
- Decontamination
- Debris
- Doppelganger
- Dynamo
- Delimiter
- Dopant
- Decryption
- Download
- Dueterium
- Downstream
- Droid
- Droidsmith
- Droidist
- Diaspora
- Diplomat
- Dinural
- Driftengine
- Driftspace
- Disarray
- Datalog
- Discharge
- Dissipator
- Defragment
- Divulgence
- Datapad
- Directive
- Displacer
- Digitalise
- Disassembly
- Dimensionalise
- Distortion
- Decoy
- Diffusion
- Decomposition
- Density
- Divergent
- Dendrite
- Diatomic
- Doppler-Effect
- Diurnal
- Delta
- Depolarisation
- Differentiation
- Displacement
- Doomspace
- Doomengine
- Doomdrive
- Dorsalship
- Dipole
- Denitrification
- Dissociation
- Darwinism
- Dimer
- Ductility
‘E’ Words
- Empire
- Eclipse
- Eclispography
- Exosuit
- Exolurgy
- Entanglement
- Entangler
- Extraterrestrial
- Extradimensional
- Electromagnetic
- Encryption
- Ecosystem
- Echolocation
- Electrostatic
- Epoch
- Energy
- Exoplanet
- Exobiologist
- Exochemist
- Entropy
- Exosphere
- Exomind
- Exomind
- Equatorial
- Emergent
- Electrodynamics
- Emulator
- Equilibrium
- Equinox
- Evolution
- Electropulse
- Endosymbiosis
- Endothermic
- Echolocator
- Echology
- Empath
- Empathology
- Electricity
- Electrical
- Encounter
- Exploration
- Encode
- Epidemic
- Expanse
- Enhanced
- Enhancologist
- Experimental
- Expansionist
- Extrapolate
- Extrapolator
- Enclave
- Entity
- Electron
- Enzyme
- Erosion
- Embryo
- Enthalpy
- Extinction
- Exoverse
- Exospace
- Echospace
- Echospacial
- Extremophile
- Ethanol
- Ethanolic
- Eutrophication
- Electrode
- Electronegativity
- Electropositivity
- Electropolomy
- Exon
- Electrophoresis
- Eukaryote
- Enthalpy
- Echocore
- Exocore
- Electrocore
‘F’ Words
- Federation
- Fuel-cell
- Faster-Than-Light (FTL)
- Fusion
- Forcefield
- Fabricator
- Flux
- Forensics
- Frequency
- Flightsuit
- Faraday
- Farsight
- Floraform
- Faunaform
- Freefall
- Farpoint
- Feedback
- Frame-shift-drive (FSD)
- Forceshield
- Faunology
- Florology
- Firewall
- Ferrofluid
- Ferrology
- Ferrolurgy
- Fluctuation
- Frictionless
- Futureshock
- Fermi
- Firstspawn
- Fermion
- Flashpoint
- Fracturepoint
- Far-side
- Field
- Farscape
- Fractal
- Flare
- Flexbot
- Flak
- Frontier
- Flexsteel
- Flexurgy
- Flexology
- Flashfreeze
- Flashburn
- Farspace
- Firstspace
- Fossil
- Friction
- Fungi
- Feedback
- Fission
- Fusiondrive
- Fissiondrive
- Fuselage
- Ferrodrive
- Fluorine
- Fibrosis
- Force
- Forcedrive
- Force-engine
- Fluorescence
- Focal
- Focaldrive
- Fuel
- Fahrenheit
- Filter
- Food-web
- Fugacity
- Flotation
- Fractalspace
- Fractal
- Fractaldrive
- Fractalengine
- Fourier-Transform
- Flame
- Ferrocore
- Fissioncore
- Fusioncore
- Fuelcore
‘G’ Words
- Gamma-ray
- Galactic
- Gravity
- G-force
- Gauss
- Genetic
- Gravimetric
- Graviton
- Gravion
- Gravspawn
- Gas
- Gynoid
- Gateway
- Genome
- Geothermal
- Gravity-well
- Gravitational
- Gravithermal
- Gyroscope
- Glitch
- Glitchographer
- Galaxy
- Genespliced
- Geoscope
- Golem
- Gigastructure
- Geneforge
- Gridline
- Geodesic
- Geode
- Graphite
- Graphene
- Greenhouse
- Geospatial
- Gyroscopic
- Grav-plating
- Grav-pulse
- Gigawatt
- Grav-locked
- Gene-locked
- Geo-locked
- Gluon
- Grid
- Gaseous
- Galaticraft
- Gravspace
- Gyrodrive
- Gyrodriver
- Gravdriver
- Galaxial
- Geneticore
- Gridlock
- Glitchware
- Graveware
- Gravtronics
- Gyrotronics
- Gluonics
- Gravimatter
- Glumatter
- Genengineer
- Genengineering
- Gravitite
- Glitchdrive
- Gravdrive
- Gyrocraft
- Gravcraft
- Golemoid
- Gluoid
- Genotype
- Galvanisation
- Galvanometer
- Germination
- Gel
- Genomics
- Gram
- Gland
- Gravlattice
- Geolattice
- Groundwater
- Geothermal
- Glycolysis
- Genotoxicity
- Galvanic-cell
- Gravsail
‘H’ Words
- Heliosphere
- Hyperdrive
- Hyperborean
- Hyperspace
- Hologram
- Holodeck
- Hologate
- Heliodrive
- Hive
- Hegemony
- Heliopolis
- Holopolis
- Hapticdrive
- Heterotroph
- Hypertroph
- Hardwired
- Hypervelocity
- Hovercraft
- Hovercar
- Hydroponics
- Hydrogate
- Hallucinogen
- Hexapod
- Hexatroph
- Hydrogen
- Heliograv
- Habitat
- Hypernova
- Harmonizer
- Harmonics
- Heliotroph
- Hydrogel
- Holotape
- Headset
- Hardlight
- Hackdrive
- Heliocentric
- Hyperfoil
- Homeworld
- Hazardgate
- Holospectral
- Holotroph
- Holofoil
- Hypersteel
- Hydroxalloy
- Hydroxology
- Hydrogenengine
- Hypothesis
- Homeostasis
- Hibernation
- Hydrocarbon
- Hydrocarbonic
- Helium
- Histology
- Hematology
- Hematroph
- Halogen
- Heat
- Hivealtroph
- Host
- Hybridoma
- Hydrolysis
- Half-life
- Hybridisation
- Hybrid
- Hybrid-engine
‘I’ Words
- Irradiated
- Isotope
- Isotroph
- Inertia
- Inertaisail
- Interstellar
- Interdimensional
- Interspace
- Infosphere
- Intergalactic
- Invisible
- Innoculation
- Ion
- Ionosail
- Iongate
- Infra-red (Infrared)
- Intercom
- Incursion
- Ionosphere
- Ionogate
- Ionodrive
- Interdrive
- Iondrive
- Illusion
- Interface
- Inhibitor
- Interearth
- Intertroph
- Induced
- Inorganic
- Inquisitor
- Inhibitory
- Ionizer
- Ionology
- Inferference
- Impulse
- Incandescent
- Instability
- Immaterial
- Implant
- Incubator
- Insurgence
- Insulation
- Incorporeal
- Incognita
- Insuldrive
- Insulology
- Incogology
- Intercept
- Ionlatice
- Ionstream
- Insulatice
- Impeller
- Impulatice
- Impulology
- Impulologist
- Infinilology
- Infotainment
- Infotroph
- Isomorphic
- Isomorphology
- Infrasound
- Infrasound-drive
- Inceptual
- Inceptualology
- Infraspheric
- Isospheric
- Imprint
- Interweave
- Interlatice
- Immunisation
- Isonic
- Isonic-drive
- Isonicraft
- Infracraft
- Ionocraft
- Isostream
‘J’ Words
- Jumpdrive
- Jumpcraft
- Jetstream
- Jetcraft
- Jettison
- Jumpstream
- Jumplatice
- Joystick
- Junkyard
- Jacinthdrive
- Jetpack
- Jetgate
- Jumpgate
- Joule
- Joule-stream
- Joule-latice
- Jolt
- Joltsail
- Jailbrake
- Javelincraft
- Javelindrive
- Jackhammerdrive
- Joltdrive
- Jettisoncraft
- Jettisonpod
- Jingoistic
- Juncture
- Juggernaut
- Juggernautdrive
- Jargon
- Judder
- Junkcraft
- Joltmorphic
- Joltgate
- Javelin-missile
- Joustcraft
- Jupitar
- Jurassic
- Jacobian-Matrix
- Jovian
- Junctiondrive
- Jansky
- Jammer
- J-curve
- Janus-particle
- Jet-stream
- Jetsail
- Josephson-junction
‘K’ Words
- Kinetic
- Kineticsail
- Kiloparsec
- Kardashev
- Kevlar
- Kepler
- Kuiper
- Kuipertroph
- Kinetic-gate
- Kinetic-drive
- Kilolatice
- Kirlian
- Kyber (encryption)
- Kybernetics
- Kilohertz
- Klystron
- Kugelblitz
- Kugelblitzography
- Kinetography
- Kineto
- Kinetomorphic
- Kineto-dynamic
- Kardashevographics
- Kiln
- Kyberurlgy
- Kybertroph
- Kybermorphic
- Kinematics
- Kinase
- Karyotype
- Kelvin
- Keratin
- K-index
- Kappa-particle
- Karst-topography
- K-selection
- Karyogamy
- Karyorrhexis
- Krypton
- Kryptech
- Klebsiella
- Krebs-cycle
‘L’ Words
- Light
- Lightgate
- Lightdrive
- Lifesign
- Lattice
- Lightyear
- Lightsail
- Luminance
- Lunar
- Lunartroph
- Lambda
- Lightcurve
- Lightcone
- Launchpad
- Launchgate
- Lifepod
- Logarithm
- Lander
- Laser
- Laser-fabrication
- Laserdrive
- Lasergate
- Liquid
- Liquid-crystal
- Lobotomy
- Light-speed (lightspeed)
- Lens
- Logic-gate (logicgate)
- Logic-Plague
- Locator
- Lifemind
- Lifeform
- Logicmorph
- Logitroph
- Lightwave
- L-Cluster
- Liminalspace
- Liminalmind
- Lifestream
- Lightstream
- Lightlattice
- Logiclattice
- Logicmind
- Lorentz
- Lagranian
- Luminar
- Laser-array
- Lasersail
- Low-gravity
- Lightbridge
- Laserbridge
- Lithium
- Limbic
- Levitation
- Laserweave
- Lifegel
- Lymphocyte
- Lysosome
- Leukocyte-lattice
- Locus
- Ligand
- Lepton
- Lumin
- Luminosity
- Latency
- Lateral
- Lithosphere
- Lysogenic
- Lyophilisation
- Lumitroph
- Lyotroph
- Lytic-cycle
- Lytictroph
‘M’ Words
- Multiverse
- Matter
- Metahuman
- Moon
- Molecule
- Magnetodrive
- Morph
- Moonbase
- Magtech
- Morphtech
- Morphdrive
- Mass-lattice
- Megacity
- Microlattice
- Metropolis
- Magnetar
- Molecular
- Multidimensional
- Multiparticle
- Metatech
- Mag-processor
- Mechsuit
- Mechtech
- Mechdrive
- Mutagen
- Magnetosphere
- Metrospace
- Multispacial
- Microbot
- Micropolis
- Molecular-lattice
- Magnetolattice
- Magnetonics
- Mutagenics
- Mechonics
- Muta-biome
- Muta-particle
- Mutation
- Mars
- Martian
- Myceliumdrive
- Microthruster
- Mindsalts
- Minddrive
- Microfusion
- Multicosm
- Maglev
- Magsail
- Microchip
- Metamorphic
- Magma
- Meson
- Macrocosmic
- Megascale
- Moliurgy
- Memory-drive
- Memory-lattice
- Metamorph
‘N’ Words
- Nanotech
- Nanolattice
- Neurotransmitter
- Nucleaotech
- Nucleaodrive
- Neutron
- Neutronlattice
- Nanoparticle
- Neutrino
- Nanite
- Nanitedrive
- Nanaltech
- Nanalprocessor
- Neural
- Neurology
- Nucleaology
- Neuroimplant
- Neutrinology
- Neuroplasticity
- Neutrinodrive
- Null-gravity
- Null-lattice
- Nucleon
- Nanocarbon
- Nullspace
- Nucleaomorphic
- Nucleaotroph
- Nanoscale
- Navigational
- Nanoengineering
- Neocarbon
- Neotech
- Neptunium
- Nocive
- Nucleaonics
- Neonics
- Nanomind
- Nullmind
- Neuromorphic
- Nanofabrication
- Nulldrive
- Nanalology
- Nanalurgy
- Nanlgenic
- Neurogenic
- Nanogenic
- Neogenic
- Neoflora
- Neofauna
- Nullengine
- Nulldrive
- Nanotube
- Nociceptive
- Neurosynaptic
- Nanalsynaptic
- Neurotoxin
- Nanosurgery
- Network
- Network-engine
- Nanoscale
- Neolattice
- Nullverse
- Nanoverse
- Null-field
- Neuralprosthetic
- Nanodrone
- Neoregeneration
- Nanobiome
- Nullbiome
- Nebula
- Nitrogen
- Neoplasm
- Nucleaophilic
- Nitrification
‘O’ Words
- Orion
- Orbital
- Ozone
- Orbit
- Outpost
- Overmind
- Organic
- Osmotic
- Outer-space
- Overclock
- Ocular
- Omnipresent
- Omnidrive
- Onboard
- Overheat
- Off-grid
- Oort
- Overcharge
- Omnitool
- Overdrive
- Overhaul
- Overcast
- Organoid
- Organmorphic
- Oxygenation
- Omnidirectional
- Omniverse
- Outer-rim
- Origin
- Orb
- Omega
- Optic
- Optical-lattice
- Omnitech
- Observer
- Oscillation
- Oxygen
- Outlier
- Osmosis
- Osmosimorph
- Osmolarity
- Orthogonal
- Orthogonics
- Olfactory-lattice
- Oxidation
- Ontogeny
- Ontogenics
- Operator
- Open-system
- Otolith
- Octagon
- Octagonal-lattice
- Ortholog
- Oviparous
- Oxytocin
- Oligonucleaotide
- Oligosaccharide
- Orphan-gene
- Orogenesis
- Orogenerator
- Osmoregulation
- Organometalliod
- Oligarchy
‘P’ Words
- Pangean
- Planet
- Photon
- Photosynthesis
- Prototech
- Proto-engine
- Photondrive
- Phobia
- Phototroph
- Photomorphic
- Planetoid
- Pulsedrive
- Pulse
- Proton
- Polymer
- Polymorphic
- Polytroph
- pH
- Phylogenetics
- Plasma
- Plasmadrive
- Plasmalattice
- Parasite
- Photosystem
- Polarity
- Poles
- Pluto
- Prokaryote
- Permeability
- Pulsegate
- Pathogen
- Pathology
- Paleontology
- Positronic
- Power-armour
- Parallel
- Parallelverse
- Pulsar
- Portal
- Psychic
- Panspermia
- Psionics
- Precognition
- Psiology
- Psilattice
- Psi-drive
- Phase
- Phasedrive
- Phase-engine
- Paraterraforming
- Protostar
- Powercore
- Precursor
- Propulsion
- Protomolecule
- Protospace
- Positronium
- Phage
- Paracausal
- Penrose
- Plasma-sail
- Posthuman
- Pangea
- Paleoclimate
- Plate
- Pyro
- Pyrodrive
- Pyrolattice
- Pyrosail
- Pyruvate
- Parasitism
- Plasmid
- Prophase
- Polymerisation
- Petrology
- Pyroclastic
- Plateau
- Physics
- Pressure
- Pressuredrive
- Pharmacology
- Particle
- Pollination
- Phosphorus
- Phosphoric
- Pressurelattice
- Pandemic
- Parabola
- Porosity
- Primordial
- Psychology
- Paradox
- Paraverse
- Paranormal
- Precisiondrive
- Prismengine
- Prism
- Prismverse
- Probability
- Projectile
- Projectiledrive
- Planck
‘Q’ Words
- Quantum
- Quasar
- Quark
- Quasiparticle
- Qualitative
- Quantiative
- Quasiengine
- Quasidrive
- Quantumverse
- Quicksilver
- Qubit
- Quotient
- Qubit-engine
- Quartz
- Quartzsphere
- Quartzlattice
- Quasicrystal
- Quark-gluon (plasma)
- Quorum
- Q-factor
- Quenching
- Quicktime
- Quotidian
- Quarry
- Quicksand
- Quadraphonic
- Quagmire
- Quarantine
- Quadrant
- Quick-draw
- Quickcore
- Quasicore
- Quantumcore
- Quiverdrive
- Qubitdriver
- Quarkcore
- Quarklattice
- Quasi-organic
- Quasiquark
- Quadratic
- Quaternary
‘R’ Words
- Resonance
- Relative
- Relativity
- Reactor
- Reaction
- Radar
- Retrofit
- Retrovirus
- Remote
- Redshift
- Repulsor
- Repulsordrive
- Roamer
- Rover
- Respirator
- Rift
- Riftverse
- Riftspace
- Radiant
- Regenerate
- Reanimation
- Reboot
- Rays
- Raygun
- Relay
- Resistance
- Radiatio
- Robot
- Raydrive
- Refinary
- Rebellion
- Replicant
- Ribonucleic-acid
- Radiocarbon
- Radiowave
- Refraction
- Radioactive
- Retrograde
- Refractory
- Reticulum
- Rheology
- Riboswitch
- Redox
- Realm
- Reflux
- Reflector
- Retina
- Reentry
- Railgun
- Recon
- Remote
- Revolver
- Rocket
- Resonator
- Retinal
- Rebreather
- Recharge
- Robotic
- Riftgate
- Reality-anchor
- Recoil
- Ration
- Rogue-planet
‘S’ Words
- Star
- Saturn
- Space
- Silicon
- Saucer
- Singularity
- Sphere
- Schism
- Sensitive
- Sensor
- Spacecraft
- Spaceport
- Stargate
- Solar
- System
- Sonic
- Sonicengine
- Synth
- Synthlattice
- Supernova
- Stealthdrive
- Spacesuit
- Synthsuit
- Sensorsuit
- Synthetic
- Spacestation
- Station
- Subspace
- Symbiotic
- Solarsail
- Superluminal
- Synthverse
- Substrate
- Species
- Solution
- Salinity
- Stimulus
- Synaptic
- Synapticdrive
- Synapticlattice
- Somatic
- Sulphur
- Synthesis
- Spectral
- Spectralcore
- Synthcore
- Solenoid
- Sonar
- Sterilant
- Serology
- Symbionics
- Seismograph
- Starcore
- Stardrive
- Synovial
- Saccadic
- Siderite
- Spintronics
- Siderophore
- Solenoid
- Saccular
- Spectralverse
- Solvent
- Stratification
- Stochastic
- Stoichiometry
- Stereochemistry
- Spectrum
- Static
- Staticspace
- Staticverse
- Sentient
- Supersoldier
- Superdrive
- Subspacedrive
- Subdrive
- Skyopolis
- Skycity
- Spore-drive
- Sporespace
- Sporeverse
- Spore-engine
- Statisdrive
- Stasis-space
- Singularity-drive
- Singularity-lattice
- Stellar-nursery
- Spacefare
- Spacefarer
- Spacer
- Slipstream
- Slipspace
- Slipdrive
- Slipverse
- Slipsail
- Supersuit
- Sub-liminal
- Sapient
- Stellarforge
- Subcutaneous
- Subterrainian
- Subsurface
‘T’ Words
- Time
- Timedrive
- Time-engine
- Tachyon
- Tachyonsail
- Tachyondrive
- Telekinesis
- Terraform
- Terratech
- Teleportation
- Teleporter
- Technopathy
- Technotroph
- Techno-organic
- Transmorph
- Transtroph
- Technomorph
- Telemorphic
- Telemorph
- Tesseract
- Tesseractal
- Telepathic
- Temporaldrive
- Temporalspace
- Temporal
- Televerse
- Time-dilation
- Transmutation
- Telepresence
- Transwarp
- Teragenesis
- Technogenesis
- Transgenesis
- Telekinetic
- Telekinetic-drive
- Transponder
- Transdimensional
- Thrusters
- Transciever
- Transmitter
- Transmatter
- Teramatter
- Transference
- Tactical
- Terapathy
- Time-displacement
- Transluminal
- Teleluminal
- Time-locked
- Transgalactic
- Trans-stellar
- Telestellar
- Telecranial
- Transcranial
- Thermodynamics
- Thermaldrive
- Transduction
- Trajectory
- Troposphere
- Terrestrial
- Turbulence
- Topography
- Thermochemistry
- Translation
- Translation-lattice
- Translation-matrix
- Tensor
- Toxicology
- Transfection
- Thermoelasticity
- Thermoregulation
- Terraregulation
- Teleregulation
- Titration
- Titrant
- Tropism
- Tropic
- Tectonics
- Telomere
- Thermocouple
- Telecouple
- Thermoreceptor
- Thermalsensor
- Telesensor
‘U’ Words
- Utopia
- Utility
- Ultradimensional
- Ultraspace
- Ultraverse
- Unidentified-flying-object (UFO)
- Unidentified-hyperspace-object (UHSO)
- Umwelt
- Universal
- Universe
- Urbanopolis
- Urbantech
- Umbral
- Umbralopolis
- Umbraltroph
- Unmooring
- Uranium
- Ultradense
- Uncharted
- Ultranova
- Ultraliminal
- Underpowered
- Unbreachable
- Ultraviolet
- Unihabitable
- Unltrafine
- Unclassified
- Unstable
- Undiscovered
- Unmanned
- Ultrafast
- Ultranet
- Underdwellers
- Uridium
- Unearthly
- Unifier
- Underwater
- Uplink
- Unshielded
- Undercity
- Ultrasonic
- Underworld
- Underverse
- Underspace
- Uchronia
- Uchronomics
- Unithought
- Uni-uplink
- Umbraforming
- Ursine
- Undine
- Urflan
- Urlfanology
- Urflanomincs
- Uchornian
- Umbraphage
- Ultrasound
- Univalent
- Ultrafiltration
- Upwelling
- Ultracentrifuge
- Ultrasonography
‘V’ Words
- Void
- Voidspace
- Voidverse
- Vault
- Vector
- Volatile
- Visor
- Vanguard
- Velocity
- Vortex
- Vacuum
- Viral
- Vacuum-energy
- Venus
- Venusian
- Vacsuit
- Voidsuit
- Voidship
- Vidcomm
- Voidgate
- Vertebrate
- Virology
- Vaccine
- Variable
- Virulence
- Voltage
- Valence
- Viscosity
- Vapour
- Volume
- Vorticity
- Volcanology
- Volt
- Van der Waals forces
- Valency
- Valvular
- Vibronic
- Vitamin
- Voidborn
- Voltdrive
- Vectorspace
- Viceroy
- Voltreactor
‘W’ Words
- Weight
- Warp
- Warpcore
- Warpdrive
- Warpengine
- Warpspace
- Warpfield
- Warpreactor
- Warpbubble
- Warptrail
- Warpgate
- Wormhole
- Wormgate
- WiFi
- White-dwarf
- Waterworld
- White-hole
- Wastleland
- Wavelength
- Waveform
- Warp-nacelle
- Warpbeacon
- Wayfinder
- Wormtunnel
- Warptunnel
- Wind-turbine
- Weaponize
- Wavegen
- Wetware
- Worldship
- Weapon
- Wireheading
- Wyrd
- Worldmind
- Water
- Weight
- Weak-interaction
- Werner-complex
- Worldforge
- Warpforge
- Warponics
- Watt
- Wattage
- Wave-particle duality
- Wolframite
- Wavefuction
- Weir
- Wavefront
- Wetlands
- Wurtzite
- Washout
- Wafer (electronics)
- Watt-hour
- Wavelet
- Weightlessness
- Weber’s law
- Wireless
- Wattmeter
- Waterborne
‘X’ Words
- Xenobiology
- X-ray
- Xenon
- Xylan
- Xylandrive
- Xylogoloy
- Xylocore
- X-matter
- Xenolinguistics
- Xenoanthropology
- Xenoscience
- Xhosian
- Xenophage
- X-Event
- X-Dimension
- X-Space
- X-Verse
- Xrology
- Xenoverse
- Xenospace
- Xerophyte
- Xylem
- Xenoncore
- Xeriscape
- Xerography
- X-axis
- X-linked inheritance
- Xerostomia
- Xerosuit
- Xanthophyll
- Xenarthra
- XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy)
- X-ray astronomy
- Xenolith
- Xerosis
- Xeroradiography
‘Y’ Words
- Yggdrasil
- Yottabyte
- Ylem
- Yoctosecond
- Yottawatt
- Ytterbium
- Yttrium
- Yugen
- Yttriumdrive
- Yottal
- Y-knot-drive
- Y-knot-engine
- Yttrium-reactor
- Yttrium-drive
- Y-storm
- Y-space
- Y-verse
- Y-Reality
- Ylem-space
- Yuga-cycle
- Ylem-forge
- Y-Singularity
- Yersinia
- Yield
- Yaw-rate
- Yttirum-90
- Yellow-dwarf
‘Z’ Words
- Zonar
- Zonarology
- Zenith
- Z-axis
- Z-space
- Z-drive
- Z-verse
- Zero-gravity
- Zettabyte
- Zylon
- Zeta
- Zettaverse
- Zettspace
- Zettatech
- Zero-point energy
- Zero-point-drive
- Zero-point-engine
- Zettajoule
- Zetawave
- Zone
- Z-tech
- Zenology
- Z-pinch (fusion, energy, engine, etc)
- Zeta-potential
- Zinc
- Zeeman-effect
- Zenoportal
- Zeta-field
- Zenosphere
- Zeta-rays
- Zetadrive
- Zylonaut
- Zooplankton
- Zirconium
- Zirconium-plating
- Zero-valent
- Zymology
- Zeolite
- Zoonosis
- Z-DNA
We’ve tried to compile a comprehensive list, we hope this helps! Got a word you want added? Be sure to reach out to us and we’ll take a look at your words.
Don’t forget to download this blog via our free PDF to keep the list to hand offline. It is downloadable via a google drive link.
Before you go, why not check out;
Lore’s Sci Fi story selection
On Lore we don’t just provide great resources for writers, we also provide free stories to readers (as well as a place for writers to share their work). We want writers to find their new audience and readers to have access to free, high-quality stories at no cost.
It is one of the founding principles of Lore, and we’ll always have a catalogue of free fiction for people to enjoy.
Check out our sci fi short stories and sci fi flash fiction, have a read, get inspired, and get writing. Or, if you are a reader, enjoy the stories and check back soon for more. We also have great blog posts to help you get writing such as our article on how to write a fight scene, our alien story ideas, our guide on how to write a book with no experience, and 25 creative writing prompts for adults.
Have a submission? Check out our submission guidelines!
FAQS About Sci Fi Words
What are other words for science fiction?
Science fiction has numerous synonyms to describe it, however some would consider its synonyms to be sub-genres of the larger science fiction genre. For example, futurism, space fiction, space opera, space odyssey, and so on. Most people refer to the umbrella term of ‘science fiction’ as ‘sci fi’ and science fiction as a genre can be considered speculative fiction.
What is the term for sci-fi and fantasy?
Collectively, both science fiction (sci fi) and fantasy can be grouped together under speculative fiction. However, a story with both science fiction and fantasy elements can be considered a blend called science fantasy.
What is the difference between science fiction and science fantasy?
The key differences between science fiction and science fantasy is how grounded or ‘realistic’ the science concepts are. Stories that use current scientific understanding and build upon that to form speculative science concepts are considered science fiction. Ideas that are outlandish or have little to no basis in real science but have scientific themes are considered science fantasy.
What is science fiction in simple words?
Science fiction is a genre of fiction that depicts or imagines how current scientific ideas will develop, and bases plot, setting, or theme around these ideas.
Is sci-fi an acronym?
Sci-fi is a shortened way of writing or saying science fiction.
What five elements make a story science fiction?
There are a lot of elements that go into making a story science fiction, however some of the most important are: an unfamiliar setting, relatable characters, innovative technology, and element of “what if?” where the writer imagines a future based on a what if scenario, and a story that incorporates themes about humanity.
Do you have any science fiction resources?
Yes. We have this blog available as a downloadable PDF file for you to keep. You can access the file via this google drive link.