Sci-fi
From Freepedia
- For other uses of variations on "Sci-fi", see Scifi (disambiguation).
Sci-fi is an abbreviation for science fiction. It was coined in 1954 by Forrest J. Ackerman as a pun on the term "hi-fi". Most science fiction fans at the time reacted negatively to the word. An alternative abbreviation, SF, is also in use though "sci-fi" is more common among the general public outside science fiction fandom, much to the consternation of serious science fiction fans and writers. Despite the almost universal acceptance of "sci-fi" as a synonym for the genre, many science fiction fans still cringe when they hear it.
Sometimes the word is used to mean particularly poor or campy examples of science fiction. For example, under such usage, Plan 9 from Outer Space might be considered sci-fi. In this usage it is often spelled "skiffy", pronounced /ˈskɪ.fɪ/.
Another source of dislike for the sci-fi term is the tendency for the mainstream to use it as a collective term that lumps together not only true science fiction but fantasy, horror, comic books, cult films, special effects action films, only marginally related genres such as anime and gaming, and completely unrelated fields such as UFOlogy.
Despite this controversy, two high-profile science fiction-based cable networks in the United States and the United Kingdom take their name from this term, although both networks air programming which may not fit into everyone's definition of "science fiction." The channel name may be particularly suitable for those who dislike the term sci-fi since, according to the Dave Langford, "SF people [pronounce sci-fi] in tones of heavy irony to describe bad TV or movie sf." [1].
A variation of the term is "sci-fantasy".
