Sci-Fi

Question 1

A.I. / Artificial Intelligence

Answer 1

These are human-created intelligent beings that live in a virtual environnment such as on a computer.

Hal from 2001 is iconic in the regard

Question 2

Alien

Answer 2

A creature not from Earth. Or at least not from where your protagonist is from

Question 3

Android

Answer 3

(From the Geek, meaning like a human)

These are artificial life forms that are constructed to resemble a human and act like one. They can be made from any material even organic material like flesh. Not to be confused with a Golem, which is a magical equivalent.

Question 4

Beaming Technology

Answer 4

Beaming technology fires a high energy beam of light in a straight line from point A to point B. It can be used as a weapon like a phaser or it can be used to transport matter, like a teleporter.

Question 5

Colony World

Answer 5

Science Fiction is obsessed with spreading human civilization throughout the galaxy. Just as often these colony border planets are destroyed by a mysterious force that your hero needs to investigate.

Question 6

Credits

Answer 6

Your protagonist will need money. Why not use the most common science fiction term of all and have them spend credits at the local cantina.

Question 7

Force Fields, Energy Shields

Answer 7

These will protect your ships and some people will even have personal ones. Shields on star ships are measured in percentages.

Question 8

Hyper Space

Answer 8

A way to travel quickly between two points in space by passing through another dimension - usually subspace.

Question 9

Intergalactic

Answer 9

Between galaxies

Question 10

Inter-planetary

Answer 10

Between planets

Question 11

Interstellar

Answer 11

Between stars

Question 12

Parallel Worlds

Answer 12

This is when your character interacts with another dimension often like their own with perhaps a minor difference, for example, everyone is evil.

Question 13

Ray gun, Blaster, Phaser, Heat Ray

Answer 13

These are all examples of handheld side-arms used in science fiction to show that you are «in the future»

Question 14

Sentient beings

Answer 14

These are any beings, organic or otherwise, including artificial intelligences that can feel.

Question 15

SF

Answer 15

A pretentious shortening of Science Fiction. This form is only used by unbearable snobs to try to see if you are one of them.

Question 16

Star Base, Space Station

Answer 16

Bases of operation in space. Like a Wild West town, they can be interesting meeting places for a variety of characters. They are often too far away from the core to send for help and some suffer lawlessness.

Question 17

Techno-Babble

Answer 17

Nonsens words used to explain improbable technological events. Such as «re-route power to the forward flux capacitor» or «literally anything said in Star Treck:Discovery»

Question 18

Technocracy

Answer 18

A civilization based around the worship of technology. This can be religious in a traditional sense or simply a strong reliance in technology such as is seen in the Star Treck franchise.

Question 19

Terraforming

Answer 19

This is the process of turning a planet into an environment that is suitable for life.

Question 20

Time Travel

Answer 20

This is an event caused by a machine or natural object such as a black hole. This will transport your protagonist to the past or future. Alternatively, it will move them to another timeline.

Question 21

Tractor Beam

Answer 21

Your star ship will need a way to move objects ou of the way or trap enemy ships. The Tractor Beam merely exists as a plot convenience. Without it, Han Solo would have flown away from the Death Star

Question 22

Trans-Human

Answer 22

Used in much the same way as Post-Human but is technically the in-between stage of humanity and post-humanity. For example a person becoming a cyborg is Trans-Human.

Question 23

Utopian Societies

Answer 23

Some science fiction civilizations have moved past the need for money. They live in a society that values art and ethics above material wealth.

Question 24

Warp Drive, Hyper Drive, Quantum Deive and FTL (faster than light) Drive

Answer 24

These refer to the engines used to move Star ships through space by warping the fabric of reality.

Question 25

Warp Sheep

Answer 25

A form of FTL. Warp capable ships create fields of energy around them to travel through space by warping the fabric of reality.