(Initial entry lifted from Firvulag and Drakensis's 12/16 posts in the original thread. New/updated entries in blue.)
Acceleration Drive: A drive based on the concept of maximum acceleration, not speed. Fairly rare among the Fen. All Hard Tech spacecraft
drives are acceleration drives by necessity.
Ace: Extremely beneficial biomod, with no or relatively few negatives. Term originated with the Supers faction.
B-Arker: Derogatory term for someone who can't or won't consider the implications of a strongly-held position. From Douglas Adams'
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, spotted in Earthside academic usage before the discovery of handwavium.
Banzai Institute for Biomedical Research and Strategic Information: A non-profit organization that handles business concerns for the Blue
Blazer Irregulars in the 'Danelaw. The Institute concerns itself with altruistic pursuits as simple as literacy and as complex as disaster rescue and
relief. The Banzai Institute is registered in both the United States and the European Union. Its mailing address is listed as a P.O. Box located in Dallas,
Texas. Both the P.O. Box and the email domain, banzai-institute.org, are registered under a shell corporation, managed by a woman known only as Mrs. Johnson.
BDH: Another name for the Whedonite SMOFs, either real or in their own minds. Short for "Big Damn Heroes."
Biomod: 1. n. Anyone who has ingested enough handwavium to trigger a one-time mutagenic reaction. Quite indeterminant in outcome but not
typically fatal or crippling. 2. n. The result of any such mutagenic reaction. 3. v.t. To cause a mutagenic change in a living creature using handwavium.
Black Hats: Heinleinian faction term for Boskonian/Reaver types.
Blazing: Slang term for "random acts of kindness and/or good deeds" amongst the current crop of teens and tweens. Many people are
shocked at the accompanying massive increase in random acts of kindness from said age group; Buckaroo refuses to comment, only smiling like some sort of
well-fed Buddha.
Blue Blazer Irregulars: Followers of the teachings of Buckaroo Banzai, as set down by Earl Mac Rauch in The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai:
Across the Eighth Dimension and by W.D. Richter in the movie of the same name. The term "Blue Blazer" refers to the dark blue jackets that
members of this faction wear when in public and "on duty." Even when not wearing the jackets, Blue Blazer Irregulars ("Blue Blazers" or
"BBIs" for short) wear either a patch or cloisonne pin depicting the back-to-back Bs of the Banzai Institute for Biomedical Research and Strategic
Information. Blue Blazers are known for their discipline and diversity of talent and knowledge, as well as their loyalty to Buckaroo Banzai. The Blue Blazer
Irregulars are closely affiliated with the Pulpers and Supers, but on the whole, are congenial with all factions.
Blue Hair Day: It has been said that the laws of drama seem to replace those of logic, and often physics, in the vicinity of handwavium and
its products, and while things usually seem to make sense at the time frequently someone will think back over recent actions or events and see this phenomenon
in themselves. Fenspace being what it is, this has become known as "having a blue hair day." Examples: the launch of the Ptichka, the events
leading to Wave Convoy's mind transfer, the Professor impersonator captured by Mr. Morden. The Professor himself is occasionally said to have "the
bluest hair in space," but the title is open to some dispute.
BNF: Big Name Fan. A fan who, as a result of his hard work and obsession, has developed his own fandom. In Fenspace, much the same, although
Fenspace BNFs tend to have influence on matters of import and policy.
Boskonians: Pirates who don't display the general ethics expected of Fen. See also Black Hats, Pirates, Reavers. Term originated
with Doc Smith/Lensman fandom.
Bowl, The: (Also called Bowl Lake and The Grover's Corners Memorial Strip Mine) The
0.7-mile-wide hemispherical hole left behind in West Virginia by the launch of the SV Grover's Corners.
Broadleaf: Notional source of thionite, the exact nature and origin of which is not yet completely determined,
although authorities are confident it comes from Venus. (After Operation Great Justice, it was discovered that "broadleaf" was not a plant, per se,
but actually a collection of certain strains of Venusian terraforming bacteria.) Term originated with Doc Smith/Lensman fandom.
Bughunt: To travel past the Limit in search of extraterrestrial life. (see bughunter)
Bughunter: A fan who's taken up searching interstellar space for life as a vocation. Very rare.
Cochrane Limit: The distance from a star, or other massive object where FTL travel becomes possible. For Sol the radius is about 40AU. More
commonly called the C Limit, or just the Limit.
Colonials: Faction who are fans of Battlestar Galactica (both new and old, although the two subgroups don't always get along).
Various members are trying to build Vipers, a Battlestar, and robot drones that look like Cylon Centurions.
Convention: The closest thing to a government possessed by the Fen. An annual gathering descended directly from WorldCon is held to modify,
ratify and reassert what little law exists off-Earth. Furthermore, Conventions can be called by anyone in times of emergency.
Cybers: Folks who use 'wavium for prosthetics/kludged cybernetics. Vehemently a different faction from "Cyb0rz." Poorly designed
'wavetech cybernetics turn into biomods.
'Dane: See Mundane.
'Danecrat: 1. (n) Government official of an Earthside or non-fannish nation. 2. (adj) Behaving in an authoritative and non-fun manner;
ex.: "Quit being all 'danecrat, you're harshing my mellow." (syn. 'Danemagogue.)
'Danegeld: See Paying 'Danegeld.
'Danelaw: short for Mundane Law. Refers to regions subject to the laws of terrestrial governments. Usually means the Earth and
all regions within the bounds of the Van Allen radiation belts although there are enclaves on either side. It is not by coincidence that it mirrors the name
for the northern, central, and eastern region of Anglo-Saxon England colonized by invading Danish armies in the late 9th century.
'Danemagogue: Synonym for 'Danecrat, definition 2.
Dark Kingdom: Senshi term for Boskonians.
Death Eaters: Wizarding World name for Boskonians.
Death Star, The: Warsie nickname for the SV Grover's Corners. Never used within earshot of its crew after the unfortunate Tennis
Ball Incident.
Deuce: Beneficial biomod, but not as powerful as an Ace mod, or else with one or more negative points to it. Term originated with the Supers
faction.
Diaspora: Term used by several factions for the first wave of Fen movement into space.
Discordia Accords: see Principia Universalis.
Divot, The: Fen name for the hole in the ground where the Island used to be. It seems to annoy the 'danes for some reason.
Extraordinary Events Agency (EEA): The British equivalent of the TSAB, this agency was created in 2008 and is affiliated with M.I.5. and the
European Space Agency. It has a smaller staff than the TSAB, but acts more like a law-enforcement agency (albeit a British one). When working in Europe, it
coordinates with Interpol.
Faction: (Also fraction.) Any of the various organized fandoms that made it into space and operate as a semi-coherent group.
Fen: Notional plural of "fan", formed by analogy to "man/men". Standard usage within science fiction fandom for more than
half a century. Since the early 2000s it also refers to the off-Earth culture that makes extensive use of handwavium.
Fendane: 1) (normal) Someone not a Fan, not a Mundane but somewhere in between the two. Most fendanes are individuals with an
interest in Fandom but no access to handwavium or Fenspace. 2) (derogatory) Term used to describe a Fan whose loyalties remain with 'Danelaw
powers.
Fenkinder: Children of fen, or children who are fen, who have made it to Fenspace. Anyone above the atmosphere and under 18.
Fenspace: Virtually everything between the top of Earth's atmosphere and the Cochrane Limit. Known space. Home to the Fen.
Fivers: Term for faction based around Babylon 5 fandom. See also Rangers.
Fraction: Variant Fen spelling convention for Faction, per "filk" and other Fen terms originating in typographic errors.
Gearheads: General "Ain't-it-cool" Mecha fans. As a whole, undifferentiated giant robot fans. Inclusive term.
Generalists: As opposed to the specialist, single-fandom type, these are the jacks-of-all-trades of fandom. They do have favorites, sometimes
a lot of them. They're just not as into any single one as a specialist fan might be, sacrificing depth for a wider range of scope.
Gondola: Colloquial for a Fenspace vessel intended primarily for passenger runs along scenic routes, like the Cloud Seas of Venus or
Saturn's Rings, to name a couple.
Gondolier: General description for the sort of easy-going, likable Fen who are naturals at playing tour guides around the Solar System. Those
with the best reputation and presence are known as Undines.
Grey Goo: Industrial nanomachines. Any nanomachines used for manufacture building, or otherwise constructive activities. There are other kinds
of goo, also named by colour:
Blue goo: police nanomachines that keep other nanomachines in line. Also applied to medical nanites which help biological systems (people) in good
health and repair.
Black goo: weaponized nanomachines.
Golden Goo: nanomachines used to filter specific substances out of common materials. The name comes from a theoretical plan to use nanomachines to
filter gold from seawater.
Green Goo: 1. Biological nanomachines (not microscopic robots, but engineered viruses) 2. Another term for Guacamole.
Khaki Goo: specificly military (as opposed to simply weaponized) nanomachines.
Paisley Goo, Plaid Goo: Alternate terms for handwavium.
Grey Goo Disaster: The ISO standard nightmare about nanotechnology. Essentially a kind of sorceror's apprentice mode failure where
industrial nanomachines escape control and convert the entire world into more of themselves, a big blob of grey goo.
One of the reasons Handwavium is illegal in 'Danelaw is fear of this sort of disaster.
Groundbounder: Teenaged rebellion, fen-style. Rejection of the Fenspace lifestyle in favor of a desire to live on Earth.
Guacamole: Semi-solid, semi-organic strain of Handwavium accidentally formed by seeding a bowl of dip at a convention. The primary known agent
for biomodding. Also called green goo.
Hand-Wash: Application of Handwavium by way of a power washer, spray hose or other pressurized delivery system. Frequently suggested
as a method for the "drive-by handwaving" of objects and craft to which the perpetrators would not otherwise have easy access. The actual viability
of this tactic has not yet been tested.
Handwavium: What lets everything interesting happen. A strange substance of indeterminate origin that when mixed with mundane technology can
give it strange and useful properties.
Pure samples are capable of self-replication, albeit rather slowly and with some odd limits. There does not appear to be much if any danger of a Grey Goo
Disaster. The exact methods by which it works remain unknown.
Illegal to manufacture and use in the 'Danelaw.
Has any number of names, including Plot Tech, Plotdevicite, Protoculture, etc.
See also 'Wavetech.
Hard Tech: Techonology that does not require Handwavium to work. Also called Solid State Tech. What the 'Danes insist on using.
Heinleinians: Faction based around the works of Robert A. Heinlein. Broken up into three main subfactions:
Juvies: Fans of the Heinlein Juveniles. (Rocketship Galileo, Space Cadet, Have Spacesuit Will Travel, etc.) Seriously Hard
Science types, mostly apolitical but rabidly anti-Nazi. "Going Steady" is as far as most of this type will ever go, if they have any social
life at all.
Longs: Fans of Time Enough For Love, Methuseulah's Children, and the Future History. Somebody out there is building a
Colony Ship for the Stars, and it's likely to be this type. Biomods tend to be life-extending (they think; too short a baseline to tell, really...). This
type takes the Old Man's statement "Specialization is for insects" seriously and are usually found with five or six heavily-marked-up
textbooks in tow. Some experiment with (or were already implementing, pre-Handwavium) "alternate lifestyles" such as polyamory.
Nesters: Fans of Stranger in a Strange Land, most can be found on Mars looking (searching desperately) for the Martians. Not to be confused
with the Church of All Worlders (who are mostly sane), these Fen take Stranger as divinely inspired Gospel handed down from On High. Weddings and
Water-Sharings are safe to attend (if you don't mind nudity leading into Other Things as the party goes on into the night), but never eat off the
buffet at funerals. 'Nuf said. If any faction is going to squick the 'Danes enough to make them come after the Fen, it'll be the Nesters.
Herbert: Synonym for 'Danecrat used by Trekkie faction.
Hidden Asteroid, Village of: See Village Hidden in the Asteroids.
Honey: (also Mnemosyne's Honey.) Name given to a "memory" strain of handwavium created by the Jason. Takes its name
from its appearance, that of a thin, dark honey. Used in enhancing/creating data storage devices. What effect it might have on biological memory has yet to be
fully explored.
Island, The: Flying shopping mall, hotel, supply and refueling point. Launched in 2008, the first station of its kind: "a chunk of land
in space". 'dane governments are still arguing about the legal implications of 'waving real estate. The Island was originally a hundred acres of
Nigerian countryside with associated buildings, though it has expanded somewhat since then. The Island is a neutral commercial station, welcoming all Fen and
'dane tourists alike. Located between Earth and Mars. Officially "The Floating Island", but also "Flying Island",
"Gilligan's", and other Fen-names.
Joker: Non-beneficial biomod. Could be disfiguring, at least compared to human norm, or it causes other harmful effects. Term originated with
the Supers faction.
Joker-Ace: Disfiguring biomod with beneficial effects (e.g., the "troll" -- superstrength coupled with ugliness). Term originated
with the Supers faction.
Jossies: Alternate term for the Whedonite faction.
Kaboomite: Explosive of uncertain and unstable composition invented/produced by the android Li Kohran. Actually
sub-critical nuclear weaponry, with fissionables looted from 1980s and 1990s-era deep-Solar-system space probes. This is known to the androids Li Kohran, Yayoi
Fujisawa, and Sora Hasegawa, and the human Noah Scott; the androids are under strict orders from Noah to not divulge this to anyone under any
circumstances.
Karasukage: (trans. "Black Shadow") The leader of the Village Hidden in the Asteroids. The Shodaime Karasukage is Ivan
"Maitovich" Solkin.
Kuni no Karasu: (trans. "Black Country") Hidden Asteroid nomenclature for parts of the Solar System distant from the actual planets.
Land Theft: Increasingly common term in the 'Danelaw for Unreal Estate, based on the argument that while land can be owned by
individuals, removing it from the Earth is effectively stealing it from future generations -- and (more importantly) eternally depriving whatever jurisdiction
it came from of any future tax revenue on it.
Lensmen: Faction based around E.E. "Doc" Smith fandom. Technically a subset of the Pulpers, but they hold themselves
separate from the other Golden Agers.
Limit, The: See Cochrane Limit.
Limit Break: Going FTL inside the Cochrane Limit. Considered the holy grail of engine research in Fenspace.
Lollipop Guild: (informal, SMOF jargon) Name of the group of Australian fen/fendanes who act on Fenspace's behalf within the mundane
Australian government. Rumored to have some very impressive blackmail material.
Mundane: Not fen. Person or persons uninterested in science fiction, fantasy, anime, space travel or anything else much beyond working a
9-to-5 job and amassing money, status and power. Among fen it carries connotations of being hidebound and reactionary, willfully dull and unimaginative, and
possessing a determination to make sure everyone else is that way, too, except when doing so interferes with making money and/or amassing power.
Mushytech: Somewhere between full out wavetech and hardtech, generally on the order of using handwavium for enhancements in capabilities of
something that should work anyway. Tends to be looked down on in principle by people of both camps as it requires far more work than either other way.
Nargle: Wizarding term for "unexpected-asteroid-in-an-inconvienient-place", since fallen into common usage.
Ninjaburger: Second-most profitable venture of the Village Hidden in the Asteroids, and one of the few subculture references
physically implemented in Fenspace that is properly licensed with its owners in the 'Danelaw.
Overfan, the: Hypothetical inventor/distributor of Handwavium. A mythical figure to whom all manner of powers and intentions are attributed.
Speculation as to the Overfan's identity runs rampant, with the Professor most frequently named -- he could have created the stuff and then completely
forgotten having done so.
Paying 'Danegeld: 1. (v) Submitting to taxation and/or regulation by a 'Danelaw entity. 2. (v) To openly espouse loyalty to an
Earthside/Mundane government.
Pirate: Fen faction who play at being mean, nasty space pirates, but who are actually quite nice, honorable folks. They get very upset when
people call Boskonians "pirates".
Pirates' Code: The informal standards of the Space Pirate fraction. Broadly: be one of the "white hats," stay true to yourself
and defend your ideals, live free or die trying.
Pratchett's Law: "Million to one chances happen nine times out of ten." One of the leading explanations for the large
amount of unique and useful Handwavium effects and the difficulty of reproducing them.
Prime Time Directive: "Put Things Back Where You Found Them."
Principia Universalis: In the same way that anyone can claim to be Discordian (hardliners disagree, and are summarily ignored), everyFan can
claim the Principia Universalis and the Discordia Accords if they run across a situation they need some legalese or religious wiggle room to get out of. Within
reason, of course (blatantly amoral acts, like, say ... holding the world for ransom with a kinetic weapon don't fall under the Accords, and neither does
slave-trade, Reaver-ism, and so on). If the situation can't be resolved by the Accords' invoker, a friendly branch of Her Church is willing to send
negotiators to aid those in need by ways of debate and legalese-nonsense-induced confusion. It's not just a faux-belief. It's a state of being ^_^.
P.S. 238: (Also Sky High.) Grover's Corners Elementary and/or High School. (Not yet in existence as of the SOS-Con.)
Pulpers: Faction based around Golden Age (and Gold en Age-style) SF. Technically, the Lensmen are Pulpers, but they hold themselves mostly
separate. Overlaps a bit with other factions/fandoms, including Warsies and Fivers.
Rangers: Militant sub-faction of the Fivers, formed in response to the call-to-arms issued by Operation Great Justice.
Reavers: Synonym for Boskonians, originating with the Whedonite faction.
Rugsuckers: A subfaction of the Blue Blazer Irregulars, the Rugsuckers are gun geeks and military aficionados that work with the
Banzai Institute for Biomedical Research and Strategic Information.
Scure (n., from obscure) A fan who follows a particularly obscure fandom.
Senshi: The Sailor Moon (and other Magical Girl/Action Girl) fandom. The cadre of the Venus Terraforming Project, their population is
centred at Castle Magellan.
Shadows: Fiver term for Boskonians.
Sith: Warsie term for Boskonians (especially, but not exclusively, Boskonian Warsies).
Sky High: See P.S. 238.
SMOF: "Secret Master(s) of Fandom". Faction leaders, either formal or informal.
SOS-con The emergency con called by the SOS-dan.
Space Rock: A space station or other craft built from a hollowed-out asteroid. Frequent final product of asteroid mining schemes. In the
proper orbit with a bit of renovation, often worth a good fraction of the value of the mined metals. Brokerage of said metals, and the Space Rocks, is the
primary business of Rockhounds, Inc.
Speed Drive: A ship's drive that works based the concept of absolute speed. Most ships in SF and space opera on TV and in movies use speed
drives.
Solids: Also sometimes referred to as Solid State Handwavium (not to be confused with Solid State Tech). There is speculatation that this is
simply an odd strain of Handwavium that crystallized. Exhibits many of the behaviors of its non-solid 'cousin', as well as individual peculiarities
such as, for example, having a power output.
Swede: Syn., Fendane. Punnishly coined based on the reasoning that the Swedish are between the 'Danish and Fennish.
Technomages: Subfaction of the Fivers, who take their inspiration from their namesake. Usually work and play well with the Wizards.
Tennis Ball Incident: We do not speak of the Tennis Ball Incident. See Death Star.
Thionite: A drug derived from a Venusian plant notionally termed broadleaf and including microscopic quantities of Handwavium (not
enough for a biomod effect without lethal doses). Rare and extraordinarily expensive due to the risks inherent in harvesting on Venus. Like its namesake it is
overwhelmingly addictive and destructive. Term originated with Doc Smith/Lensman fandom.
Timelords: Common name for the Dr. Who fan faction. See Whovians.
Transparent Carbon: Term invented by a Trekkie engineer who built a series of 'wavetech enhanced diamond deposition machines for the Venus
Terraforming Project. Transparent carbon officially refers to large sheets and rods of artificial diamond used for construction purposes, but some ignore this
distinction and use it to refer to all diamond. One of the Senshi's favorite building materials. When the Senshi talk about Crystal Cities, they mean
crystal cities. The name was really just a play on transparent aluminum, but common fen legend claims the name was chosen to prevent a certain
powerful company on Earth from realizing what was being built until full scale production was in progress. Also known as "Venusian diamond" in places
that do a large amount of business with the 'Danes.
Trekkies: Faction based around Star Trek fandom.
Trekkers: Alternate name for Trekkies. Usually used by factional leaders or BNFs who take themselves way too seriously than is
healthy.
True Neutrals: People not tied to any one particular fandom, at all. They honestly don't have any favorites, but just enjoy it all.
TSAB: Transrationality Scientific Analysis Bureau. NASA division responsible for analyzing 'wavetech.
Undine: See Gondolier.
Universal Adapter: Handwaved roll of duct tape. 'Nuff said.
Unreal Estate: Fen term for stations (and ships) like the Island and Grover's Corners -- chunks of land that were
boosted into space, and are still recognisable as Earth soil. See also Land Theft.
Venusian Diamond: See Transparent Carbon.
Village Hidden in the Asteroids: (also Hidden Asteroid, Village of). Home of the hardcore Naruto Fen, offering ninja
services and fast food throughout Fenspace (although mostly in the Belt). Exact location, unknown.
Warsies: Faction based around Star Wars fandom.
'Wavetech: Technology made with, or improved by, the application of handwavium. It works, but is notoriously quirky. Used mostly by people
who don't mind if their toaster starts conspiring with their microwave to get them to eat better.
Whedonites: Faction based around fandom of Joss Whedon's Firefly/Serenity.
Whovians: Alternate name for the Dr. Who fan faction. See Timelords.
Wizards: Small but vocal Harry Potter faction, possessing a disproportionately large number of fenkinder. Allied with both the Senshi
and the Fivers (who lump them in with the Technomages).
Xenites: Xena The Warrior Princess fandom, a distinct subfaction of the Senshi.
Zwilnik: Dealers in narcotics, particularly thionite. Term originated with Doc Smith/Lensman fandom.
(Will be updated as terms mature and are agreed upon. Discuss in this thread, too.)
-- Bob
---------
...The President is on the line
As ninety-nine crab rangoons go by...
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.
Acceleration Drive: A drive based on the concept of maximum acceleration, not speed. Fairly rare among the Fen. All Hard Tech spacecraft
drives are acceleration drives by necessity.
Ace: Extremely beneficial biomod, with no or relatively few negatives. Term originated with the Supers faction.
B-Arker: Derogatory term for someone who can't or won't consider the implications of a strongly-held position. From Douglas Adams'
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, spotted in Earthside academic usage before the discovery of handwavium.
Banzai Institute for Biomedical Research and Strategic Information: A non-profit organization that handles business concerns for the Blue
Blazer Irregulars in the 'Danelaw. The Institute concerns itself with altruistic pursuits as simple as literacy and as complex as disaster rescue and
relief. The Banzai Institute is registered in both the United States and the European Union. Its mailing address is listed as a P.O. Box located in Dallas,
Texas. Both the P.O. Box and the email domain, banzai-institute.org, are registered under a shell corporation, managed by a woman known only as Mrs. Johnson.
BDH: Another name for the Whedonite SMOFs, either real or in their own minds. Short for "Big Damn Heroes."
Biomod: 1. n. Anyone who has ingested enough handwavium to trigger a one-time mutagenic reaction. Quite indeterminant in outcome but not
typically fatal or crippling. 2. n. The result of any such mutagenic reaction. 3. v.t. To cause a mutagenic change in a living creature using handwavium.
Black Hats: Heinleinian faction term for Boskonian/Reaver types.
Blazing: Slang term for "random acts of kindness and/or good deeds" amongst the current crop of teens and tweens. Many people are
shocked at the accompanying massive increase in random acts of kindness from said age group; Buckaroo refuses to comment, only smiling like some sort of
well-fed Buddha.
Blue Blazer Irregulars: Followers of the teachings of Buckaroo Banzai, as set down by Earl Mac Rauch in The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai:
Across the Eighth Dimension and by W.D. Richter in the movie of the same name. The term "Blue Blazer" refers to the dark blue jackets that
members of this faction wear when in public and "on duty." Even when not wearing the jackets, Blue Blazer Irregulars ("Blue Blazers" or
"BBIs" for short) wear either a patch or cloisonne pin depicting the back-to-back Bs of the Banzai Institute for Biomedical Research and Strategic
Information. Blue Blazers are known for their discipline and diversity of talent and knowledge, as well as their loyalty to Buckaroo Banzai. The Blue Blazer
Irregulars are closely affiliated with the Pulpers and Supers, but on the whole, are congenial with all factions.
Blue Hair Day: It has been said that the laws of drama seem to replace those of logic, and often physics, in the vicinity of handwavium and
its products, and while things usually seem to make sense at the time frequently someone will think back over recent actions or events and see this phenomenon
in themselves. Fenspace being what it is, this has become known as "having a blue hair day." Examples: the launch of the Ptichka, the events
leading to Wave Convoy's mind transfer, the Professor impersonator captured by Mr. Morden. The Professor himself is occasionally said to have "the
bluest hair in space," but the title is open to some dispute.
BNF: Big Name Fan. A fan who, as a result of his hard work and obsession, has developed his own fandom. In Fenspace, much the same, although
Fenspace BNFs tend to have influence on matters of import and policy.
Boskonians: Pirates who don't display the general ethics expected of Fen. See also Black Hats, Pirates, Reavers. Term originated
with Doc Smith/Lensman fandom.
Bowl, The: (Also called Bowl Lake and The Grover's Corners Memorial Strip Mine) The
0.7-mile-wide hemispherical hole left behind in West Virginia by the launch of the SV Grover's Corners.
Broadleaf: Notional source of thionite, the exact nature and origin of which is not yet completely determined,
although authorities are confident it comes from Venus. (After Operation Great Justice, it was discovered that "broadleaf" was not a plant, per se,
but actually a collection of certain strains of Venusian terraforming bacteria.) Term originated with Doc Smith/Lensman fandom.
Bughunt: To travel past the Limit in search of extraterrestrial life. (see bughunter)
Bughunter: A fan who's taken up searching interstellar space for life as a vocation. Very rare.
Cochrane Limit: The distance from a star, or other massive object where FTL travel becomes possible. For Sol the radius is about 40AU. More
commonly called the C Limit, or just the Limit.
Colonials: Faction who are fans of Battlestar Galactica (both new and old, although the two subgroups don't always get along).
Various members are trying to build Vipers, a Battlestar, and robot drones that look like Cylon Centurions.
Convention: The closest thing to a government possessed by the Fen. An annual gathering descended directly from WorldCon is held to modify,
ratify and reassert what little law exists off-Earth. Furthermore, Conventions can be called by anyone in times of emergency.
Cybers: Folks who use 'wavium for prosthetics/kludged cybernetics. Vehemently a different faction from "Cyb0rz." Poorly designed
'wavetech cybernetics turn into biomods.
'Dane: See Mundane.
'Danecrat: 1. (n) Government official of an Earthside or non-fannish nation. 2. (adj) Behaving in an authoritative and non-fun manner;
ex.: "Quit being all 'danecrat, you're harshing my mellow." (syn. 'Danemagogue.)
'Danegeld: See Paying 'Danegeld.
'Danelaw: short for Mundane Law. Refers to regions subject to the laws of terrestrial governments. Usually means the Earth and
all regions within the bounds of the Van Allen radiation belts although there are enclaves on either side. It is not by coincidence that it mirrors the name
for the northern, central, and eastern region of Anglo-Saxon England colonized by invading Danish armies in the late 9th century.
'Danemagogue: Synonym for 'Danecrat, definition 2.
Dark Kingdom: Senshi term for Boskonians.
Death Eaters: Wizarding World name for Boskonians.
Death Star, The: Warsie nickname for the SV Grover's Corners. Never used within earshot of its crew after the unfortunate Tennis
Ball Incident.
Deuce: Beneficial biomod, but not as powerful as an Ace mod, or else with one or more negative points to it. Term originated with the Supers
faction.
Diaspora: Term used by several factions for the first wave of Fen movement into space.
Discordia Accords: see Principia Universalis.
Divot, The: Fen name for the hole in the ground where the Island used to be. It seems to annoy the 'danes for some reason.
Extraordinary Events Agency (EEA): The British equivalent of the TSAB, this agency was created in 2008 and is affiliated with M.I.5. and the
European Space Agency. It has a smaller staff than the TSAB, but acts more like a law-enforcement agency (albeit a British one). When working in Europe, it
coordinates with Interpol.
Faction: (Also fraction.) Any of the various organized fandoms that made it into space and operate as a semi-coherent group.
Fen: Notional plural of "fan", formed by analogy to "man/men". Standard usage within science fiction fandom for more than
half a century. Since the early 2000s it also refers to the off-Earth culture that makes extensive use of handwavium.
Fendane: 1) (normal) Someone not a Fan, not a Mundane but somewhere in between the two. Most fendanes are individuals with an
interest in Fandom but no access to handwavium or Fenspace. 2) (derogatory) Term used to describe a Fan whose loyalties remain with 'Danelaw
powers.
Fenkinder: Children of fen, or children who are fen, who have made it to Fenspace. Anyone above the atmosphere and under 18.
Fenspace: Virtually everything between the top of Earth's atmosphere and the Cochrane Limit. Known space. Home to the Fen.
Fivers: Term for faction based around Babylon 5 fandom. See also Rangers.
Fraction: Variant Fen spelling convention for Faction, per "filk" and other Fen terms originating in typographic errors.
Gearheads: General "Ain't-it-cool" Mecha fans. As a whole, undifferentiated giant robot fans. Inclusive term.
Generalists: As opposed to the specialist, single-fandom type, these are the jacks-of-all-trades of fandom. They do have favorites, sometimes
a lot of them. They're just not as into any single one as a specialist fan might be, sacrificing depth for a wider range of scope.
Gondola: Colloquial for a Fenspace vessel intended primarily for passenger runs along scenic routes, like the Cloud Seas of Venus or
Saturn's Rings, to name a couple.
Gondolier: General description for the sort of easy-going, likable Fen who are naturals at playing tour guides around the Solar System. Those
with the best reputation and presence are known as Undines.
Grey Goo: Industrial nanomachines. Any nanomachines used for manufacture building, or otherwise constructive activities. There are other kinds
of goo, also named by colour:
Blue goo: police nanomachines that keep other nanomachines in line. Also applied to medical nanites which help biological systems (people) in good
health and repair.
Black goo: weaponized nanomachines.
Golden Goo: nanomachines used to filter specific substances out of common materials. The name comes from a theoretical plan to use nanomachines to
filter gold from seawater.
Green Goo: 1. Biological nanomachines (not microscopic robots, but engineered viruses) 2. Another term for Guacamole.
Khaki Goo: specificly military (as opposed to simply weaponized) nanomachines.
Paisley Goo, Plaid Goo: Alternate terms for handwavium.
Grey Goo Disaster: The ISO standard nightmare about nanotechnology. Essentially a kind of sorceror's apprentice mode failure where
industrial nanomachines escape control and convert the entire world into more of themselves, a big blob of grey goo.
One of the reasons Handwavium is illegal in 'Danelaw is fear of this sort of disaster.
Groundbounder: Teenaged rebellion, fen-style. Rejection of the Fenspace lifestyle in favor of a desire to live on Earth.
Guacamole: Semi-solid, semi-organic strain of Handwavium accidentally formed by seeding a bowl of dip at a convention. The primary known agent
for biomodding. Also called green goo.
Hand-Wash: Application of Handwavium by way of a power washer, spray hose or other pressurized delivery system. Frequently suggested
as a method for the "drive-by handwaving" of objects and craft to which the perpetrators would not otherwise have easy access. The actual viability
of this tactic has not yet been tested.
Handwavium: What lets everything interesting happen. A strange substance of indeterminate origin that when mixed with mundane technology can
give it strange and useful properties.
Pure samples are capable of self-replication, albeit rather slowly and with some odd limits. There does not appear to be much if any danger of a Grey Goo
Disaster. The exact methods by which it works remain unknown.
Illegal to manufacture and use in the 'Danelaw.
Has any number of names, including Plot Tech, Plotdevicite, Protoculture, etc.
See also 'Wavetech.
Hard Tech: Techonology that does not require Handwavium to work. Also called Solid State Tech. What the 'Danes insist on using.
Heinleinians: Faction based around the works of Robert A. Heinlein. Broken up into three main subfactions:
Juvies: Fans of the Heinlein Juveniles. (Rocketship Galileo, Space Cadet, Have Spacesuit Will Travel, etc.) Seriously Hard
Science types, mostly apolitical but rabidly anti-Nazi. "Going Steady" is as far as most of this type will ever go, if they have any social
life at all.
Longs: Fans of Time Enough For Love, Methuseulah's Children, and the Future History. Somebody out there is building a
Colony Ship for the Stars, and it's likely to be this type. Biomods tend to be life-extending (they think; too short a baseline to tell, really...). This
type takes the Old Man's statement "Specialization is for insects" seriously and are usually found with five or six heavily-marked-up
textbooks in tow. Some experiment with (or were already implementing, pre-Handwavium) "alternate lifestyles" such as polyamory.
Nesters: Fans of Stranger in a Strange Land, most can be found on Mars looking (searching desperately) for the Martians. Not to be confused
with the Church of All Worlders (who are mostly sane), these Fen take Stranger as divinely inspired Gospel handed down from On High. Weddings and
Water-Sharings are safe to attend (if you don't mind nudity leading into Other Things as the party goes on into the night), but never eat off the
buffet at funerals. 'Nuf said. If any faction is going to squick the 'Danes enough to make them come after the Fen, it'll be the Nesters.
Herbert: Synonym for 'Danecrat used by Trekkie faction.
Hidden Asteroid, Village of: See Village Hidden in the Asteroids.
Honey: (also Mnemosyne's Honey.) Name given to a "memory" strain of handwavium created by the Jason. Takes its name
from its appearance, that of a thin, dark honey. Used in enhancing/creating data storage devices. What effect it might have on biological memory has yet to be
fully explored.
Island, The: Flying shopping mall, hotel, supply and refueling point. Launched in 2008, the first station of its kind: "a chunk of land
in space". 'dane governments are still arguing about the legal implications of 'waving real estate. The Island was originally a hundred acres of
Nigerian countryside with associated buildings, though it has expanded somewhat since then. The Island is a neutral commercial station, welcoming all Fen and
'dane tourists alike. Located between Earth and Mars. Officially "The Floating Island", but also "Flying Island",
"Gilligan's", and other Fen-names.
Joker: Non-beneficial biomod. Could be disfiguring, at least compared to human norm, or it causes other harmful effects. Term originated with
the Supers faction.
Joker-Ace: Disfiguring biomod with beneficial effects (e.g., the "troll" -- superstrength coupled with ugliness). Term originated
with the Supers faction.
Jossies: Alternate term for the Whedonite faction.
Kaboomite: Explosive of uncertain and unstable composition invented/produced by the android Li Kohran. Actually
sub-critical nuclear weaponry, with fissionables looted from 1980s and 1990s-era deep-Solar-system space probes. This is known to the androids Li Kohran, Yayoi
Fujisawa, and Sora Hasegawa, and the human Noah Scott; the androids are under strict orders from Noah to not divulge this to anyone under any
circumstances.
Karasukage: (trans. "Black Shadow") The leader of the Village Hidden in the Asteroids. The Shodaime Karasukage is Ivan
"Maitovich" Solkin.
Kuni no Karasu: (trans. "Black Country") Hidden Asteroid nomenclature for parts of the Solar System distant from the actual planets.
Land Theft: Increasingly common term in the 'Danelaw for Unreal Estate, based on the argument that while land can be owned by
individuals, removing it from the Earth is effectively stealing it from future generations -- and (more importantly) eternally depriving whatever jurisdiction
it came from of any future tax revenue on it.
Lensmen: Faction based around E.E. "Doc" Smith fandom. Technically a subset of the Pulpers, but they hold themselves
separate from the other Golden Agers.
Limit, The: See Cochrane Limit.
Limit Break: Going FTL inside the Cochrane Limit. Considered the holy grail of engine research in Fenspace.
Lollipop Guild: (informal, SMOF jargon) Name of the group of Australian fen/fendanes who act on Fenspace's behalf within the mundane
Australian government. Rumored to have some very impressive blackmail material.
Mundane: Not fen. Person or persons uninterested in science fiction, fantasy, anime, space travel or anything else much beyond working a
9-to-5 job and amassing money, status and power. Among fen it carries connotations of being hidebound and reactionary, willfully dull and unimaginative, and
possessing a determination to make sure everyone else is that way, too, except when doing so interferes with making money and/or amassing power.
Mushytech: Somewhere between full out wavetech and hardtech, generally on the order of using handwavium for enhancements in capabilities of
something that should work anyway. Tends to be looked down on in principle by people of both camps as it requires far more work than either other way.
Nargle: Wizarding term for "unexpected-asteroid-in-an-inconvienient-place", since fallen into common usage.
Ninjaburger: Second-most profitable venture of the Village Hidden in the Asteroids, and one of the few subculture references
physically implemented in Fenspace that is properly licensed with its owners in the 'Danelaw.
Overfan, the: Hypothetical inventor/distributor of Handwavium. A mythical figure to whom all manner of powers and intentions are attributed.
Speculation as to the Overfan's identity runs rampant, with the Professor most frequently named -- he could have created the stuff and then completely
forgotten having done so.
Paying 'Danegeld: 1. (v) Submitting to taxation and/or regulation by a 'Danelaw entity. 2. (v) To openly espouse loyalty to an
Earthside/Mundane government.
Pirate: Fen faction who play at being mean, nasty space pirates, but who are actually quite nice, honorable folks. They get very upset when
people call Boskonians "pirates".
Pirates' Code: The informal standards of the Space Pirate fraction. Broadly: be one of the "white hats," stay true to yourself
and defend your ideals, live free or die trying.
Pratchett's Law: "Million to one chances happen nine times out of ten." One of the leading explanations for the large
amount of unique and useful Handwavium effects and the difficulty of reproducing them.
Prime Time Directive: "Put Things Back Where You Found Them."
Principia Universalis: In the same way that anyone can claim to be Discordian (hardliners disagree, and are summarily ignored), everyFan can
claim the Principia Universalis and the Discordia Accords if they run across a situation they need some legalese or religious wiggle room to get out of. Within
reason, of course (blatantly amoral acts, like, say ... holding the world for ransom with a kinetic weapon don't fall under the Accords, and neither does
slave-trade, Reaver-ism, and so on). If the situation can't be resolved by the Accords' invoker, a friendly branch of Her Church is willing to send
negotiators to aid those in need by ways of debate and legalese-nonsense-induced confusion. It's not just a faux-belief. It's a state of being ^_^.
P.S. 238: (Also Sky High.) Grover's Corners Elementary and/or High School. (Not yet in existence as of the SOS-Con.)
Pulpers: Faction based around Golden Age (and Gold en Age-style) SF. Technically, the Lensmen are Pulpers, but they hold themselves mostly
separate. Overlaps a bit with other factions/fandoms, including Warsies and Fivers.
Rangers: Militant sub-faction of the Fivers, formed in response to the call-to-arms issued by Operation Great Justice.
Reavers: Synonym for Boskonians, originating with the Whedonite faction.
Rugsuckers: A subfaction of the Blue Blazer Irregulars, the Rugsuckers are gun geeks and military aficionados that work with the
Banzai Institute for Biomedical Research and Strategic Information.
Scure (n., from obscure) A fan who follows a particularly obscure fandom.
Senshi: The Sailor Moon (and other Magical Girl/Action Girl) fandom. The cadre of the Venus Terraforming Project, their population is
centred at Castle Magellan.
Shadows: Fiver term for Boskonians.
Sith: Warsie term for Boskonians (especially, but not exclusively, Boskonian Warsies).
Sky High: See P.S. 238.
SMOF: "Secret Master(s) of Fandom". Faction leaders, either formal or informal.
SOS-con The emergency con called by the SOS-dan.
Space Rock: A space station or other craft built from a hollowed-out asteroid. Frequent final product of asteroid mining schemes. In the
proper orbit with a bit of renovation, often worth a good fraction of the value of the mined metals. Brokerage of said metals, and the Space Rocks, is the
primary business of Rockhounds, Inc.
Speed Drive: A ship's drive that works based the concept of absolute speed. Most ships in SF and space opera on TV and in movies use speed
drives.
Solids: Also sometimes referred to as Solid State Handwavium (not to be confused with Solid State Tech). There is speculatation that this is
simply an odd strain of Handwavium that crystallized. Exhibits many of the behaviors of its non-solid 'cousin', as well as individual peculiarities
such as, for example, having a power output.
Swede: Syn., Fendane. Punnishly coined based on the reasoning that the Swedish are between the 'Danish and Fennish.
Technomages: Subfaction of the Fivers, who take their inspiration from their namesake. Usually work and play well with the Wizards.
Tennis Ball Incident: We do not speak of the Tennis Ball Incident. See Death Star.
Thionite: A drug derived from a Venusian plant notionally termed broadleaf and including microscopic quantities of Handwavium (not
enough for a biomod effect without lethal doses). Rare and extraordinarily expensive due to the risks inherent in harvesting on Venus. Like its namesake it is
overwhelmingly addictive and destructive. Term originated with Doc Smith/Lensman fandom.
Timelords: Common name for the Dr. Who fan faction. See Whovians.
Transparent Carbon: Term invented by a Trekkie engineer who built a series of 'wavetech enhanced diamond deposition machines for the Venus
Terraforming Project. Transparent carbon officially refers to large sheets and rods of artificial diamond used for construction purposes, but some ignore this
distinction and use it to refer to all diamond. One of the Senshi's favorite building materials. When the Senshi talk about Crystal Cities, they mean
crystal cities. The name was really just a play on transparent aluminum, but common fen legend claims the name was chosen to prevent a certain
powerful company on Earth from realizing what was being built until full scale production was in progress. Also known as "Venusian diamond" in places
that do a large amount of business with the 'Danes.
Trekkies: Faction based around Star Trek fandom.
Trekkers: Alternate name for Trekkies. Usually used by factional leaders or BNFs who take themselves way too seriously than is
healthy.
True Neutrals: People not tied to any one particular fandom, at all. They honestly don't have any favorites, but just enjoy it all.
TSAB: Transrationality Scientific Analysis Bureau. NASA division responsible for analyzing 'wavetech.
Undine: See Gondolier.
Universal Adapter: Handwaved roll of duct tape. 'Nuff said.
Unreal Estate: Fen term for stations (and ships) like the Island and Grover's Corners -- chunks of land that were
boosted into space, and are still recognisable as Earth soil. See also Land Theft.
Venusian Diamond: See Transparent Carbon.
Village Hidden in the Asteroids: (also Hidden Asteroid, Village of). Home of the hardcore Naruto Fen, offering ninja
services and fast food throughout Fenspace (although mostly in the Belt). Exact location, unknown.
Warsies: Faction based around Star Wars fandom.
'Wavetech: Technology made with, or improved by, the application of handwavium. It works, but is notoriously quirky. Used mostly by people
who don't mind if their toaster starts conspiring with their microwave to get them to eat better.
Whedonites: Faction based around fandom of Joss Whedon's Firefly/Serenity.
Whovians: Alternate name for the Dr. Who fan faction. See Timelords.
Wizards: Small but vocal Harry Potter faction, possessing a disproportionately large number of fenkinder. Allied with both the Senshi
and the Fivers (who lump them in with the Technomages).
Xenites: Xena The Warrior Princess fandom, a distinct subfaction of the Senshi.
Zwilnik: Dealers in narcotics, particularly thionite. Term originated with Doc Smith/Lensman fandom.
(Will be updated as terms mature and are agreed upon. Discuss in this thread, too.)
-- Bob
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...The President is on the line
As ninety-nine crab rangoons go by...
-- Bob
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Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.
![[Image: smile.gif]](http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/smile.gif)
)