Sheidlower, a lexicographer who used to be an editor at large at the Oxford English Dictionary, started the sci-fi dictionary while working there. He left the organization in 2013, but got permission from O.E.D. to pick up the project from them in early 2020. The Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction is still a work in progress, but aficionados can already waste an hour or five pouring over the existing entries. “Teleport,” for example, a word one commonly connects with stories from the last century, can trace its roots back to 1878. “Warp Drive,” a word with strong connections to Star Trek, can be traced back to almost 20 years before the original series.