Sci-fi is an abbreviation for science fiction. It was coined in the 1950s by Forrest J. Ackerman as a pun on the term "hi-fi". Many science fiction fans initially reacted negatively to the word.
Another abbreviation for science fiction is "SF". However, "sci-fi" is more common in popular usage outside science fiction fandom. Despite this almost universal acceptance of the word, 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" which is pronounced to rhyme with "jiffy".
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.
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