Widespread interest in scientific discovery fuels science fiction, including Johannes Kepler's "Somnium" Voltaire's "Microsmegas," and Jonathan Swift's "Gulliver's Travels"
Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein," considered by many to be the first sci-fi novel, is published
Jules Verne's books, including "Journey to the Center of the Earth" and "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" and H.G. Wells' stories, including "The Time Machine" and "The War of the Worlds."
Georges Melies' "A Trip to the Moon," widely considered the first sci-fi film, is released
"Science fiction" was first shortened to "sci-fi" in 1954, at the same time the term hi-fi appeared
