Skiffy
From Free net encyclopedia
Skiffy is a sub-genre of science fiction, usually film or television that is noted for its poor quality, low budget and cliche-ridden writing.
The word originated as a mispronunciation of the term "sci fi," which was coined by Forrest J. Ackerman in 1954. Mr. Ackerman was a writer and editor of Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine, which was frowned upon by many hardcore science fiction fans as being too poor in quality to be taken seriously.
Eventually, skiffy became synonymous with any poorly made, low-budget science fiction film or schlocky science fiction work with a high camp humor value. For example, under such usage, Plan 9 from Outer Space might be considered skiffy.
Skiffy is also the name of the science fiction and fantasy club at the College of William and Mary.