Questions tagged [title-explanation]
For questions about the titles of SFF works. A common question of this type would be "why did such-and-such a work have this title?" Do not use this tag for questions seeking the title of an unknown work; instead, use [story-identification]. Always use in conjunction with the specific work tag in question.
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What does “TKO” mean in mutai (alien boxing)?
An episode from the first season of Babylon 5 is called “TKO”.
The main story is about Susan Ivanova dealing with her father’s death, and the B story is about Michael Garibaldi’s friend, Walker Smith, ...
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Who are the titular “Masters of the Universe”, and what are their powers and goals?
In the various He-Man media, (nearly?) always subtitled “and the Masters of the Universe”, who are the said Masters? What are their powers? How did they get them? What makes them Masters of the ...
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Why the title "World Enough and Time" for the Doctor Who episode?
The first part of the Doctor Who Series 10 finale is an episode entitled "World Enough and Time", an obvious reference to the opening line of the poem "To His Coy Mistress" written ...
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What is the significance of the title of the film, "Infinity Pool"?
I'm curious about the meaning behind the title of Brandon Cronenberg's sci-fi horror film, Infinity Pool (2023). As far as I know, the only literal reference to an infinity pool in the film is the ...
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Meaning of the title "Now Inhale" by Eric Frank Russell
Eric Frank Russell's story "Now Inhale" - discussed here is one I read decades ago and don't currently have access to a copy of. Therefore I'll ask here: what is the significance of the ...
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Meaning of Matango in Matango: Attack of the Mushroom People?
I posted this in the Japanese stack exchange but the word appears to be made up based on early feedback and google translate.
https://wikizilla.org/wiki/Matango#Name indicates this is a variation of ...
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Is A. C. Clarke's "Death and the Senator" really a jab at William Proxmire?
I've seen this claimed repeatedly, but no authoritative evidence, and I am not convinced. Was Proxmire really that famous as anti-space crusader by May 1961 (minus however long the story was in the ...
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What does "An Obol for Charon" mean?
What is the meaning of the title of the Star Trek Discovery episode "An Obol for Charon"?
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What is the significance of the title "Fiat Voluntas Tua" (a quote from the Latin "Our Father") as a section title in A Canticle for Leibowitz?
When Walter M. Miller Jr. originally wrote the novelettes that he later fixed up to become A Canticle for Leibowitz, they were titled:
"A Canticle for Leibowitz" (The Magazine of Fantasy ...
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"The Hero as Werwolf": why that spelling for werewolf?
"The Hero as Werwolf" is a short story by Gene Wolfe. Quoting the synopsis from here:
It [sic] the late 21st century, humanity has evolved into a master race with some people left behind. ...
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Does the phrase "Return of the XXX" actually predate Return of the Jedi and Return of the King in common usage?
The comments on this answer involve a disagreement about whether Return of the Joker is a direct reference to Return of the Jedi, with one party arguing is it obviously a reference and the other ...
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Why was the title of Rivers of London changed to Midnight Riot?
The novel Rivers of London, originally published in Britain, was published in the US under the title Midnight Riot.
Why was the title changed for the US audience?
(Presumably it can't be because "...
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Amok Time, as in “Run Amok”?
Regarding the Star Trek episode “Amok Time”, I always assumed “Amok” was a fictional sci-fi word, but then I realized it’s spelled the same as “to run amok”. Is there an intentional connection there,...
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What does "Et In Arcadia, Ego" refer to?
Episodes 9 and 10 of season 1 of Star Trek: Picard are titled "Et In Arcadia, Ego" parts 1 and 2, respectively. One does not use a Latin title like that without it meaning something. What does the ...
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Why was the 1992 film Universal Soldier given that title?
Universal Soldier was a 1992 action film, directed by Roland Emmerich and starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren as two men who died as Vietnam, only to be resurrected as brainwashed super-...
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