| 100% | CARD | 4 | Credit ___, invention that was first mentioned in the sci-fi novel "Looking Backward" by Edward Bellamy |
| 68% | ROBOT | 5 | Invention that was first mentioned in the sci-fi novel "R.U.R" by Karel Capek from which the name was derived |
| 54% | ATOM | 4 | ___ bomb, nuclear weapon which was first mentioned in the sci-fi novel "The World Set Free" by HG Wells |
| 46% | WEB | 3 | World Wide ___, invention by Tim Berners-Lee that was mentioned in the sci-fi novel "Dial F for Frankenstein" by Arthur C. Clarke |
| 39% | ISLANDS | 7 | "___ in the Sky," 1952 sci-fi novel by Arthur C. Clarke that is set in the later half of the 21st century |
| 37% | SUBMARINES | 10 | Inventions that inspired the sci-fi novel "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea" by Jules Verne |
| 33% | HAMMER | 6 | "The ___ of God," 1993 sci-fi novel by Arthur C. Clarke that is set in the year 2109 |
| 33% | TOOMUCHHEAVEN | 13 | Song that was the first of three #1 singles by 42-Across in 1979 (3 wds.) |
| 33% | HELICOPTER | 10 | Invention whose successful model was made by Igor Sikorsky that was inspired by the sci-fi novel "Clipper of the Clouds" by Jules Verne |
| 32% | TASER | 5 | Invention by Jack Cover that was inspired by the "Tom Swift" sci-fi series by Victor Appleton: Abbr. |
| 32% | RYE | 3 | "The Catcher in the ___," novel by J.D. Salinger that is set in New York City |
| 32% | SONGS | 5 | "The ___ of Distant Earth," 1986 sci-fi novel by Arthur C. Clarke that is set in the early 3800s |
| 32% | SURVIVOR | 8 | 1999 satirical novel by Chuck Palahniuk in which the chapters and pages are numbered backwards |
| 32% | SNL | 3 | NBC's sketch comedy show that was hosted by the athletes mentioned in 20a, 31a, 1d, 29d, and 42d: Abbr. |
| 31% | MEAD | 4 | Lake ___, largest artificial lake in the U.S. that looks natural but was formed by the construction of the Hoover Dam |
| 31% | BELLS | 5 | "Jingle ___," iconic Christmas carol that was the first song played on musical instruments in space by Gemini 6 astronauts in 1965 |
| 31% | NATIONAL | 8 | ___ Christmas Tree, iconic tree on display in the Ellipse, Washington D.C. that is lit up by the President and First Lady |
| 30% | LUNE | 4 | "Le Voyage dans la ___," 1902 film that is regarded as the first sci-fi film ever made |
| 30% | BARBARAANN | 10 | 1965 Beach Boys hit that was first recorded by the Regents: 2 wds. |
| 29% | STELLAMARIS | 11 | 2022 prequel to "The Passenger" that is the first novel by 34-Across to feature a female protagonist (2 wds.) |
| 29% | INCISORS | 8 | Teeth that are typically the first to grow in |
| 29% | ASOR | 4 | Ten-stringed instrument mentioned in the Bible that has not been traced anywhere else |
| 29% | FRANKENSTEIN | 12 | Sci-fi novel by Mary Shelley that was published on 1st January 1818 |
| 29% | OLMEC | 5 | Mesoamerican culture that is credited with the invention of popcorn |
| 29% | ODESSA | 6 | City that was home to the first car in Russia |
| 29% | BRA | 3 | Garment that was burned by some feminists in the 1970s |
| 29% | JOY | 3 | "___ in the Morning," novel by P.G. Wodehouse first published in 1946 |
| 29% | THEROBE | 7 | 1953 Biblical epic that was the first film released in CinemaScope |
| 29% | ARK | 3 | Lost object that was raided in the first Indiana Jones movie |