Novum is a term used by science fiction

Science fiction

Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...

 scholar

Science fiction studies

This article is about the field of science fiction studies. For the journal of the same title, please see Science Fiction Studies.Science fiction studies is the common name for the academic discipline that studies and researches the history, culture, and works of science fiction and, more broadly,...

 Darko Suvin

Darko Suvin

Darko Ronald Suvin, FRSC is a Yugoslav-born academic and critic of Jewish descendance, who became a Professor at McGill University in Montreal — now emeritus...

 and others to describe the scientifically plausible innovations used by science fiction

Science fiction

Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...

narratives.

He argues that the genre of Science Fiction is distinguished from Fantasy by the story being driven by a novum validated by cognitive logic. This means that the hypothetical 'new thing' which the story is about can be imagined to exist by scientific means rather than by magic.