Adventures in Outer Space by Hidewell

Puzzle explanation

The first and third letters of the extra words in clues spelt “add eight cols; draw an app. golden spiral, origin SW corner; add a Greek letter to the final cell”. Squares with side lengths of Fibonacci numbers (8, 5, 3, 2, 1, 1) were added to the right side of the grid, with quarter-circle arcs drawn in them to form an approximate golden spiral, starting in the SW corner of the main grid and finishing in a 1×1 square to the right. The letter φ or Φ (phi) entered in the final cell denotes the golden ratio, (1 + √5)/2, which is the limit approached by the ratio of successive numbers in the Fibonacci sequence. The extra clue given by normal clues’ answers was “one hundred year old cups”, consisting of wordplay for [C + Y] and a definition of “scyphi” (ancient Greek drinking cups), which was entered as SCYΦ, putting the CY in row 10 between the second S of SPRITSAIL and the newly entered Φ. Entries were accepted with or without internal grid lines in the added squares, with or without the squares’ outlines shown, and with the spiral ending in the first 1×1 square or continuing into the final (Φ) square. The puzzle’s title referred to “sci-fi”, a homophone of “scyphi”.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Extra word Answer Explanation
Across
1 (A)b(D)omen FECIAL FACIAL with E for A
5   HUNDRED HUN + DREAD − A; ref. 4dn
11 (D)r(E)ary INUST U in INST
12 (I)n(G)énue CISELEUR CUR around (ISLE around E)
13 (H)a(T)ed BITO BIT + O’
14 (C)r(O)wdfunding TUNE-UP UNE in PUT <
17 (L)a(S)t ARAK ARK around A
18 (D)u(R)um NOODLE 3 meanings
19 (A)l(W)ays ROOMERS homophone of RUMOURS
23 (A)n(N)oyed BUNNIA ((Jamaic)A INN UB(iquitous)) <
24 (A)p(P)le CHEMORECEPTOR CHE(f) + MORE + CEP + TO + R
26 (P)e(G) SELKIE ELKIE after S(pey)
30 (O)b(L)atory IN-AND-IN (f)IN(e) AND (w)IN(e)
31 (D)i(E)tary COGENT COT around GEN
32   CUPS CUSP with S moved to the right
36 (N)o-(S)trings JARMAN JAR + MAN
37 (P)r(I)ce IDEA IKEA with D(rek) for (dre)K; ref. 10dn
38 (R)o(A)die SARSENET (SNEERS AT) *
39 (L)o(O)sens ASSAI (w)ASSAI(l)
40 (R)u(I)ned SHTETEL (S + TEL) around THE *
41 (G)u(I)dolin SCHORL SCHOOL with (wate)R for second O
Down
1   FIBONACCI FIB + O/A around N + CCI
2 (N)a(S)eberries ENID DINE <
3 (W)i(C)ked ISOLDE SOLDE after I
4 (O)g(R)e ATTILA ATTICA with L for C (Roman numerals)
6 (N)i(E)ce USED US + ED
7 (R)e(A)ds NEUM (O)NE UM(pire)
8 (D)a(D) REBREATHER BEER * in RATHER
9 (A)r(G)uing EUKARYOT (YOU TAKE + R) *
10 (R)e(E)fs DREK DRE(w) + K
12 (E)l(K) CUBEB CUB around BE
15 (L)e(E)k POLES APART (TARO + APPLES) *
16 (T)a(T)ami TRUEING T + EIN in RUG
20   ONE ENO <
21 (E)a(R)ly SPRITSAIL SPIRALIST *
22 (T)r(O)mbones CHANUKAH CH + HAKUNA (Matata) <
25   OLD OVERSOLD − VERSO
27 (T)-s(H)irt’s ÉCLAT TALCE(d) <
28 (E)f(F)orts POONAC PO + CANO(e) <
29 (I)n(N) OGRISH HO < around GRIS
32 (A)l(L)owed COSS C(IA) + OSS
33 (C)l(E)ar HAET HAMLET − ML
34 (L)u(L)u ERNE ERNIE − I
35   YEAR YEAR(n)
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