Estide

Estide is a term used primarily in fictional contexts and in educational exercises to denote a hypothetical mineral with energy-related properties. It is not recognized as a real mineral by geological or chemical authorities. In worldbuilding and science fiction, estide is often depicted as a rare, dense mineral that forms in high-temperature, high-pressure hydrothermal veins and appears with a metallic luster and sometimes blue-green luminescent crystals. Its most notable feature is the purported ability to store electrical energy and release it rapidly when stimulated by light or mechanical stress, making it a valuable plot device for power sources or advanced technologies in narratives.

Chemically, estide tends to be described in textbooks and glossaries with flexible formulas, serving as an example of a mineral with intriguing properties rather than a defined composition. In classroom use, estide is employed to illustrate mineral classification concepts—such as naming conventions with the -ide suffix, and the distinction between real minerals and hypothetical materials.

Occurrences in fiction vary by author and setting; common backdrops include mountainous frontiers, industrial planets, or ancient ruins where estide might be mined, traded as a precious resource, or studied in research facilities. Because estide is not an actual mineral, its described properties and behavior are narrative devices chosen to suit worldbuilding needs or instructional demonstrations about mineral nomenclature and energy-storage concepts.

See also: mineral, sulfide, oxide, energy storage materials, worldbuilding.