Science Fiction Collection
The Peple's Circumlunar Library: Home
tPCL: Books
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This collection is all gpub files of classic era, though sometimes lesser known, science fiction. Since the "Golden Age" of science fiction started recently enough to not normally be in the public domain, these works are here on a technicality: they were generally published in magazines and serialized, and those magazines did not renew the copyright (nor, apparently, did the authors).
About: The GPUB Ebook Format
A changelog is kept to keep track of what gets added and when:
Science Fiction Collection: Changelog
A good number of these are novellas or novelettes (shorter than a novel, longer than a short story). Some are collections of short fiction, generally titled "Short Fiction", some are proper novels, and a few are just short stories. I have tried to note these details in the book links below.
I have deliberately tried not to overlap with the short fiction collections offered by Standard Ebooks (whose catalog we have listed here[1]). SE offers collections of works by Ray Bradbury, Frederik Pohl, and PKD (for example) that we do not offer here out of a desire to not duplicate their efforts. If you prefer gpub, there are converters available to help you get one of their editions into the gpub format.
[1]: Standard Ebooks catalog on gemini
Authors (Alphabetically, by surname)
Given here as a list so that you might use your gemini client's "Find" function to jump to the author you wish to peruse.
- Samuel R. Delany
- Wyman Guin
- Frank Herbert
- Raymond F. Jones
- Allen Kim Lang
- Murray Leinster
- Robert Silverberg
- Charles Stross
- A. E. Van Vogt
- Jack Vance
- Peter Watts
- Marion Zimmer Bradley
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Samuel R. Delany
Samuel R. Delany has a mix of more pulpy stuff and more out-there stuff. I really enjoyed "Dhalgren", a strange and wandering novel that is circular and can be started from any point in the book.
Gemipedia: Samuel R. Delany
Books
"Captives of the Flame" by Samuel R. Delany (Novel)
Wyman Guin
Wyman Guin was a pharmacologist and advertising executive from Oklahoma who found some success writing science fiction. In particular, like many other sci-fi writers featured in this capsule, in the magazine "Galaxy Science Fiction".
Gemipedia: Wyman Guin
Books
"Volpla" by Wyman Guin (Novelette)
Frank Herbert
Frank Herbert, of "Dune" fame, wrote a number of short stories, novelettes, and novellas for science fiction magazines. Many of these have fallen into the public domain in the united states. His short fiction work focuses on many of the things present in "Dune": genetic experimentation, despots, language, culture, and ecology.
Gemipedia: Frank Herbert
Books
"Short Fiction" by Frank Herbert (Collection)
Raymond F. Jones
While digging through public domain clearances I stumbled upon this novel. It looks great! Hopefully it is. I know nothing about the author, other than what is on Gemipedia/Wikipedia.
Gemipedia: Raymond F. Jones
Books
"The Alien" by Raymond F. Jones (Novel)
Allen Kim Lang
I was really drawn to this book. My family has a number of Amish friends back where my grandmother's people come from (PA). I like the idea of putting the Amish in a science fiction/planetary/galactic setting and seeing what happens. I have not been able to find much information about the author, but I am excited about the story.
Books
"Blind Man's Lantern" by Allen Kim Lang (Novelette)
Murray Leinster
I was not aware of Murray Leinster's work before starting this collection. I am now really excited about—some—of it. He was very prolific and published more than 1.5k short stories and articles.
Gemipedia: Murray Leinster
Books
"Ribbon in the Sky" by Murray Leinster (Novelette)
"The Wailing Asteroid" by Murray Leinster (Novel)
Robert Silverberg
I think he leans a little fantasy and pulpy at times for me, but he was very prolific and popular in his day. The short fiction collection here was hand assembled by me (and technically includes a novel in addition to short stories) specifically for the gpub format.
Gemipedia: Robert Silverberg
Books
"Short Fiction" by Robert Silverberg (Collection)
"Starman's Quest" by Robert Silverberg (Novel)
Charles Stross
One of the more modern writers here. The work we have from him is not Public Domain, like so many of the others, but is under a Creative Commons license that allows us to distribute it.
Gemipedia: Charles Stross
Books
"Accelderando" by Charles Stross
A. E. Van Vogt
I found a collection of work by A. E. Van Vogt at my local "little free library", a wooden box outside of the post office with free books in it. He does some really cool stuff.
Gemipedia: A. E. Van Vogt
Books
"The Expendables" by A. E. Van Vogt (Novelette)
Jack Vance
I had not read any work from Jack Vance prior to this project. I really really like what I have read. Solid, imaginative, sci-fi (of the non-techy kind); borders into surrealism and absurdism.
Gemipedia: Jack Vance
Books
"The Men Return" is such a cool story: the solar system—possibly the whole galaxy—has drifted into a region of space where cause and effect breaks down.Some unknown amount of time has passed and mankind has largely died out or changed so substantially as to not really be human in a normal sense. The story follows one of the few remaining humans. I could see this story as an inspiration for—whether it was or not—"Adventure Time", as well as many of the novels by Jeff Vandermeer. At just over 3k words, it is a quick read. If you are in the mood for something short, this is a good one.
"The Men Return" by Jack Vance (Short Story)
"Sjambak" by Jack Vance (Novelette)
Peter Watts
One of the more modern writers here. The work we have from him is not Public Domain, like so many of the others, but is under a Creative Commons license that allows us to distribute it.
Gemipedia: Peter Watts
Books
"Blindsight" by Peter Watts
Marion Zimmer Bradley
I am a _huge_ fan of "The Mists of Avalon". Two other books from that series were also great ("The Forest House" and "Lady of Avalon"). Here we have some of her earlier science-fiction work set in her expansive 'Darkover' setting. The woman herself has had some posthumous scandal. I wont weigh in on that and folks can make up their own minds... but whatever there was in her life outside of writing: she was a solid writer.
Gemipedia: Marion Zimmer Bradley
Books
"The Door Through Space" by Marion Zimmer Bradley (Novel)
"The Planet Savers" by Marion Zimmer Bradley (Novel)