Science Fiction (Bookshelf)

Robots, nudes and spaceships, …

… SF is more than that.

Science Fiction (often called sci-fi or SF) is a popular genre of fiction in which the narrative world differs from our own present or historical reality in at least one significant way. This difference may be technological, physical, historical, sociological, philosophical, metaphysical, etc, but not magical (see Fantasy).

—Excerpted from Science Fiction on Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia.

Science Fiction books from before the 20th century are listed on the page Precursors of Science Fiction. The cutoff is more by author than by date. Jules Verne (1828-1905) is usually considered the first modern SF author.

Feel free to add reviews of books to the page.

The Project Gutenberg Science Fiction CD is out and already starts to become outdated. So i mark all ebooks not on the CD with a bullet . It is easier for me to dot a few spots and easier for you to spot a few dots. The CD will be updated when enough new ebooks have accumulated. The CD is available via BitTorrent from The Project Gutenberg BitTorrent Tracker. See The CD and DVD Project: Downloading Via BitTorrent.

For other copyrighted but free Science Fiction ebooks (free of charge and free of DRM) have a look at the Baen Free Library

Authors
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Editor's Choice

Robert Marquardt:

Omnilingual by H. Beam Piper

Abbott, Edwin Abbott, 1838-1926

Links for Edwin Abbot Abbot: Wikipedia, ISFDB

Flatland: a romance of many dimensions (English)
Flatland: a romance of many dimensions (Illustrated) (English)

Anderson, Poul William, 1926-2001

Links for Poul William Anderson: Wikipedia, ISFDB

The Burning Bridge (English)
Security (English)

Arnold, Edwin Lester Linden, 1857-1935

Links for Edwin Lester Linden Arnold: Wikipedia, ISFDB

Gulliver of Mars (English)

Arthur, Robert, 1909-1969

Links for Robert Jay Arthur: Wikipedia, ISFDB

The Indulgence of Negu Mah (English)

Astor, John Jacob, 1864-1912

Links for John Jacob Astor: Wikipedia, ISFDB

This is really the billionaire Astor who died aboard the Titanic.

A journey in other worlds
A romance of the future (English)

Baily, Peter

Links for Peter Baily: ISFDB

Accidental Death (English)

Banta, Frank

Links for Frank Banta: ISFDB

Droozle (English)

Beck, C.C.

Links for C.C. Beck: ISFDB

Vanishing Point (English)

Bellamy, Edward, 1850-1898

Links for Edward Bellamy: Wikipedia, ISFDB

The Blindman's World (English)
- The complete book "Blindmans World and Other Stories" is also available as individual ebooks, but not yet as a single collection.
Dr. Heidenhoff's Process (English)
Equality (English)
Looking Backward, 2000 to 1887 (English)
Miss Ludington's Sister (English)

Benoit, Pierre

Links for Pierre Benoit: Wikipedia, ISFDB

Atlantida (English)

Blish, James 1921-1975

Links for James Blish: Wikipedia, ISFDB

One-Shot (English)

Bloch, Robert 1917-1994

Links for Robert Bloch: Wikipedia, ISFDB

This Crowded Earth (English)

Bone, Jesse F. (Jesse Franklin), 1916-1986

Links for Jesse F. Bone: ISFDB

The Lani People (English)
Pandemic (English)
A Prize for Edie (English)

Brackett, Leigh Douglass, 1915-1978

Links for Leigh Brackett: Wikipedia, ISFDB

A World is Born (English)

Bradley, Marion Zimmer, 1930-1999

Links for Marion Zimmer Bradley: Wikipedia, ISFDB

The Colors of Space (English)
This is a fun and fairly well-written short novel. It's not without a few minor clunkers -- including one or two examples of my pet peeve, background/exposition couched in unnatural-sounding dialogue -- and is no doubt wildly different in tone from Zimmer Bradley's later work. Still, the tale of young Bart Steele among the mysterious Lhari is creative enough, and humanistic (as it were!) enough, to elevate this above the usual space opera fare. Thegoldenband 12:43, 12 May 2007 (EDT)
The Door Through Space (English)
This story mentions larger political struggles occuring between humans and non-humans in this far distant future, but at the same time, largely glosses over these struggles and the inherent differences and conflicts between the races that cause it. Instead, the author is more concerned with the idea of friendship, honor, love and hatred between individuals. The main character, Race, and his brother-in-law, were once as close as brothers, but that ended six years ago in a fight that left both men scarred. After Race's sister asks for his help in saving her daughter, Race must confront that hatred while on a quest that ultimately leads to great discoveries ... both for himself and for the entire planet. JHutch 9 January 2008

Brown, Fredric, 1906-1972

Links for Fredric Brown: Wikipedia, ISFDB

Earthmen Bearing Gifts (English)

Budrys, Algis, 1931-2008

Links for Algis Budrys: Wikipedia, ISFDB

Citadel (English)
The Stoker and the Stars (English) as by John A. Sentry

Burroughs, Edgar Rice, 1875-1950

Links for Edgar Rice Burroughs: Wikipedia, ISFDB

Barsoom series

A Princess of Mars (English)
A Princess of Mars (English)
A Princess of Mars (English)
Gods of Mars (English)
Gods of Mars (English)
War-lord of Mars (English)
Warlord of Mars (English)
Thuvia (English)
Thuvia, Maid of Mars (English)
The Chessmen of Mars (English)
The Chessmen of Mars (English)

Pellucidar series

Pellucidar (English)
Pellucidar (English)
At the Earth's Core (English)
At the Earth's Core (English)
At the Earth's Core (English)
Ce la koro de la tero (Esperanto)

Caspak series

other SF

Campbell, John W. (Wood), 1910-1971

Links for John W. Campbell: Wikipedia, ISFDB

The Ultimate Weapon (English)

Arcot, Morey and Wade series

in series order

Čapek, Karel, 1890-1938

Links for Karel Čapek: Wikipedia, ISFDB

R.U.R. (Czech)

Capps, Carroll M., 1913-1971

And All the Earth a Grave (English) as by C.C. MacApp

Carr, Terry Gene, 1937-1987

Links for Terry Gene Carr: Wikipedia

Warlord of Kor (English)

Castle, Arnold

The Perfectionists (English)

Clifton, Mark Irvin, 1906-1963

Sense from Thought Divide (English)

Clinton, E. M., 1926-

Untechnological Employment (English)

Cocking, Ron

Warning from the Stars (English)

Cole, Everett B., 1910-1977

Alarm Clock (English)
The Best Made Plans (English)
Final Weapon (English)
Indirection (English)
Millennium (English)
The Players (English)

Collins, Les

Question of Comfort (English)

Cooper, Michael D., [pseud.]

Links for Michael D. Cooper: ISFDB, official Starman series website

The Starman series

The Runaway Asteroid (English)

Coppel, Alfred 1921-2004

The Hills of Home (English)

Carroll, William

Solomon's Orbit (English)

Cory, John

Egocentric Orbit (English)

Cox, Irving 1917-2001

The Guardians (English)
Impact (English)

Cox, James A.

A Choice of Miracles (English)

Cummings, Ray, 1887-1957

Links for Ray Cummings: Wikipedia, ISFDB

DeKy, Thornton

The Ultimate Experiment (English)

Dee, Roger (Aycock, Roger D.) 1914-2004

Control Group (English)
Traders Risk (English)

Del Rey, Lester, 1915-1993

Links for Lester Del Rey: Wikipedia, ISFDB

Badge of Infamy (English)
Police Your Planet (English)
The Sky Is Falling (English)
Victory (English)

Derreaux, Gaston

The Sun King (English)

De Vet, Charles V. (Charles Vincent) 1911-1997

Monkey On His Back (English)

Doctorow, Cory

Links for Cory Doctorow: Wikipedia, ISFDB

Craphound (English)
Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom (English)
The future world Doctorow has created has eliminated death and poverty. Instead of money, you have "Whuffie", which is how much respect you have from your peers. Do something others like, you get more "Whuffie". Do something poorly, you lose "Whuffie". And in this future world, Disney World is not run by the Walt Disney Corporation, but rather by regular citizens who form "ad-hoc" groups to run various parts of the Magic Kingdom. Doctorow manages to examine everything from the meaning of life (without death) to love, friendship and how society can and should function from personal levels to large group levels. At the same time, the story at the heart of this examination is interesting and well worth the read. JHutch 14 January 2008
Eastern Standard Tribe (English)
Home Again, Home Again (English)
A Place so Foreign (English)
Printcrime (English)
Return to Pleasure Island (English)
Shadow of the Mothaship (English)
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town (English)
Super Man and the Bug Out (English)
Take the Superman character we all know and love. Put him into a story that is outside the standard canon of stories. DC comics has been doing this for years with great success. Cory Doctorow does the same thing with this short story about "The Superman". The hook is that instead of crashing his spaceship in Kansas and being raised by salt-of-the-earth-God-fearing farmers, Kal-el crashes near Toronto, Canada and is raised by a Jewish couple. Instead of Clark Kent, we get Hershie Ambrowicz. A amusing and well told story that turns the Superman mythos in a new direction. JHutch 14 January 2008

Donovan, Francis

The Short Life (English)

Douglas, Ellsworth

Pharaoh's Broker (English)

Douglas, Jack

Test Rocket! (English)

Doyle, Arthur Conan, Sir, 1859-1930

Links for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: Wikipedia, ISFDB

The Lost World (English)
The Lost World (English)
The Poison Belt (English)
The Poison Belt (English)

Dunn, Jonathan

The Revolutions of Time (English)

Dye, Charles, 1927-1955

Links for Charles Dye: ISFDB

Regeneration (English)

Edmondson, G.C., Edmondson, Garry C. 1922-1995

Blessed Are the Meek (English)

Ernst, Paul, 1899-1985

The Radiant Shell (English)

Evans, E. Everett (Edward Everett), 1893-1958

Links for E. Everett Evans: ISFDB

Man of Many Minds (English)
Masters of Space (English) with Edward Elmer Smith

Fahy, Patrick

Links for Patrick Fahy: ISFDB

The Mightiest Man (English)

Fairman, Paul W.

Links for Paul W. Fairman: Wikipedia, ISFDB

Ten From Infinity (English) by Ivar Jorgensen

Ferris, Benjamin

The Invaders (English)

FitzPatrick, R. C.

The Circuit Riders (English)

Flagg, Francis pseud. Weiss, George Henry 1898-1946

The Seed of the Toc-Toc Birds (English)

Flint, Homer Eon, 1892-1924

Links for Homer Eon Flint: Wikipedia, ISFDB

The Blind Spot (English)
The Devolutionist and the Emancipatrix (English)
The Emancipatrix (English)
The Lord of Death and the Queen of Life (English)

Fontenay, Charles Louis, 1917-2007

Links for Charles Louis Fontenay: Wikipedia, ISFDB

The Gift Bearer (English)
Rebels of the Red Planet (English)
Wind (English)

Fyfe, Horace Brown, 1918-1997

Gallun, Raymond Zinke

The Planet Strappers (English)

Garrett, Gordon Randall, 1927-1987

Links for Randall Garrett: Wikipedia, ISFDB

.....After a Few Words... (English) as by Seaton McKettrig
Anchorite (English) as by Johnathon Blake MacKenzie
Anything You Can Do ... (English)
A Spaceship Named McGuire (English)
The Bramble Bush (English)
But, I Don't Think (English)
By Proxy (English)
Card Trick (English) as by Walter Bupp. Walter Bupp may be a pseudonym of John Berryman.
Cum Grano Salis (English)
Damned If You Don't (English)
Dead Giveaway (English)
Despoilers of the Golden Empire (English) as by David Gordon
The Destroyers (English)
Hail to the Chief (English)
Heist Job on Thizar (English)
The Highest Treason (English)
In Case of Fire (English)
The Man Who Hated Mars (English)
The Measure of a Man (English)
.....Or Your Money Back (English) as by David Gordon
Pagan Passions (English) with Laurence Mark Janifer
The Penal Cluster (English) as by Ivar Jorgensen
Suite Mentale (English)
With No Strings Attached (English) as by David Gordon
The Unnecessary Man (English)
Unwise Child (English)
Viewpoint (English)
Vigorish (English)
What The Left Hand Was Doing (English)

"Queens Own FBI" series

Brain Twister (English) with Laurence Mark Janifer
alternate title That Sweet Little Old Lady
The Impossibles (English) with Laurence Mark Janifer
alternate title Out Like a Light
Supermind (English) with Laurence Mark Janifer
alternate title "Occasion for Disaster"

Gimble, Stanley

Breakaway (English)

Glad, Victoria

Each Man Kills (English)

Godwin, Tom, 1915-1980

Goodwin, Harold Leland, 1914-1990

Links for Harold Leland Wright Goodwin: Wikipedia, ISFDB

Rip Foster in Ride the Gray Planet (English) as Blake Savage
Rip Foster Rides the Gray Planet (English) as Blake Savage — with illustrations

Gordon, Nathaniel

The Golden Judge (English)

Griffith, George, 1857-1906

Links for George Griffith: Wikipedia, ISFDB

A Honeymoon in Space (English)
The Mummy and Miss Nitocris
A Phantasy of the Fourth Dimension (English)

Grisewood, R. Norman

Zarlah the Martian (English)

Gunn, James E. 1923-

Links for James E. Gunn: Wikipedia, ISFDB

Breaking Point (English)

Hamilton, Edmond

The Stars, My Brothers (English)

Hardart, F.E.

The Beast of Space (English)

Harmon, James Judson, 1933-

The Last Place on Earth (English)
Measure for a Loner (English)

Harness, Charles Leonard, 1915-2005

The Professional Approach (English) with Theodore Lockhard Thomas as by Leonard Lockhard

Harrison, Harry, 1925-

Links for Harry Harrison: Wikipedia, ISFDB

The K-Factor (English)
The Misplaced Battleship (English)
Planet of the Damned (English)
The Repairman (English)
Toy Shop (English)

Hastings, Milo M. 1884-1957

City of Endless Night (English)

Herbert, Frank Patrick 1920-1986

Missing Link (English)
Operation Haystack (English)

Hyne, Charles John Cutcliffe Wright, 1866-1944

Links for Charles John Cutcliffe Wright Hyne: Wikipedia, ISFDB

The Lost Continent (English)

Ing, Dean, 1931-

Tight Squeeze (English)

Janifer, Laurence Mark, 1931-2002

Links for Laurence Mark Janifer: Wikipedia, ISFDB

Charley de Milo (English) as by Larry M. Harris
Hex (English) as by Larry M. Harris
Pagan Passions (English) with Gordon Randall Garrett
Wizard (English) as by Larry M. Harris

"Queens Own FBI" series

Brain Twister (English) with Gordon Randall Garrett
alternate title That Sweet Little Old Lady
The Impossibles (English) with Gordon Randall Garrett
alternate title "Out Like a Light"
Supermind (English) with Gordon Randall Garrett
alternate title "Occasion for Disaster"