Repository of classic sci-fi?

[FramFramson]

About six months back I found a small 60's-70's sci-fi series in a bookshop that looked like fun. I didn't pick the books up and I sort of regret that now because I can't even remember what it was or much about it (I'll give what clues I can recall below, but I think it'll be too little and too vague for even the wizards of LAF to figure it out).

Anyway, I was wondering if there's any sort of listing out there of classic sci-fi publishers (like TOR or DAW)/authors from days gone by, perhaps catalogues or something? Ideally with maybe dust jacket summaries of some of the books (but if I have a list of authors/titles/series I can probably google that information or something close). Beyond just maybe finding that lost series, I'd like to read more of the silly old stuff, as a lot of it is really fun, but a lot of it is - well, let's be honest here - pretty terrible! But I can usually tell from the puff blurb whether I'll enjoy it or not, so if there was some sort of grand repository I could at least quick scan entries until I see something which looks fun.

Anyone have any ideas or suggestions?

Oh, and what I recall about the series I missed was that it involved some sort of interplanetary agent, secret agent, or maybe a mercenary type, one book featured space pirates, and there was the usual bevy of space mistresses/space sorceresses. I think the series was at least three books and less than ten (so not one of those massive, long-running series, but one that at least had several books in it). I may be misremembering some or all of those details.

[matakishi]

You can buy sci fi (and other genre) megapacks for the Kindle for about 50p. I have several and mostly they're very good.
http://www.amazon.ca/s/ref=nb_sb_noss/178-0833961-6442329?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=kindle+sci+fi+megapack

[Doomsdave]

Fram, have you tried Goodreads?  I have the free app on my tablet and once you start listing books that you have read or want to read it makes similar recommendations.  Lots of decent reviews on there as well. 

[FramFramson]

Afraid I don't have a tablet or kindle, unless we're talking stone tools and a firelighter... 

[Damas]

If you are talking about Interplanetary Agents and Space Pirates, then that is the classic EE 'Doc' Smith Lensman Series.

Some of this, and the Skylark series as well as his standalone novels are available free at https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=Doc+Smith

There are Asimov and others also available on there.

[FramFramson]

It was something rather more obscure than Lensman. And definitely a 60's creation (if not 70's).

Project Gutenberg is a great site, though I knew of it before.

[Momotaro]

There's Kindle reader software for the PC too.

[Tactalvanic]

Might be worth a browser visit:

http://classics.jameswallaceharris.com/

old but still interesting list (as its classic novels that are older than it is, no big deal it being old)

https://www.worldswithoutend.com/lists_classics_of_sf.asp

The site itself has some interesting links to follow, particularly regards free books

https://www.worldswithoutend.com

https://www.worldswithoutend.com/resources_ebooks.asp

as for pc ebook readers some "free" examples:

http://calibre-ebook.com/

http://fbreader.org/

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-us/firefox/addon/epubreader/


Other articles/sites still live

http://auxiliarymemory.com/

by James Wallace Harris again seems to get around a bit he does in this field

ho hum will browse around them some myself later, after all  I am meant to be working....

even if this is more interesting 

[black hat miniatures]

You can buy sci fi (and other genre) megapacks for the Kindle for about 50p. I have several and mostly they're very good.
http://www.amazon.ca/s/ref=nb_sb_noss/178-0833961-6442329?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=kindle+sci+fi+megapack

I am slightly dubious about some of these as some - like the Robert Silverberg ones are publishing stories that have gone out of copyright so the author gets no money...

I'm always in favour of trying to buy a copy that pays something to author

Mike

[gamer Mac]

Stainless Steel Rat series was great.
Harry Harrison

[Doomsdave]

Afraid I don't have a tablet or kindle, unless we're talking stone tools and a firelighter... 

You don't have to have a mobile device.  A PC is fine.  I find it handy for looking up stuff I have forgotten.

[Mr. Peabody]

Gosh, that sounds like Bill the Galactic Hero...

[Hobby Services]

Afraid I don't have a tablet or kindle, unless we're talking stone tools and a firelighter... 

You don't need a tablet to access Goodreads, and it does have a very good book search/rec system.  Main site page is here:

http://www.goodreads.com/

As far as that series you're after goes, some possibilities include EE Smith's Imperial Stars/Family d'Alembert series or maybe Laumer's Retief books.  Even if those aren't the right ones, they're still well worth reading. 

[gamer Mac]

Gosh, that sounds like Bill the Galactic Hero...

Forgot about him. Great books

[Steve F]

John Clute's monumental Encyclopedia of Science Fiction now seems to be available online:

http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com

Worth a search or a browse, at the least.  The entry on Space Opera might be a good place to start:

http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/space_opera