Marion Zimmer Bradley
Marion Zimmer Bradley (1930-1999) was an American writer of science fiction and fantasy, best known for the long-running Darkover series and the Arthurian novel The Mists of Avalon. A prolific and influential author, she helped shape modern science fiction and fantasy across a career of several decades.
Like many science-fiction writers of her generation, Bradley began by publishing short novels and stories in the magazines and paperback lines of the 1950s and 1960s. A number of those early works have since entered the public domain, including several set in her Darkover universe.
The library offers those early public-domain works — Falcons of Narabedla, The Colors of Space, The Planet Savers, and Year of the Big Thaw. Her later, best-known novels, such as The Mists of Avalon and most of the Darkover series, remain under copyright and are not included here.
Our editions present these early works clearly. Read the opening free, and read or listen with a membership.
Marion Zimmer Bradley in the library · 4 works
Falcons of Narabedla
The Colors of Space
soon
Year of the Big Thaw
Audiobooks by Marion Zimmer Bradley
Every Marion Zimmer Bradley title in the library is also a complete, professionally produced audiobook — 4 audiobooks in total. Members listen free on any device. Browse the audiobook library →
Frequently asked questions about Marion Zimmer Bradley
What did Marion Zimmer Bradley write?
Bradley wrote science fiction and fantasy across a long career, most famously the Darkover series — set on a lost colony world — and the Arthurian novel The Mists of Avalon. She also wrote many other novels and edited anthologies. Her Darkover books and The Mists of Avalon are her best-known works, though most remain under copyright.
Which Marion Zimmer Bradley works are available here?
The library offers her early works that have entered the public domain: Falcons of Narabedla, The Colors of Space, The Planet Savers, and Year of the Big Thaw. These date from the earlier part of her career. Her famous later novels, including The Mists of Avalon and most of the Darkover series, remain under copyright and are not included.
What is The Planet Savers about?
The Planet Savers is an early, short Darkover novel in which a man with a split personality is recruited to help combat a deadly plague on the distant world of Darkover, aided by the planet's telepathic 'trailmen.' It's a fast, adventurous introduction to the exotic world Bradley would develop across many later books. It stands on its own as a self-contained story.
Where should I start with these works?
The Planet Savers is a good starting point — a short, self-contained adventure set in her Darkover universe. The Colors of Space and Falcons of Narabedla are also brisk, entertaining early science-fiction reads. All are quick and accessible.
Why aren't her famous novels available here?
Because The Mists of Avalon and most of the Darkover series remain under copyright. Only a few of her earliest works have entered the public domain, and those are what the library can legally offer in modern editions. We're clear about which titles are part of the collection.
Are these stories hard to read?
Not at all — they were written for a popular science-fiction audience in a clear, fast-paced style, so they read quickly and easily. A clear modern edition keeps them accessible and enjoyable.
Where can I read these works for free?
Bradley's early public-domain works are freely available. Older editions keep the original text. Here you can read the opening free in clear modern English, and read or listen with a membership.
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