There are a number of sites where you can find free books on the internet.
One of my favourite sites for science fiction and fantasy books is the Baen Free Library.
Created by Jim Baen and Eric Flint in 2000 this website allows you to download full copies of books in a wide variety of formats . There is no sales pitch, no requirement to buy anything, just a great collection of books by some of the best writers in Science Fiction and Fantasy today.
One of the things I like about the Baen Free Library is that there is no need for any special program that gives permission to read these books. Anyone can download the books to their computer, to your PDA, you can read them at work or on a laptop, you can even print them out as there are no restrictions on accessing these books.
When the Baen Free Library says FREE it means FREE.
They are offered free for two reasons, which Eric Flint writes about on the Home page.
- Eric Flint wrote “This all started as a byproduct of an online “virtual brawl” I got into with a number of people, some of them professional SF authors, over the issue of online piracy of copyrighted works and what to do about it.” “There was a school of thought, which seemed to be picking up steam, that the way to handle the problem was with handcuffs and brass knucks. Enforcement! Regulation! New regulations! Tighter regulations! All out for the campaign against piracy! No quarter! Build more prisons! Harsher sentences!” … “I, ah, disagreed. Rather vociferously and belligerently, in fact. And I can be a vociferous and belligerent fellow”.
- “Common sense, applied to the practical reality of commercial publishing. Or, if you prefer, the care and feeding of authors and publishers. Or, if you insist on a single word, profit”
Both of the points above are from the Home page of the Baen Free Library, I’m just copying it so you can read it here.
His second point has certainly come true with me. I started reading Eric Flint because he made his book Mother of Demons available for free. Before he did that, I had read the reviews of his books and thought they were not for me, not the sort of books I like reading. After reading Mother of Demons, I was hooked on Eric Flint as an author. I even bought Mother of Demons in paperback, even though it was already sitting there downloaded on my computer.
Eric Flint and Baen Books have received a lot of my cash over the last 9 years I’ve been reading Baen Books.
Some of the authors offering free books include David Drake, David Weber, Lois McMaster Bujold, Mercedes Lackey, John Ringo, David Freer, Elizabeth Moon and a lot more. Just go and have a look and see how many authors have made their books available for free – there are a lot more than my list. Those are just some of my favourites.
If you are looking for something to read for free, it’s time to head over to the Baen Free Library.
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Nice site!