I'm taking a quick break from re-reading the full
Foreigner series (I'm on #13,
Intruder) to read
The Many Deaths of Joe Buckley, a delightful little collection of all the many ways that Baen authors over the years have killed off Joe Buckley.
As the Baen site says: All proceeds from this collection will support two charities near and dear to our hearts, both founded, supported, and run by Baen readers: Operation Baen Bulk, which sends books, ereaders, and other supplies to our men and women in uniform, and ReadAssist, which allows disabled readers free access to Baen ebooks.
Further description:
Spoiler:
Who is the mysterious Joe Buckley, and why does he meet so many unfortunate ends in various Baen books?
Joe Buckley is simultaneously a real person and an unlucky figment of numerous Baen authors' imaginations. He's been drowned, shot, stabbed, turned into a werewolf, eaten by a shark, and put through a snow blower and had his atomized remains spewed into the air, just to name a few. He's been spindled, folded, mutilated, blown up, and autopsied.
Now for the first time we have compiled the many instances of Buckley meeting a bad end, with introductions by the dastardly authors--and one artist--who did him in. Find out who killed him first and why, and how the tradition grew. With bonus material: "The Buckley Alphabet" by Sarah Hoyt's Dinerzens, and a filk song, "The Twelve Days of Battle" (to the tune of The Twelve Days of Christmas).
So far, I'm quite enjoying it, as various authors over the years have tried to come up with new and ever more horrible ways to kill off poor Joe Buckley. If you've ever read a Baen book or two, by all means give it a try. It's only $2.99, and for a very good cause.