Free (Kindle DRM-free) The Library of Forgotten Books by Rjurik Davidson [SF/Fantasy]

[ATDrake]

Today's sf/fantasy backlist treat comes from the antipodes, courtesy of PS Publishing. They've been pretty consistent about having their previous KDP exclusive-or-else freebies be DRM-free, so I'm taking a chance that this one is also since I can no longer tell directly by looking, no thanks to Amazon's unhelpful Product Info changes, to hopefully increase the potential audience of people who can enjoy antipodean sf/fantasy backlist treats.

The Library of Forgotten Books by Rjurik Davidson (ISFDB entry) is a collection of his sf/fantasy shorts, originally print-published as #8 in the PS Showcase series by PS Publishing in 2010.

Davidson is apparently an Australian writer, judging from the ISFDB note that one of the stories in this collection appeared in a Year's Best Australian Fantasy and Science Fiction volume (I occasionally wonder if New Zealand writers get lumped into those, or if they manage to get separate YBNZF&SF nods of some sort, or if there's some sort of screaming drama that occurs if they do get lumped in).

Anyway, free probably without DRM and for the next couple of days, courtesy of PS Publishing @ Amazon main UK DE ES FR IT

Description
In this collection, PS Publishing presents the short works of a powerful, exciting new voice in SF and fantasy: Rjurik Davidson, whose protagonists wander dark cities of dreams, ravished by love and tormented by destiny...

Visit the fantastic metropolis of Caeli-Amur, where rival Houses of thaumaturgists - half scientist, half magician - battle one another in vendetta, espionage, and murder, ruthlessly employing philosopherassassins: killers weighed down one minute by deep thought, uplifted the next by pure ecstasy. Enter the totalitarian city of Varenis, whose librarians every week consign thousands of forbidden books to obscure shelves, in halls haunted by dead writers, half-ghost, half-demon...

Voyage to an alternate post-World War Two Australia, whose vast inland sea has made her one of the world's Great Powers; there, in a Melbourne colossal beyond conception, criminals, communists, and government agents weave shadowy conspiracies only a weary veteran private eye can hope to penetrate. And holiday in a French resort whose cinema offers patrons fugitive glimpses of their countless possible futures, torturing them with hope, exhilarating them with despair...

These are the visions of Rjurik Davidson: cogently atmospheric, psychologically profound, boundlessly imaginative.

Slushpile still settling, recognizable non-repeat preliminaries below. Not sorted.

There's a bunch of assorted horror/thriller stuff from Scott Nicholson today; some new-looking, some repeats: Linkage for the lot Watch out for the many Prime lending "free" things which Amazon insists on mixing in, and there's official German and Italian translations in there if you want to practice your language learning skills.

Robret W. Walker says that the following horror novel was previously published in paperback under the title "Salem's Child": Abaddon He's also got a short story and in case anything more pops up after the slushpile settles: Linkage that will help you catch them all

Minor ISFDBed Glen R. Krisch returns with a collection of horror shorts, including the two published ones: Commitment and Other Tales of Madness

Minor ISFDBed Anthony Izzo who's had some Pinnacle-published crime novels offers a self-pub horror novel which is the 1st in a projected trilogy: Infected

ISFDBed Amber D. Sistla returns with another fantasy short: Unshadowed (Break Bites)

Poisoned Pen Press-published Mary Anna Evans offers an historical mystery short set during the Prohibition: A Singularly Unsuitable Word

Diane Davis White who's had short stories anthologized alongside more established writers returns with another multicultural Native American historical western romance: Moon of Ripening (The Lakota Moon Series)

Another graphic novel issue for your collection of such, which is #2 in the series thus far: JAZAN WILD'S FUNHOUSE OF HORRORS "IT'S MURPHY'S LAW"

Another contemporary romance from Harlequin-published Karen Rose Smith, apparently part of a series: Kit And Kisses

Zebra-published Shannon Donnelly says that her 2004-paperbacked romance was "Romantic Times Bookclub Nominated "Best Regency"": Lady Scandal

Berkley-published Michele Scott writing as A.K. Alexander returns with another thriller: Covert Reich

Jessica Barksdale Inclan's 2006-New American Library-published literary/women's fiction novel is a repeat, but I think someone was disappointed at having missed it earlier, so: The Instant When Everything is Perfect

Ernest Francis Schanilec's novel was paperbacked by one McCleery & Sons in 2006, who do seem to have a small stable of differing authors and do mainly genre fiction, so: Night Out in Fargo (Hastings Mystery-Suspense)

A quick skim of the sample says that the opening text advice in this is reasonably on-target and hopefully the illustrations will be helpful as well, so if you happen to need or know someone who could use this: The Fundamentals of Style - How to be a Well-Dressed Man (Style for Men)

For the sake of people doing gap fills, I spotted repeats in series from Valerie Douglas/V.J. Devereaux, Jeremy Shipp, Angela Hunt, and M.J. Rose if you missed anything earlier, and there's also some stuff from Books We Love and Dybbuk Press which might be Relevant To Your Interests, depending on what you like to read.

ETA: William King who writes Warhammer tie-in novels (ISFDB entry) offers a Conan-esque fantasy short which originally appeared in a small-press magazine in 2005, according to the ISFDB: Guardian of the Dawn (Short Story)

[Dr. Drib]

Got 2 or 3 today.

Thank you.



Don

[Gardenman]

Got one

Thanks

[Blue Tyson]

Rjurik Davidson is pretty good. Have read several of his. So check that one out.

For example, his story from Sci Fiction is online :-

The Passing of the Minotaurs - Rjurik Davidson

So after using some of those Kobo coupons yesterday :-

541!

[ATDrake]

Apparently Amazon's 1-click system imploded today for US customers, which I missed in part due to being stuck on campus all day, and probably also being Canadian as well.

Anyway, some late updates if you're still awake to see them before they expire (or Amazon once again tells you that they're not available to your country). Some nice backlist stuff if you like true crime or lesbian steampunk fantasy or just ever wanted to read Vikings vs Zombies. Enjoy.

Sara M. Harvey (ISFDB entry) has a book out from LGBT specialty publisher Torquere Press (available via Fictionwise) and she offers a 2009-Apex apparently small-pressed steampunk fantasy/lesbian "romantic, necromantic" tale which has a favourable review from Publisher's Weekly and specific blurb praise from fantasy author Jacqueline Carey (Kushiel series) as well as praise for the sequel from Hugo nominee Cherie Priest (Clockwork Century series; you know, the one with the steampunk zombies): The Convent of the Pure (1st in the "Penemue" series according to ISFDB)

Deb Houdek Rule has a short story in one of those L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future anthologies and a Robert A. Heinlein tribute essay listed in her very brief ISFDB entry. The former is offered as part of her collection of sf/fantasy/zombie themed shorts: Season of Marvels: Viking Tales

IMDBed screenwriter Ryne Douglas Pearson who had a Big-6-published thriller back in the 90s returns with a self-pub psychological thriller: The Donzerly Light

L.T. Fawkes returns with two offerings, one the 2003-Signet debut of her working class amateur sleuth Terry Saltz mysteries, and the other an entry in her apparently comedic series: Linkage for them both

The late William Diehl was an NY Times bestselling writer who was published by Ballantine and had favourable Publisher's Weekly and Booklist reviews on a randomly selected paperback, and apparently had two novels adapted into movies and met Martin Luther King. At some point he died and left notes for the following Native American cop vs serial killer thriller which was completed by Kenneth Atchity for you to enjoy: Seven Ways to DIe

Speaking of which, Edgar-nominated true crime and thriller novel writer Anthony Bruno returns with the very book which got the Edgar Award nod, co-written with Joshua Armstrong: The Seekers: Finding Felons and Guiding Men: A Bounty Hunter's Story

Karen Cantwell who had a short story in one of those Wildside Press anthologies returns with a set of mystery shorts with her comedic amateur sleuth from her previously-included self-pub novel series: The Chronicles of Marr-nia (Short Stories Starring Barbara Marr)

ISFDBed horror editor Tracy L. Carbone returns with a supernatural short: Scent of Lilacs

Bell Bridge Books-published Alicia Rasley returns with another historical romance: Allegra's Song, A Regency Novella (The Drewe Sisters)

Minor erotic romance imprint BookStrand-published Lisa Greer returns with another of her Hutterite gothic romance novellas set in that small religious community: A Hidden Desire (The Harmonists)

Christian fiction author Janice Thompson, who has an official romance currently permafreebied from Baker's Revell imprint, offers a mini-collection of two inspirational romance shorts: Love, L.A. Style

Some time ago, I included some sort of thriller by otherwise self-pub Esteban Vega as an example of a different book by a non-spamming author, out from the same digital imprint that was publishing a very annoying known Amazon discussion boards backlist spammer who had absolutely no shame and no sense of boundaries and would not be appearing in these posts again. Well, if you happened to like Vega's book when it popped up, here's his cop vs serial killer thriller which has blurb praise from Scott Nicholson: The Forsaken (A Thriller)

Offbeat mystery/historical repeats from Raymond Benson and Mark Wheaton if you missed something of theirs earlier and Books We Love/BWLPP once again have a mix of new and old stuff across various genres. I think one of them is a YA romance out from an ex-Harlequin author. For Christian fiction/non-fiction readers, Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas has a mix of new and repeat books, including some devotionals and self-help guides.

ETA: Kensington-published Kate Perry, from whom we recently got an official freebie, offers a contemporary romance: Perfect for You (A Laurel Heights Novel) Apparently the others in the series are still available via Smashwords.

[Blue Tyson]

The Harvey is worth a look. Didn't know until today that there were sequels. Maybe they'll be a little better with luck.

I'll add that I noticed :-

Outcasts and Gods by Pam Uphoff http://www.amazon.com/Outcasts-Gods-.../dp/B005VFXN3U

- who has had stories in JBU and elsewhere.

"Genetic engineering.
First they cured the genetic diseases.
Then they selected for the best natural traits.
Then they made completely artificial genes.
As the test children reached puberty, abilities that had always been lost in the random background noise were suddenly obvious. Telepathy, telekinesis.
At first their creators sought to strengthen these traits. Then they began to fear them.
They called them gods, and made them slaves."


Demon in the Sack - Space Johnston

http://www.amazon.com/Demon-in-the-S.../dp/B007NUV7F2

Space Johnston! Great name and great title. So that is why I noticed this. And a good sign - the description is coherent and correct.

One for ATD's 'suitably cracktastic' list I think.



"A gnome illusionist, a half-orc monk, and a sexy female paladin walk into a bar.... No! They walk into an ancient fortress riddled with death traps and frozen corpses to retrieve an ancient artifact of untold wealth and power - a diamond so large that no one can agree on what kind of vegetable it compares to. A potato? Possibly! A rutabega? Too many syllables! A pumpkin? Well, at that point you might be stretching it a bit, but the diamond is a big one.

Amazingly they succeed! They pull off the heist and return home victorious only to find that the adventure itself has just begun to begin, sending them delving into the depths of darkness to confront the mysterious Demon in the Sack and its dreadful minions.

This madcap tale of sword and sorcery is one part Dungeons And Dragons, one part Heavy Metal, and one part Kung-Fu theater. It is about 80 pages long and certifiably Kick-Ass! It even has troglodytes, and you can never go wrong with troglodytes."

Expatria - Ketih Brooke

http://www.amazon.com/Expatria-the-d.../dp/B0060IO7MS

"The descendants of Expatria's first colonists from Earth have rejected technology. When Mathias Hanrahan, heir to the primacy of Newest Delhi, wants to reintroduce the old ways he is framed for his father’s murder and forced to flee.

Recruited by a research team which is trying to relearn the ancient technologies, he goes to work for them, and against a background of impending war, Mathias discovers that strange messages are coming from space."


And

The Exiles Trilogy by Ben Bova is 99c

http://www.amazon.com/The-Exiles-Tri.../dp/B005V54Z1O

"When all the best of Earth's scientists are forced into exile to a space station to prevent their work from upsetting the status quo, they decide to embark on an even grander adventure to the stars. An epic three-volume saga from a science fiction master, all in one book:

EXILED FROM EARTH
FLIGHT OF EXILES
END OF EXILE"

[ATDrake]

The Bova is being advertised in the Self-Promo forum.

I'm waiting to see if the publisher will be willing to offer it at that price in the direct-buy DRM-free MultiFormat bundle or they're going to once again stubbornly insist on holding the deep-discount sales at just Amazon because of their setting-themselves-up-for-a-self-fulfilling prophecy of getting the most sales at Amazon.

If they don't, well, I guess end up saving my time and my money once again by not picking it up. I've never read any of Bova's work and at such deliberately differential pricing, I don't particularly feel the need to when I've got a bunch of recently-reprinted Robert Silverberg with new introductions by the author himself from my most recent round of Fictionwise MultiFormat 60% off coupon buys.

[Blue Tyson]

I looked at Kobo, was 8-9 or something. It came up in my amazon recommendations.

I have the odd Silverberg to go, too. Even a paper one. The last Planet Stories volume.

Just looked at that publisher's website now you mention it - and saw this :-

"Experiment Perilous: The 'Bug Jack Barron' Papers

by Norman Spinrad

Price: $0.99

Norman Spinrad describes the writing of his famous BUG JACK BARRON novel by answering three questions: "how did I come to write Bug Jack Barron? what urged me to do it? how do I hope to continue writing SF while bugging editors?" He goes on to explain the behind-the-scenes that went on with the book, which was banned in the UK. Originally one third of the booklet called "Experiment Perilous" with other contributions by Marion Zimmer Bradley and Alfred Bester, this "making of" offers great insights into the famed New Worlds era of science fiction as well as the publishing process, making it a must read for all readers and writers of science fiction."

Sounds interesting.

And Bug Jack Barron is weird - looking at some 2.99 etc. US books at Kobo - they were 2.78 in real money.

Bug Jack Barron 8.99 at Amazon/Reanimus Press website - 9.28 Kobo. Bizarre.

[Blue Tyson]

Now at least I understand where the Wil McCarthy books coming up in my recs came from too.

[ATDrake]

Apparently Spinrad put up a screenplay version of Bug Jack Barron at some point, which may explain the price difference if he's taken it off KDP.

ETA: Or maybe not, looking at the asking price. Maybe the original falls under those weird US public domain rules.

[Blue Tyson]

Yeah, Bug Jack Barron is not public domain. Just seem that some bookseller exchange rate stuff is freaky.

Or deliberately having their cake and eating it too. Like HarperCollins adjusting the price upwards on the Year's Best SF 17 as the Australian dollar improves for example.

Why 9.28 instead of 8.99? No reason for that I can see.

[DrNefario]

I really liked Expatria. I definitely recommend that one. I bought the paperback way back. I can't honestly remember a whole lot about it except that I thought it was excellent.

[ATDrake]

I misread your post as saying you'd found BJB at $2.99, not just some random USD books. It's 9.99 CAD in Canada, though, and our dollar is currently above par, last I heard.

But doesn't Kobo price in local currency? Though sometimes sellers set much higher rates for other countries than the US.

Open Road's Barbara Hambly backlist have a suggested list of $9.99 USD in the US, and... $19.99 elsewhere, apparently. And Tor/Macmillan consistently inflate their $2.99 USD special sale offerings to $3.99 CAD in the Kobo store (those Tor.com stories they took the freebie downloadable versions off the site to monetize are 99 cents in the US and $1.99 in Canada). Guess which publisher I'm not spending my hard-earned fluctuating petro-dollars upon, even if they hadn't gone Agency up here as well.

[Blue Tyson]

Local currency it seems, but not with the Bug Jack Barron example.

e.g. I got Solip: System by Walter Jon Williams (ignoring the coupon I used) for 2.99 - which showed to me as 2.78.

So that's around the current exchange rate.

But the 8.99 Bug Jack Barron is 9.28 - which is going the other way.

As is a cheapskate scan of a Talbot Mundy bio that a yankee acquaintance looked up for me at 14.70 or so and is 15.49 here. Making no sense.

Tor UK triple their prices for Australia sometimes! Although they might have come back a bit from that to only double given they probably sold countable in binary amounts of those 25-30+ books in the last few months. And generally Tor USA not available at all, although more older books appearing it seems as no-longer-laboring-under-delusions-of-specialness-enough-to-get-AU/NZ deals sell those rights to the yanks or have some weird clause or other. (Although sometimes this is just publisher incompetence/malice too I think)

Open Road I am pretty sure I've mentally dismissed as not much of interest and way too expensive, so never knew they had stuff as generically fantasy like Hambly?

I agree, Macmillan, Hachette etc. I've given them the arse, unless there's a special e.g. free Martin or Kadrey. Or 0.99 or whatever. Some total spent at those publishers this year on ebooks is probably five bucks. And a 3.58 preorder Mark Chadbourn special from Random House - who are nowhere near as egregious as the others. Much as I like Alastair Reynolds etc., anywhere that wants to doublecharge Australians just because they like subsidising their major markets from us can go and get you know what. Hachette even raised the SF Gateway book prices 50% in Australian in December. Only in Australia, as far as I am aware. No idea how that makes sense given there is zero paper market to 'protect' for those - unless they are just trying to do that in general. Which is also $%^%!*#& stupid, of course as the Kindle Select cheap book goldmine just means reading and cash goes there or small presses instead. $14 for E. C. Tubb or D. G. Compton or whoever ebooks is clearly delusional.

As far as Tor.com goes - I would have done that too, actually. They do still have free html ones which I am sure calibre or instapaper or something will snag for you in a few seconds if you fancy one converted as you are probably aware. Their stories appear to be nowhere near as good as they used to be, though.

[crich70]

Thanks for the tip about "The Exiles Trilogy." I read it years ago in paperback.