Free (DRM-free) The Mars Girl/As Big as the Ritz by Haldeman & Benford [Sci-Fi Short]

ATDrake · 07-02-2016, 01:39 AM

The Mars Girl/As Big as the Ritz by multiple Hugo & Nebula Award-winner Joe Haldeman (ISFDB, Wikipedia) & fellow Nebula winner and astrophysicist Gregory Benford (ISFDB, Wikipedia) is the first volume in the Arc Doubles series of tandem novella reprints echoing the old Ace Doubles flipbook paperbacks which would pair two short novels together, this installment pairing Haldeman's 2006 space colony story originally printed in a Science Fiction Book Club anthology with a revised edition of Benford's 1987 asteroid settlement story originally published in Interzone magazine, free courtesy of publisher Phoenix Pick Press.

This is their featured Free Book of the Month selection for July.

Currently free throughout the month of July directly @ the publisher's dedicated promo page (DRM-free ePub/Mobi bundle available worldwide)

Keeping with the double theme, there's also a tie-in offer on the page for three Hugo & Nebula dual award-winning novellas: Haldeman's The Hemingway Hoax, Nancy Kress' award-winning Beggars in Spain novella, and Jack Williamson's The Ultimate Earth for just $6, which seems a pretty good price for such acclaimed stories if you don't have them already. The Kress novella is excellent, by the way, and the basis for her novel trilogy expanding upon the concept (although that didn't quit live up, IMHO).

And this has been the selected 3rd (non-repeat) free ebook thread of the day.

Because not only are sfnal freebies always welcome, it was always neat to see those old Ace Doubles flipbooks in the used bookstore and well, flip them over. So even though that's no longer really possible with e-books (unless perhaps one puts the second cover at the back and somehow rearranges the text so that the second novella has to be paged through in reverse, which I'm not sure is technically possible), a program which tries to revive the spirit of those is pretty nifty indeed.

<-- the 2 thumbs up smiley is especially appropriate for these double treats

Enjoy!

Description
THE MARS GIRL: Carmen Dula was just like any other girl. Or she used to be, before she spent six months on the spacecraft, John Carter, as part of the first nine families to settle on Mars.

Just like any other teenager she was curious about her new home—who wouldn't be?—but she did her schoolwork, enjoyed time with her friends, and she started to explore the red planet with the supervision of her guide and friend, Paul Santos; always within the rules set by the colony.

Yet the Administrator, Dargo Solingen, seemed to have it out for her. She had no idea why, but she was blamed for every slight; every transgression. Until one day she had enough.

At night fall, Carmen donned a biosuit and ventured outside on her own—during curfew, while her outside privileges had been suspended. She didn't have a set goal. All she knew is that she wanted to explore....

What happened next was beyond her most wildest dreams. But how can she prove what she saw that night, when almost everyone assumes she is lying?

AS BIG AS THE RITZ: Clayton Donnor grew up in a hard-working mining asteroid community, so when he went to Earth to study at UCLA, he thought all his dreams had come true. Earth was gaudy, effervescent and, above all, it was fun.

Majoring in Comparative Astrophysics, and Minoring in Analytic Economic Morality, Clayton's aspirations were large. But he had no idea what would be in store for him when he first met Sylvia Rolland, and she invited him home to meet her father.

For Dr. Norman Rollan had created the elusive Brotherworld, a manufactured Hoop world a few kilometres thick, that circled around the Vortex of a black hole twenty kilometres away.

Why did Dr. Rollan not allow any Astrophysicists to visit? What were his colony of genetically- perfect clones hiding? Clayton was determined to find out...

Dr. Drib · 07-03-2016, 06:24 AM

Got it.

Thank you!

ATDrake · 07-31-2016, 12:38 PM

Just a reminder that this is probably the last day to pick up the freebie or get the tie-in sale bundle if you haven't already.

07-02-2016, 01:39 AM	#1
ATDrake Wizzard Posts: 11,517 Karma: 33048258 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Roundworld Device: Kindle 2 International, Sony PRS-T1, BlackBerry PlayBook, Acer Iconia	Free (DRM-free) The Mars Girl/As Big as the Ritz by Haldeman & Benford [Sci-Fi Short] The Mars Girl/As Big as the Ritz by multiple Hugo & Nebula Award-winner Joe Haldeman (ISFDB, Wikipedia) & fellow Nebula winner and astrophysicist Gregory Benford (ISFDB, Wikipedia) is the first volume in the Arc Doubles series of tandem novella reprints echoing the old Ace Doubles flipbook paperbacks which would pair two short novels together, this installment pairing Haldeman's 2006 space colony story originally printed in a Science Fiction Book Club anthology with a revised edition of Benford's 1987 asteroid settlement story originally published in Interzone magazine, free courtesy of publisher Phoenix Pick Press. This is their featured Free Book of the Month selection for July. Currently free throughout the month of July directly @ the publisher's dedicated promo page (DRM-free ePub/Mobi bundle available worldwide) Keeping with the double theme, there's also a tie-in offer on the page for three Hugo & Nebula dual award-winning novellas: Haldeman's The Hemingway Hoax, Nancy Kress' award-winning Beggars in Spain novella, and Jack Williamson's The Ultimate Earth for just $6, which seems a pretty good price for such acclaimed stories if you don't have them already. The Kress novella is excellent, by the way, and the basis for her novel trilogy expanding upon the concept (although that didn't quit live up, IMHO). And this has been the selected 3rd (non-repeat) free ebook thread of the day. Because not only are sfnal freebies always welcome, it was always neat to see those old Ace Doubles flipbooks in the used bookstore and well, flip them over. So even though that's no longer really possible with e-books (unless perhaps one puts the second cover at the back and somehow rearranges the text so that the second novella has to be paged through in reverse, which I'm not sure is technically possible), a program which tries to revive the spirit of those is pretty nifty indeed. <-- the 2 thumbs up smiley is especially appropriate for these double treats Enjoy! Description THE MARS GIRL: Carmen Dula was just like any other girl. Or she used to be, before she spent six months on the spacecraft, John Carter, as part of the first nine families to settle on Mars. Just like any other teenager she was curious about her new home—who wouldn't be?—but she did her schoolwork, enjoyed time with her friends, and she started to explore the red planet with the supervision of her guide and friend, Paul Santos; always within the rules set by the colony. Yet the Administrator, Dargo Solingen, seemed to have it out for her. She had no idea why, but she was blamed for every slight; every transgression. Until one day she had enough. At night fall, Carmen donned a biosuit and ventured outside on her own—during curfew, while her outside privileges had been suspended. She didn't have a set goal. All she knew is that she wanted to explore.... What happened next was beyond her most wildest dreams. But how can she prove what she saw that night, when almost everyone assumes she is lying? AS BIG AS THE RITZ: Clayton Donnor grew up in a hard-working mining asteroid community, so when he went to Earth to study at UCLA, he thought all his dreams had come true. Earth was gaudy, effervescent and, above all, it was fun. Majoring in Comparative Astrophysics, and Minoring in Analytic Economic Morality, Clayton's aspirations were large. But he had no idea what would be in store for him when he first met Sylvia Rolland, and she invited him home to meet her father. For Dr. Norman Rollan had created the elusive Brotherworld, a manufactured Hoop world a few kilometres thick, that circled around the Vortex of a black hole twenty kilometres away. Why did Dr. Rollan not allow any Astrophysicists to visit? What were his colony of genetically- perfect clones hiding? Clayton was determined to find out... Last edited by ATDrake; 07-02-2016 at 02:57 AM.

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07-03-2016, 06:24 AM	#2
Dr. Drib Grand Sorcerer Posts: 45,435 Karma: 59592133 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Peru Device: KINDLE: Oasis 3, Scribe (1st), Matcha; KOBO: Libra 2, Libra Colour	Got it. Thank you!

07-31-2016, 12:38 PM	#3
ATDrake Wizzard Posts: 11,517 Karma: 33048258 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Roundworld Device: Kindle 2 International, Sony PRS-T1, BlackBerry PlayBook, Acer Iconia	Just a reminder that this is probably the last day to pick up the freebie or get the tie-in sale bundle if you haven't already.

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