Good free Sci-fi? - Page 2

MachinegunDojo · 02-12-2008, 02:32 AM

Wow thanks guys, I'll be reading for a while now. The honor harrington series is where I am starting and I wasted a good deal of time at work today because of it reading it on my phone while waiting for software to install on 20 machines so I'd read in between times while doing 3 machines at a time(only one USB drive for an entire school lol).

It's a great book so far and I'll have to reread it due to not understanding a lot of the details. Personally I don't like the writing style too much; way too scientific and pro longly detailed; but it manages to peak my interest so it obviously ain't bad at all.

Anyways, back to reading I go until I pass out

The small screen makes reading slower, but I like it that way as I tend to scan and not actually read sometimes.

DMcCunney · 02-12-2008, 02:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MachinegunDojo

Wow thanks guys, I'll be reading for a while now. The honor harrington series is where I am starting and I wasted a good deal of time at work today because of it reading it on my phone while waiting for software to install on 20 machines so I'd read in between times while doing 3 machines at a time(only one USB drive for an entire school lol).

It's a great book so far and I'll have to reread it due to not understanding a lot of the details. Personally I don't like the writing style too much; way too scientific and pro longly detailed; but it manages to peak my interest so it obviously ain't bad at all.

I assume you began with On Basilisk Station?

Yes, there is a fair bit of background and expository detail. Weber has created a complex and multi-faceted world. He's actually pretty good about incorporating it into the flow of the books without becoming too obtrusive.

While it isn't necessary to know anything about European history to enjoy the series, it's even more fun if you do. As mentioned, Honor Harrington's career parallels both C.S. Forester's fictional Horatio Hornblower and the real Admiral Lord Nelson. The Star Kingdom of Manticore bears a strong resemblance to England during the Napoleonic Wars, and the Republic of Haven looks an awful lot like France during and after the French Revolution. And Weber has lots of fun with the physics, to let him have ships of the line drawn up in space and whaling away at each other with lasers, grasers, and capital missiles in tactics straight out of Napoleonic War naval battles.

The last I knew, plans were fairly well along for a TV series featuring Honor Harrington. Various parties were interested, treatments were being written, and it was at the stage of lining up financing for production. We'll see. (Several of the HH books have made the NYT Best Seller list in hardcover, so the series has credibility as a candidate for adaptation.)
______
Dennis

Dajala · 02-12-2008, 04:21 AM

I also recently finished Scalzi's 'The Android's Dream' which was a great read too.

Nate the great · 02-12-2008, 08:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MachinegunDojo

It's a great book so far and I'll have to reread it due to not understanding a lot of the details. Personally I don't like the writing style too much; way too scientific and pro longly detailed; but it manages to peak my interest so it obviously ain't bad at all.

Over at Baen's Bar there is a word for his writing style: InfoDump. I think his current record is 23 pages without any dialog.

HarryT · 02-12-2008, 08:40 AM

IMHO, David Weber is not a good writer. What he is, though, without a doubt, is a good story-teller. As far as writing "style" goes, though, he's pretty bad.

MachinegunDojo · 02-13-2008, 03:36 PM

By any chance are there any Asimov stories available free on Mobi format?

DMcCunney · 02-13-2008, 03:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MachinegunDojo

By any chance are there any Asimov stories available free on Mobi format?

I'm not aware of any free Asimov stories in any electronic format. His work is all under copyright, and available as a commercial title if at all.

(I knew Isaac, back when. Nice guy was well as fine writer.)
______
Dennis

MachinegunDojo · 02-13-2008, 04:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DMcCunney

I'm not aware of any free Asimov stories in any electronic format. His work is all under copyright, and available as a commercial title if at all.

(I knew Isaac, back when. Nice guy was well as fine writer.)
______
Dennis

Shame, I'd even buy them all just to have them. I love the short story about the super computer that turns into God after the universe ends. "Let there be light" It simply doesn't get better than that.

vivaldirules · 02-13-2008, 04:04 PM

I have his Foundation trilogy on my Sony and they also sell a few others of his books for the Reader. I think I, Robot and one or two others. I see now that Mobipocket has these same titles and perhaps a few more.

JSWolf · 02-13-2008, 08:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dajala

If you go to www.tor.com now you can register for a free ebook every week. Next week's link is for John Scalzi's 'Old Mans War' which is a brilliant heinleinesque sci-fi novel.

Has anyone actually received this newsletter? I have signed up twice and nothing. Looks like we'll miss all these free eBooks if they don't get the newsletter out.

MachinegunDojo · 02-14-2008, 02:53 AM

I haven't yet, it's been a couple days too.

Dave Berk · 02-14-2008, 04:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MachinegunDojo

By any chance are there any Asimov stories available free on Mobi format?

http://www.amazon.com/Foundation/dp/...819655-1278233

I think someone posted here about a converter from azw to plain mobi.

Edit: sorry, didn't notice you said "free".

IceHand · 02-14-2008, 04:49 PM

And you can't buy Kindle books without a Kindle (as far as I know).

Dave Berk · 02-14-2008, 06:49 PM

Are you sure? I thought that you only need a US-based credit card to buy kindle books.

geophyrd · 02-15-2008, 12:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carandol

I'm currently thoroughly enjoying Peter Watts' "Starfish", which I got from www.feedbooks.com. The two sequels are there too, as well as an unconnected space opera. Starfish is set in a deep undersea power generating station staffed by a variety of sociopaths and criminals (since no-one else wants the job). It's very dark in all senses of the word, but if you're into Warhammer 40k it ought to suit you

As are its sequels. Hearty endorsement for all three (the last book was published as 2 books, but the ebook version is back together the way Peter Watts intended.

You can find out more (as well as all his books, offered for free, at www.rifters.com

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02-12-2008, 02:32 AM	#16
MachinegunDojo Member Posts: 20 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Texas Device: Kindle 2	Wow thanks guys, I'll be reading for a while now. The honor harrington series is where I am starting and I wasted a good deal of time at work today because of it reading it on my phone while waiting for software to install on 20 machines so I'd read in between times while doing 3 machines at a time(only one USB drive for an entire school lol). It's a great book so far and I'll have to reread it due to not understanding a lot of the details. Personally I don't like the writing style too much; way too scientific and pro longly detailed; but it manages to peak my interest so it obviously ain't bad at all. Anyways, back to reading I go until I pass out The small screen makes reading slower, but I like it that way as I tend to scan and not actually read sometimes.

02-12-2008, 04:21 AM	#18
Dajala Enthusiast Posts: 41 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2006 Device: Palm TX, Sony PRS-505	I also recently finished Scalzi's 'The Android's Dream' which was a great read too.

02-12-2008, 08:40 AM	#20
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,560 Karma: 93980341 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	IMHO, David Weber is not a good writer. What he is, though, without a doubt, is a good story-teller. As far as writing "style" goes, though, he's pretty bad.

02-13-2008, 03:36 PM	#21
MachinegunDojo Member Posts: 20 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Texas Device: Kindle 2	By any chance are there any Asimov stories available free on Mobi format?

02-13-2008, 04:04 PM	#24
vivaldirules When's Doughnut Day? Posts: 10,059 Karma: 13675475 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Houston, TX, US Device: Sony PRS-505, iPad	I have his Foundation trilogy on my Sony and they also sell a few others of his books for the Reader. I think I, Robot and one or two others. I see now that Mobipocket has these same titles and perhaps a few more.

02-14-2008, 02:53 AM	#26
MachinegunDojo Member Posts: 20 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Texas Device: Kindle 2	I haven't yet, it's been a couple days too.

02-14-2008, 04:49 PM	#28
IceHand Linux User Posts: 323 Karma: 13682 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Germany Device: Kindle 3	And you can't buy Kindle books without a Kindle (as far as I know).

02-14-2008, 06:49 PM	#29
Dave Berk Fanatic Posts: 574 Karma: 138556 Join Date: May 2006 Device: PRS505	Are you sure? I thought that you only need a US-based credit card to buy kindle books.