FREE/BARGAIN — Science Fiction & Fantasy

[ratinox]

Originally Posted by Cactus Chef

What's the appeal of these? Do any of them satisfy as standalone literature, or are they only of value if you're knee-deep in D&D fandom?

These essentially are expanded universe-style novels, with said universe being the Forgotten Realms setting rather than Star Wars or Star Trek for examples.

[batpuppy]

I remember playing PC games in this universe in the 80's and 90's so I probably get them. Not sure if they are for everyone. I have read none of these books that I remember.

Originally Posted by Cactus Chef

What's the appeal of these? Do any of them satisfy as standalone literature, or are they only of value if you're knee-deep in D&D fandom?

[maddz]

Originally Posted by Cactus Chef

What's the appeal of these? Do any of them satisfy as standalone literature, or are they only of value if you're knee-deep in D&D fandom?

The latter, I would expect. I haven't played D&D since the early 80s (and we never used published settings) so this bundle leaves me cold. If you've read other books by that author and liked them, then it's probably worth it. I don't recognise any name, so they are probably in-house authors.

[DrNefario]

They're not generally held to be great works of literature, no. I don't think any tie-in is. Whatever Jon might say about Star Trek.

[Cactus Chef]

Originally Posted by DrNefario

They're not generally held to be great works of literature, no. I don't think any tie-in is. Whatever Jon might say about Star Trek.

That's what I assumed, but you've got the occasional D&D-adjacent fantasy stuff that is held well in its own regard. The Riftware Cycle by Raymond E. Feist; The Malazan Book of the Fallen, for examples.

[maddz]

Originally Posted by DrNefario

They're not generally held to be great works of literature, no. I don't think any tie-in is. Whatever Jon might say about Star Trek.

Apart from the two John M Ford ST:TOS tie-ins. They're the only two I've kept aside from TOS episode & film tie-ins.

Originally Posted by Cactus Chef

That's what I assumed, but you've got the occasional D&D-adjacent fantasy stuff that is held well in its own regard. The Riftware Cycle by Raymond E. Feist; The Malazan Book of the Fallen, for examples.

The 1st Riftwar I couldn't finish it was that dire.

[salty-horse]

Angry Robot book. Cross-posted to Horror.
Awakened by Laura Elliott is $1 in the US (Kobo, Amazon)

From debut author Laura Elliot comes a tense horror novel emboldened by the surreal, perfect for fans of 28 Days Later and The Quiet Place.

Science has stolen sleep and awakened a world of horror.

“I’ve been an insomniac all of my life, but I’m not Sleepless and I won’t become Sleepless, just as long as the chips that were put into their heads never get put into mine. There’s little chance of that, since I won’t put the machinery into my brain and neither will Edgar and neither will the Professor, and we’re the only three left who could. I don’t want to be Sleepless…”

Civilisation has ended. In a bid to make us more productive, to give us more time, science took sleep from humanity. But sleeplessness turned people into feral monsters and now a small group of scientists are trapped in the Tower of London, consumed by guilt at what they have done and desperately searching for a cure. And then one day, as the last ravens circle, two miraculous survivors walk into the Tower.

Are they the answer or a terrible question?

[Cactus Chef]

Originally Posted by salty-horse

Angry Robot book. Cross-posted to Horror.
Awakened by Laura Elliott is $1 in the US (Kobo, Amazon)

Is "Angry Robot" the publisher, or is this a new genre about irate, sentient automatons?

[salty-horse]

Originally Posted by Cactus Chef

Is "Angry Robot" the publisher, or is this a new genre about irate, sentient automatons?

It's a publisher - there are no robots in this one.

[Courant]

Bolted to the Bone is available for $3 at various different sellers. The story is set in the future, but is heavily inspired by celtic mythology. Although the author writes DnD books, the setting and the story is far from generic DnD tropes. Links to various platforms from the author's site bartcarroll.com

[Hollow Man]

Originally Posted by Courant

Bolted to the Bone is available for $3 at various different sellers.

This looks self published. If so, please make sure it fits the criteria mentioned in the first post of this thread.

[pdurrant]

Translation State by Anne Leckie is just £0.99 at Amazon UK and Kobo UK today.

I've had her books on my watch list since reading her wonderful Ancillary Justice.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BKPJT3TH/
https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/translation-state-3

[Courant]

Originally Posted by Hollow Man

This looks self published. If so, please make sure it fits the criteria mentioned in the first post of this thread.

It does. I don't know the author, but I have read the book and can recommend it.

[andyh2000]

Originally Posted by Cactus Chef

Is "Angry Robot" the publisher, or is this a new genre about irate, sentient automatons?

Originally Posted by salty-horse

It's a publisher - there are no robots in this one.

They used to do a fantastic subscription option where you got all the new books published each month for a year for a discount price - something like 30% off from what I remember. Since they dropped it I ask them about once a year if they're ever going to reinstate it but it's not looking hopeful. They said yes, soon, but that was about ten years ago.

[salty-horse]

Cross-posted to Horror.
But Not Too Bold by Hache Pueyo is $2 in the US (Kobo, Amazon)

The Shape of Water meets Mexican Gothic in this sapphic monster romance novella wrapped in gothic fantasy trappings

The old keeper of the keys is dead, and the creature who ate her is the volatile Lady of the Capricious House⁠—Anatema, an enormous humanoid spider with a taste for laudanum and human brides.

Dália, the old keeper’s protégée, must take up her duties, locking and unlocking the little drawers in which Anatema keeps her memories. And if she can unravel the crime that led to her predecessor's execution, Dália might just be able to survive long enough to grow into her new role.

But there’s a gaping hole in Dália’s plan that she refuses to see: Anatema cannot resist a beautiful woman, and she eventually devours every single bride that crosses her path.