Looking for a new science fiction e-book

[vikrahm]

I'm new at this, but if you like a new story, check out www.huntersblood.net
It's a story about a bounty hunter after some extraordinary fugitives. There's a free download of the first chapter. Try it out, you might like it.

[BlackVoid]

I enjoyed the Revelation Space series too.

What I also liked recently:
Linda Nagata - The Bohr Maker

Robert Charles Wilson - Spin and Axis (2 books)

Vernor Vinge - Deepness in the Sky and Fire upon the Deep (2 books, same universe)

Gene Wolfe - The New Sun series

[bbusybookworm]

Hmm, If you can stomach a bit of Bad science, Would suggest you read the Lensmen Series by E.E. 'Doc' Smith.

While the Science is definitely dated by our standards, it did help set the standard for most if not all modern space operas.

I believe that while Triplanatery is available from PG and from the E-Book section here, I'm not so sure of the rest of the series.

[kacir]

Originally Posted by balok

Sony's versions have huge margins that waste screen space. I find it preferable to try to get a version that I can reformat according to my own taste. Plus, if you can get it without DRM (or if you can remove the DRM, like with MS Lit format) then you can keep the book for future ebook devices. The problem with Sony's format is that you can't do anything with it.

AMEN!

[Elsi]

I'll heartily recommend any of the books from Baen's free library. I'm enjoying reading them and as I find one I particularly enjoy, I buy the sequels from Baen/WebScriptions.

Also, on a whim I purchased Soothsayer by Mike Resnick -- first of his Oracle trilogy -- from Fictionwise. It's one of their "multiformat" books, which means you can download DRM-free formats including .lit, .lrf, and .prc. I finished it last night, enjoyed it very much, and hopped over to Fictionwise to buy the other two books.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by Elsi

I'll heartily recommend any of the books from Baen's free library. I'm enjoying reading them and as I find one I particularly enjoy, I buy the sequels from Baen/WebScriptions.

Also, on a whim I purchased Soothsayer by Mike Resnick -- first of his Oracle trilogy -- from Fictionwise. It's one of their "multiformat" books, which means you can download DRM-free formats including .lit, .lrf, and .prc. I finished it last night, enjoyed it very much, and hopped over to Fictionwise to buy the other two books.

I'm gonna put this on my list. Was it not on the Kindle store?

BOb

[Elsi]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

I'm gonna put this on my list. Was it not on the Kindle store?

Dunno -- didn't look for it there. When you buy a Multiformat book from Fictionwise, you can download it multiple times in multiple formats. (I downloaded PDF, .prc, and .mobi) And, the books are guaranteed to be DRM-free. Anything I buy at Amazon, I have to rename to .prc or .mobi and then try it with MobiPocket Reader to see if I can open it. If I can, then it is DRM-free. 'Tis too much trouble for anything I find at Fictionwise in their Multiformat store.

[carandol]

If you're new to science fiction, then there is of course a huge back catalogue of SF to catch up with, much of which is available in ebook formats.

A couple of books which might fit your requirements:

The Mote in God's Eye -- Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle -- Human space empire in first alien contact. There's a sequel called The Gripping Hand, but I can't recommend it because I haven't read it yet.

Downbelow Station -- C.J. Cherryh -- Peaceful orbital station becomes refugee camp in the middle of an interstellar war. There are lots of other books set in the same fictional universe, of which my favourites are Merchanter's Luck and Forty Thousand in Gehenna. But it helps to read Downbelow Station first.

[Basqueman]

Originally Posted by carandol

If you're new to science fiction, then there is of course a huge back catalogue of SF to catch up with, much of which is available in ebook formats.

A couple of books which might fit your requirements:

The Mote in God's Eye -- Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle -- Human space empire in first alien contact. There's a sequel called The Gripping Hand, but I can't recommend it because I haven't read it yet.


I've read The Gripping Hand It was every bit as good as The Mote in God's Eye. Then again, a loved every collaboration thats been written by Larry & Jerry!

[leandroide]

Originally Posted by Basqueman

I've read The Gripping Hand It was every bit as good as The Mote in God's Eye. Then again, a loved every collaboration thats been written by Larry & Jerry!

I disagree... I read both and I think that "The Gripping Hand" is much, much worse.

[moz]

I tend to wander around Baen, trying stuff from the free library then buying up whatever looks good when I feel so inclined. Actually, I do more or less the same at Fictionwise. Plus I have one of the 20GB "library" torrents from the darknet that I'm slowly cleaning up and converting.

What I've read recently is mostly Fictionwise stuff: Gregory Benford "Beyond Inifinity"and "Eater" are both reasonable, Reynolds, Alastair-Galactic North is good, Crystal Rain - Buckell, Tobias is excellent is a touch soft science fiction-ish (less so that 1632/1633 but in a vaguely similar vein). The 2008 Hugo bundle is excellent value if it's still available, John Scalzi is shipping that and his "The Last Colony" is another night-eating book that I read in 3-4 hours of my "one hour" reading slot each night. But "Brasyl" made up for that, couldn't get into it so only read the first few chapters before giving up. Rollback OTOH is also excellent, although I did manage to read that over three nights so perhaps not quite as good as "Last Colony".

Hmm, last night I bought a bunch of books but Baen use really bad filenames so it's somewhat tricky to list authors. I bought the remaining Eric Flint 16xx series books at least, plus a pile of Pournelle, Bear and some Hugo winners compilations.

[tompe]

Originally Posted by moz

Hmm, last night I bought a bunch of books but Baen use really bad filenames so it's somewhat tricky to list authors. I bought the remaining Eric Flint 16xx series books at least, plus a pile of Pournelle, Bear and some Hugo winners compilations.

I wrote mobils (part of MobiPerl) for this:

fossum:~/mysvn/ebook/tor> ~/mysvn/mobiperl/mobils *
Daniel Abraham: A Shadow In Summer (Abraham, Daniel - A Shadow in Summer.prc)
NOAUTHOR: Reiffen's Choice (Butler, S. C. - Reiffeins Choice.prc)
Kate Elliott: Spirit Gate (Elliott, Kate - Spirit Gate.prc)
Cherie Priest: Four and Twenty Blackbirds (Priest, Cherie - Four and Twenty Blackbirds.prc)
NOAUTHOR: Sun of Suns (Schroeder, Karl - Sun of Suns.prc)
Harry Turtledove: The Disunited States of America (Turtledove, Harry - The Disunited States of America.prc)
Peter Watts: Star Fish (Watts, Peter - Starfish.prc)

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by bbusybookworm

Hmm, If you can stomach a bit of Bad science, Would suggest you read the Lensmen Series by E.E. 'Doc' Smith.

While the Science is definitely dated by our standards, it did help set the standard for most if not all modern space operas.

I believe that while Triplanetary is available from PG and from the E-Book section here, I'm not so sure of the rest of the series.

TriPlanetary is, as are several other Smith works not in the LEnsman universe. But most of the Lensman series is not. The stuff on PG is from magazine publications with separate copyrights that weren't renewed. The book versions are another matter, and I haven't seen them in legit ebook editions. Mike Walsh of small press Olde Earth books has the Lensman series out in trade paperback format, reproducing the original Gnome Press covers and interior decorations, and I bought a boxed set.

The science is not merely dated -- it's practically non-existent. But the books are fun and largely defined the genre of "space opera". Whenever you think Smith can't get any wilder, rest assured he has a topper up his sleeve, and a topper for the topper following behind.
______
Dennis

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by Shadowplay

I was almost miffed at the lack of any description from you on this suggestion until I of course did a quick search on that author and those books in particular. That sounds like *exactly* what I'm looking for!

They are splendid, and I've recommended them here before. The last book even has a Deus Ex Machina that works.
______
Dennis

[newscribe]

Shadowplay,

I just wrote my first SF novel and have it up on Kindle. Of course, I think it's good. I would be very intrested in your opinion on it and I believe the story line you would find interesting.

The name of the book is Olympus Prime - Return of the Titans. You can dowload the sample chapter here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001FB6IL8

It's a good read.


Best regards,

J.R. Smith