Free (DRM-Free) Reality & Other Fictions by Jeffrey Carver [Sci-Fi Story Collection]

[ATDrake]

For a limited time, fellow MR member author & Nebula-nominated science fiction writer Jeffrey A. Carver (ISFDB, Wikipedia) is giving away a collection of his previously-published short stories.

Reality and Other Fictions: Five Science Fiction Stories contains exactly what it says in the title, and seems like it might be offered free throughout August (the BVC Newsletter originally said it was a 99 cent monthly sale item, but apparently the author has generously changed his mind, for now, as the actual book listing on their site proclaims "Free! Limited Time!").

Free for who knows how long @ the Book View Café author consortium, and also Smashwords (both available worldwide in multiple formats without DRM). Also apparently price-matched @ Kobo & iTunes (available to Canadians, may not free elsewhere).

The BVC version does ask you for a full set of shipping info*, just as if you were actually buying something from them, but it does have the advantage of providing you with a reusable download link for your "purchase" which should still be valid even once the book has gone back to full price, without making you sign up for an account.

If you don't ever anticipate needing to replace your e-copy, the Smashwords version is just a simple click.

Description
Five science fiction stories to ignite the imagination.

Explore an Earth being devoured by entropy, in the ultimate runaway environmental crisis. Dive the depths of the sea to prevent the mother of all oil spills. Rocket into space as a tourist. Mine the asteroids with your enhanced border collie, in the can-do spirit of classic science fiction.

These stories appeared in publications as varied as Science Fiction Age, F&SF, and the Boston Sunday Herald. They include Carver’s first published short fiction, and his most recent. With new introductions, all from the author of The Chaos Chronicles and Eternity’s End.

As he has for the past several years, Carver generously continues to offer the 1st novel in his Chaos Chronicle space opera series (originally published by Tor) free in multiple venues, Neptune Crossing.

Here's a link to the ebooks page on his official website where he provides all the links to the places you can pick it up.

He also provides a short from the Star Rigger universe (the one which eventually netted him the Nebula nom): Though All the Mountains Lie Between, free @ Smashwords (and price-matched to the usual venues).

Much of his self-republished backlist is available and couponable @ Kobo. Carver occasionally participates in the BVC's periodic sales, and has offered significant discounts during Smashwords' annual Read an Ebook Week Sale for several years now, if you want to give the most money directly to the author, should you happen to like his work and wish to add more to your collection.

While you're over at the Book View Café, you might want to check out their Free Fiction page, which contains a mix of online reading and downloadable sf/fantasy/horror & mystery & romance shorts by traditionally print-published authors† who've been making use of their reverted rights, and perhaps have a look at their other monthly Sale specials.

They really do have a lot of nice stuff (though alas, the authors that I like the most rarely participate in the regular sales).

* And you do have the option of lying like a rug.

† Here's a nice write-up on the BVC and other creator-run small sfnal ebook outlets by Nebula-award-winning author Nicola Griffith (ISFDB, Wikipedia), guest-blogging over at Hugo-award-winning author Charles Stross' (ISFDB, Wikipedia) site‡ .

‡ I should note for the benefit of our newer MR members who weren't around for the older announcement threads and might have missed stuff that both Griffith and Stross have also been quite generous with the online read/downloadable freebies on their own sites as well.

[Manabi]

It's free on Kobo in the US for me.

[crich70]

Thanks for the link ATDrake.

[DebbyS]

Thanks for the link. I joined up and downloaded the book. I also discovered that the publishing company is in a village in the mountains just east of me

[ballfresno]

Free on Kobo in the UK as well. Thanks for the heads up!

[Marrella]

Thanks. Also free on Kobo in Germany.