Free SF ebooks

**Hobbit** · November 18th, 2011, 01:03 AM

Hey Hobbit, are you aware of any limitations etc on these free eBooks? For some reason it won't work in my Sony eReader. I can read it on the Reader Library software on this PC but when I copy it onto the eReader it just shows one page and won't even access that. Pretty odd as I've had no problems with other epub files. Cheers.

Hi Chuffalump. No, I'm not aware of any limitations, which is why I pass the link on. They should be DRM free.

I'm running them myself on a Sony Reader and they seem OK. I know that EPUB does not always run directly on a Sony as it prefers LRF. Could that be the problem?

I haven't had to myself, but it might be worth running the EPUB file through something like Calibre (which I do use a lot!) and converting it to LRF?

Mark

**Chuffalump** · November 18th, 2011, 04:13 PM

Thanks, I'll give it a go. Never had problems with epub before so..... well I don't know what I thought.

**Hobbit** · November 18th, 2011, 05:23 PM

Hopefully it solves it...

Be interested to see how it turns out.

Mark

**kawyle** · November 18th, 2011, 05:52 PM

My science fiction story, The Baby, is a free ebook on Smashwords. (I was hoping the Amazon bots will find the "free" price on Smashwords and match it. I've recently heard that the book might need to be in the Nook Store for free as well for Amazon to make that switch. I may investigate further.)

URL: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/101665.
Subject: human cloning. (You can learn more at the Smashwords page or on the story's page on my website, at http://www.karenawyle.net/baby.html.)

I'd love to get some feedback on it!

**Chuffalump** · November 19th, 2011, 05:22 AM

Originally Posted by Hobbit

Hopefully it solves it...

Be interested to see how it turns out.

Mark

Worked!

Seems quite useful software. A little random as to whether it showed the contents of my reader (might be my fault) or not, but the conversion worked perfectly so I'm in the middle of The Engines of Dawn this morning.

**Hobbit** · November 19th, 2011, 05:32 AM

Brilliant. Pleased it worked!

I use Calibre a lot, actually. Really useful programme.

Enjoy the book!

Mark

**Astra_** · November 19th, 2011, 03:13 PM

Originally Posted by ESantiago

Fixed it up a bit. Looks better now, at least on my E-reader. The TOC is now working (just missing Epilogue on the list). I have updated the direct link and Usenet NZB link on the website.

http://creatorsnode.com/awakening_11-11-11

Yeah, the Usenet NZB have to be right clicked and save because the browser would just display the xml text.

Note to self, don't use PDF file to convert to EPUB.

Thanks! It almost there

One more thing if possible.
Smaller spacing between paragraphs. Right now it is huge. I, personally, don't like spacing between paragraphs, because it represents a change of scene for me. However, to be honest, some people like it, although not so big.

**psikeyhackr** · November 20th, 2011, 08:44 PM

I stumbled across this:

The Shockwave Rider by John Brunner
http://vxheavens.com/lib/mjb01.html

psik

**ESantiago** · November 20th, 2011, 09:00 PM

Originally Posted by Astra_

Thanks! It almost there

One more thing if possible.
Smaller spacing between paragraphs. Right now it is huge. I, personally, don't like spacing between paragraphs, because it represents a change of scene for me. However, to be honest, some people like it, although not so big.

Updated the EPUB file. Spacing is not as big anymore. Thanks for your comments.

**JonLaidlow** · November 21st, 2011, 06:36 AM

Originally Posted by psikeyhackr

I stumbled across this:

The Shockwave Rider by John Brunner

psik

Okay - that site looks well dodgy. There's a Pat Cadigan on there that is officially being republished by Gollancz next year, and I'm sure the Brunner is still in copyright. Authors (and their estates) do deserve to be paid...

**Astra_** · November 25th, 2011, 10:18 AM

Originally Posted by ESantiago

Updated the EPUB file. Spacing is not as big anymore. Thanks for your comments.

Thanks!
I just downloaded the latest version.

**psikeyhackr** · November 25th, 2011, 12:38 PM

Originally Posted by JonLaidlow

Okay - that site looks well dodgy. There's a Pat Cadigan on there that is officially being republished by Gollancz next year, and I'm sure the Brunner is still in copyright. Authors (and their estates) do deserve to be paid...

Baen books is legally giving away Lois McMaster Bujold's works.

http://www.baencd.freedoors.org/Disc...2024/index.htm

Do you think they are doing that without a marketing strategy? Bujold is way more famous than John Brunner. So I bet the advertising, even if pirated, would do his estate more good than harm. I don't see any evidence that Brunner had any children in his Wiki entry so I am not much concerned about the estate.

But Neuromancer has 514 Amazon reviews and The Shockwave Rider only has 26 and TSR is a far superior story. So it could use the advertising. That is the trouble with the Internet. So much advertising of junk.

psik