Free sci-fi e-books, for a limited time
A friend of mine told me recently about Tor.com, a new site managed by Tor Books, part of the Macmillan publishing group.
There's something cool going on there for just the next few days. And if you've bought an Amazon Kindle or a Sony Reader--or just like to read e-books on your laptop, cell phone, or other system--you'll want to scoot right over to the "Freebies Bonanza" page. [Update-- this content is no longer available.]
There you'll find 24 free e-books and a collection of downloadable, high-resolution cover art suitable for use as a computer desktop background.
This is all good stuff from major authors and artists. I already owned two of these books myself.
This content will only be available through Sunday. So don't delay.
And you'll also want to bookmark Tor.com, where you can participate in discussions with Tor and Macmillan employees, authors, and other science-fiction and fantasy enthusiasts. Plus, there are other free stories there at the moment, and more to come. The site is still officially in beta, so even Tor is probably not entirely sure what it will be offering over time.
Tor and its authors are following a path blazed most notably by Baen Books. The Baen Free Library has been giving away free e-books for years, attracting considerable attention in the publishing industry and--more importantly--lots of extra business for Baen's participating authors.
I don't foresee a day when free e-books will be the principal means of distribution for new titles; authors still have to make a living somehow. But as a means of attracting new readers to an author's work, offering free e-books of older releases has proven to be very effective.
Even if you haven't read a lot of science fiction or fantasy lately (or ever), try downloading some of these titles from Tor and Baen and give 'em a look.
Peter N. Glaskowsky is a computer architect in Silicon Valley and a technology analyst for the Envisioneering Group. He has designed chip- and board-level products in the defense and computer industries, managed design teams, and served as editor in chief of the industry newsletter "Microprocessor Report." He is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CNET. Disclosure. 
- by joghdh September 21, 2009 11:12 AM PDT
- this is a fake trick from tor publishing I have been searching for 8 days for this free download of books and have not found any though I have found many site talking about tors free books. check your fact before you jump on the bandwagon. Unless they are a sponsor then I understand but at least have the gut to make sure they live up to any offer they make through you.
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