Free eBooks - David Weber - Fantastic Sci-Fi Space Opera Author

[JBod]

I have most of his books in paper back but I am missing a few, discovered the following:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Weber

A lot of his books are available for free as ebooks (will also lead you to other excellent authors like John Ringo, also with many ebooks available).

For those that are not aware of his work he writes what is known as Space Opera.

Space opera is a subgenre of speculative fiction or science fiction that emphasizes romantic, often melodramatic adventure, set mainly or entirely in space, generally involving conflict between opponents possessing powerful (and sometimes quite fanciful) technologies and abilities. Perhaps the most significant trait of space opera is that settings, characters, battles, powers, and themes tend to be very large-scale.

He has a fantastic ability to condense a lot of story into relatively small books without making you feel like you missed anything important. His characters come alive and is one of the few authors that has literally made my eyes fill up at some poignant moments (embarrassing while reading on a commuter train I can tell you!).

 

[memyselfandi]

I find his books to be very good and have most of them in hardcopy as well as ebook format. Baen seemed to be a rarity amongst publishers in that they included CD's with some of their volumes containing various ebooks of their titles (not just the book it was included with).

The wikipedia links go to an online archive of these disks.

You're right about what he writes sometimes getting to you .... the spoilered bit below from Basilisk Station always gets me ...

Spoiler

When Honor declares the Code Zulu and dictates the message ... I don't know why but it just gives me goosebumps

 

[JBod]

I find his books to be very good and have most of them in hardcopy as well as ebook format. Baen seemed to be a rarity amongst publishers in that they included CD's with some of their volumes containing various ebooks of their titles (not just the book it was included with).

The wikipedia links go to an online archive of these disks.

You're right about what he writes sometimes getting to you .... the spoilered bit below from Basilisk Station always gets me ...

I am glad I have found a fellow fan Yea that bit in Basilisk Station I gotta agree.

Spoiler

What about Honors funeral ... that gets me every time... even though I know she is not dead

 

[Meridian]

I am glad I have found a fellow fan Yea that bit in Basilisk Station I gotta agree.

Just a shame that each book is a bit poorer than the previous one. I read the first four and couldn't take any more. Do yourself a favour and read CS Forester's Hornblower books (not the awful TV series) and get the original - Weber never made any secret of the basis of the books. And Forester is a better writer.


Then read Patrick O'Brien and see how it is done properly.



M

 

[osc89er]

He has a fantastic ability to condense a lot of story into relatively small books without making you feel like you missed anything important.

I love his books and read all of them. But the above is quite clearly untrue once you get into the latter books.

Hornblower is also excellent, but I haven't got round to Patrick O'Brien's books yet.

 

[memyselfandi]

Just a shame that each book is a bit poorer than the previous one. I read the first four and couldn't take any more. Do yourself a favour and read CS Forester's Hornblower books (not the awful TV series) and get the original - Weber never made any secret of the basis of the books. And Forester is a better writer.


Then read Patrick O'Brien and see how it is done properly.



M

I'd have to disagree that each box is worse than the previous. Yes the books do vary in how good they are but I've found his latest two quite in enjoyable.

Have also read a couple of the Hornblower books and did not like them much.