Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Domains

Domain: baen.com

Stories and comments across the archive that link to baen.com.

Comments · 965

  1. Some, at least, are real by fgeisler · · Score: 1 · on Is The Virtual Community A Myth?

    There are some virtual communities that are real. I've made friends in a newsgroup that became frineds in person, when I saw them. Sorry, slashdotters, but the virtual community I spend the most time in is Baen's Bar, a newsgroup that's part of the Baen Books website: http://bar.baen.com/~bar When I went to the World Science Fiction convention a month ago, I wasn't one guy lost among 5,000 science fiction fans. Instead, I had a couple dozen friends I just hadn't seen in person before. If that's not a virtual community that's real, I don't know what is. Fred

  2. Again, this isn't anything new. by buss_error · · Score: 2 · on "Big Publishing's Worst Nightmare"
    Baen Books has been publishing on the web for over a year now.

    This is just the first person that is gennerally known doing this. My reaction is half "So what?" and half "Yippee!". So what because it's nothing new, and Yippee because this could be the death knell of Big Publishing, a dinosaur that won't die.

    Anyone doing a bit of writing knows that Big Publishing, by and large, does not care about anything other than dollars. Most authors I've spoken to feel cheated by Big Publishing with respect to the amout paid for the work. Only the big names get the big bucks, and they still get big bucks even when the work is a flop.

  3. What's the big deal about web samples? by sehlat · · Score: 4 · on Acts Of The Apostles

    I don't understand the fuss the reviewer makes about web-available sample chapters. Baen Books has been doing that for over a year now. In fact, Jim Baen has gone even farther with what he calls "Webscriptions." For $10/month, you can download full, copy-edited HTML copies of what he's publishing that month. That works out to $2.50 a novel, which is *CHEAP*. I've been stuffing the HTML into my Palm Vx and carrying them around to read.

  4. Re:Stephen King and eBooks by fgeisler · · Score: 1 · on RMS On eBooks

    There's another way to fight this. Buy e-Books from a publisher that doesn't encrypt them at all. I'm aware of one. Baen Books publishes all their releases in electronic form, in addition to the traditional Dead Tree Edition. There's no encryption. And the file format is HTML.

    If you want to check it out for yourself, here's their FAQ:

    http://www.baen.com/WS_FAQ.htm

    Fred

  5. Publishers by gweeks · · Score: 1 · on Biting The Bullet: Publishing And The Net
    The ferocious interactivity of almost all successful Web sites -- hives of linked, communicative exchanges between dispensers and consumers of information -- or technology companies (think Dell, Amazon, Microsoft or even Wal-Mart, which uses technology intensively to monitor inventory and move products) is completely alien to the way newspapers or publishing work.

    Not alien to all publishers. Baen (no. 2 science fiction paper publisher) has a discussion bar with Jim Baen present in almost all the discussions. Some of his authors also participate. They actually listen to what people say there too. Of course Baen has been epublishing his books in HTML for several months now. His latest best seller "Ashes of Victory" by David Weber was sold in HTML for $2.50 as part of March's eWebscription before it was available in paper. It's now number 14 or so on the NYT best seller list. Some publishers know what they're doing.

    Greg Weeks

  6. Publishers by gweeks · · Score: 1 · on Biting The Bullet: Publishing And The Net
    The ferocious interactivity of almost all successful Web sites -- hives of linked, communicative exchanges between dispensers and consumers of information -- or technology companies (think Dell, Amazon, Microsoft or even Wal-Mart, which uses technology intensively to monitor inventory and move products) is completely alien to the way newspapers or publishing work.

    Not alien to all publishers. Baen (no. 2 science fiction paper publisher) has a discussion bar with Jim Baen present in almost all the discussions. Some of his authors also participate. They actually listen to what people say there too. Of course Baen has been epublishing his books in HTML for several months now. His latest best seller "Ashes of Victory" by David Weber was sold in HTML for $2.50 as part of March's eWebscription before it was available in paper. It's now number 14 or so on the NYT best seller list. Some publishers know what they're doing.

    Greg Weeks

  7. Re:Human Beowulf Clusters by dsplat · · Score: 1 · on The Implications Of Knowledge Work
    Knowlege networking has the same synergistic properties as computer networking. Watch over the next decade as people all around the world become part of an enormous Human Beowulf Cluster. It will be quite interesting.


    The novel Earthweb by Marc Stiegler explores some of the possible ramifications of that idea. Baen Books has a web page for the book containing some sample chapters to whet your appetite. The author also has a page for it with links to information about some of the technologies that he discusses. He is really exploring the possible results of pervasive net access with persistent, verifiable, but anonymous identities.
  8. This is NOT the first. by Zak3056 · · Score: 1 · on King's New eBook
    Hemos editorialized that "This is the first major book in electronic format" at the end of this story.

    This is most certainly NOT true. In fact, I submitted a story two weeks ago about Baen Books and their 'webscription' service. EVERY title Baen has published since Jan 2000 hits their website a month before it hits the bookstores. 'Ashes of Victory' by David Weber (currently at #20 on the NYT hardcover fiction list) would have to qualify as 'the first major book to be released in electronic format.'

    You know, I admit I was kind of annoyed when my Baen submission was rejected, but since when is Stephen King news for nerds, and one of the largest sci-fi only publishers left not?

    Anyway, if anyone's interested, go to Baen Books Online and take a look. Four books for ten bucks, every month, formatted in HTML or plain text, and available to read on the web, or via downloaded zip.

  9. Correction, this isn't the FIRST major e-book by buss_error · · Score: 1 · on King's New eBook
    OK, sure the first major book in electronic format is cool,

    Beg to differ, Ashes of Victory by David Weber is the first book on the best seller list to be e-sold that I'm aware of, and I'm almost positve another of his books also got to the best seller list (it DID sell out in two 1/2 days) and was also e-sold ... In October of 1999.

    the BEST thing is that Baen Books doesn't screw around and make you use some lame software control thingie, it comes as HTML, viewable on line or down loadable.

  10. Re:King's eBook by fgeisler · · Score: 1 · on King's New eBook

    Everyone here is acting like this is the first time a big name author has had an electronic book out. Well, I suppose this depends on your definition of "big author." Obviously, Stephen King is bigger than, say, David Weber (whose latest novel, Ashes of Victory will be #12 on Friday's New York Times bestseller list). Or David Drake. Or Dean Ing. I suppose King might even be bigger that Poul Anderson, in his way . . .

    Baen Books has been putting their entire monthly release out out as electronic text for months. And they sell a collection of 4 or 5 novels for $10. Those are 4 or 5 real novels, not short stories.

  11. An interesting book that touches on this by dsplat · · Score: 2 · on Social Changes & Internet Access In The Third World

    Marc Steigler's book EarthWeb mentions this issue. He points out that free and easy access to information undermines governmental attempts to control public opinion. There are a couple of web sites related to the book. The first http://www.skyhunter.com/earthweb/ has information about the author's related activities and links to other sites. The other one belongs to the publisher, Baen Books and contains several sample chapters.

  12. An interesting book that touches on this by dsplat · · Score: 2 · on Social Changes & Internet Access In The Third World

    Marc Steigler's book EarthWeb mentions this issue. He points out that free and easy access to information undermines governmental attempts to control public opinion. There are a couple of web sites related to the book. The first http://www.skyhunter.com/earthweb/ has information about the author's related activities and links to other sites. The other one belongs to the publisher, Baen Books and contains several sample chapters.

  13. Earthweb, an excellent book by dsplat · · Score: 2 · on The Second Generation Internet

    Earthweb, by Marc Stiegler is an excellent exploration in fiction of some of the implications, both good and bad, of more freedom on the net and more protection of privacy. Marc's web site for the book is here. Both the related books and related links are interesting, partly because Marc is a programmer who has explored prototypes of some of the things he discusses in the book. If you are interested in a preview of the book, the publisher, Baen Books has put several chapters on the Web here.

    For Marc and Baen, if you are reading this, a sequel would be welcome. The story left that possibility open while not desparately screaming for it like far too many books these days.

  14. Earthweb, an excellent book by dsplat · · Score: 2 · on The Second Generation Internet

    Earthweb, by Marc Stiegler is an excellent exploration in fiction of some of the implications, both good and bad, of more freedom on the net and more protection of privacy. Marc's web site for the book is here. Both the related books and related links are interesting, partly because Marc is a programmer who has explored prototypes of some of the things he discusses in the book. If you are interested in a preview of the book, the publisher, Baen Books has put several chapters on the Web here.

    For Marc and Baen, if you are reading this, a sequel would be welcome. The story left that possibility open while not desparately screaming for it like far too many books these days.

  15. Good beginners Science Fiction by RobertEwing · · Score: 2 · on Sci Fi Literature 101?
    From what I dimly remember of being that age myself, here are a few suggestions:

    • 'Cordelia's Honor' by Lois McMaster Bujold.
    • 'The Moon is Hell' by John W. Campbell. (Although that's pretty hard to find these days)
    • 'On Basilisk Station' by David Weber. (A good introduction to SF, and available free online! See the Baen Webscription site. (Free registration required).
    • 'A Fire Upon the Deep' by Vernor Vinge
    For the slightly older beginning reader (or if you don't mind so much about adult themes):

    • 'Hyperion' by Dan Simmons
    • 'Steel Beach' by John Varley
    • 'The Moon is a Harsh Mistress' by Robert A. Heinlein
    Not that any of those will really warp someone's mind, but some people are sensitive. A good place to look for books to read is the list of Hugo winners. The Hugo is the award given for the best Science Fiction novel of the year, and the list is a good collection of the best of SF.