Sean Williams - free free free THE CROOKED LETTER free free free

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Sean Williams

free free free THE CROOKED LETTER free free free

01.06 pm 28.02.09

In absolutely outstanding news, Pyr has released the First Book of the Cataclysm onto the web. All you have to do is click the link below and the PDF is yours. Every last word. No questions asked!

The Crooked Letter

For those who aren't familiar with it, The Crooked Letter is kinda urban New Weird on a massive scale. It's been compared to China Mieville, Philip Pullman, Ursula K Le Guin, Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, Michael Moorcock, yada yada, and it won both the Aurealis and Ditmar Awards the year it was released (the first fantasy novel in the history of the awards to do so). Chronologically speaking, it's the first book in my Change series, and stands as a prequel to The Stone Mage & the Sea, The Blood Debt, and The Changeling. It's also my attempt to take all the world's religions and wrap them up in a crazy Darwinian package that even an atheist like me might be tempted to believe. It was the most difficult book I ever wrote, and now it's free. Check it out!

I'm particularly excited about this because I've been wanting to release my novels on the web for as long as the web has existed, and this is the first time one of my publishers has agreed to do it. Huzzah! Tell your friends!

(blurbs)
(reviews)
ETA Mirrors here and here if the Pyr site is running slow.
ETA Kudos to Lou Anders for making it happen!

Tags:crooked letter, freebies, news, pyr

Comments

03.02 am 28.02.09 (UTC)

halspacejock

Good stuff! It really makes sense to release the first book in a series for free like this, because it can only serve to hook in new readers.

03.16 am 28.02.09 (UTC)

seanwilliams

I am following in your footsteps. :-)

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03.03 am 28.02.09 (UTC)

cheshirenoir

Excellent! I already own this book in paperback, but i'm more likely to read it as an e-book. Any idea if they are likely to release it in formats other than PDF? Something more PDF friendly would be nice (MS Reader or better yet Mobipocket?)

03.15 am 28.02.09 (UTC)

PDF it is, at the moment, but I'll make sure they hear your request!

Edited at 2009-02-28 03:15 am (UTC)

05.04 am 28.02.09 (UTC)

In the interim, one possibly is to download mobipocket desktop reader or creator, and convert yourself a mobipocket version with that.

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04.36 am 28.02.09 (UTC)

Interesting! Luckily I have a flesh and blood copy of this brain-hurting-expanding-busting book (thank you, kind sir, it is simply amazing in its vision) because I still no like reading electronically, but I find myself quickly becoming an old person these days.

Do you get anything out of this arrangement?

05.36 am 28.02.09 (UTC)

cheshirenoir

I'd be curious too.

Mind you if I was Sean, I'd be letting the Boing Boing crowd know which would be good for a couple of million downloads and the resulting "surge" in sales. Baen consistently report a massive upswing in sales of a Dead Tree Edition book shortly after the e-book version has been released.

Cheap, wide publicity, and how many of us grab a friend and say "Hey I just read a GREAT book. You should BUY it!".
(Hint: I pimped several Stross books at a recent con on the grounds I'd read them as e-books before buying them. It may not work on everyone but I am certainly a sucker for it)

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05.06 am 28.02.09 (UTC)

Thanks!

You could also say for the first one, Weird by way of Mark Chadbourn.

09.25 am 28.02.09 (UTC)

seanwilliams

Yet another author I really must read. You recommend him?

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02.45 pm 28.02.09 (UTC)

emily_shore

Here via Boing Boing, will give it a try. Thanks. :)

11.07 pm 28.02.09 (UTC)

seanwilliams

My pleasure! I hope you enjoy it.

03.16 pm 28.02.09 (UTC) - The Crooked Letter - fantasy phobic will give it a try!

Anonymous

Well done releasing this - as one who is generally a fantasy phobic (SF needs to "be real" to this scientist and technologist, or socially and politically plausible seeing as I hold postgrad qualifications in sciences and social sciences ...look up C.P.Snow's "Two Cultures") err as I was saying I wouldn't ever ever have bought this. But Cory Doctorow's blurb on BoingBoing and the ability to dip into the novel on the computer means I will have a go - and you never know, I might buy the dead trees. For I don't like reading much text on the computer, it isn't very comfortable when one has back injuries! But if one is grabbed after the first 20 or 30 pages or so, well you never know...

11.09 pm 28.02.09 (UTC) - Re: The Crooked Letter - fantasy phobic will give it a try!

seanwilliams

Indeed. One never does know. :-) As an SF writer and an atheist, I've always struggled with many of the assumptions of fantasy fiction myself, so it was an interesting (and very challenging) experiment to work on a book like this. Over a decade of research went into it, and dozens of re-writes. It was worth it, I think!

04.42 pm 28.02.09 (UTC)

cypherindigo

Thank you. I can't wait to get started reading the book... once it finishes downloading.

11.15 pm 28.02.09 (UTC)

seanwilliams

My pleasure! Enjoy! Has it arrived yet? :-)

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04.51 pm 28.02.09 (UTC) - I do not want to seem blind but where is the download link?q\

Click, nope, click nope.

Oh where did it go.

Chris

12.04 am 01.03.09 (UTC) - Re: I do not want to seem blind but where is the download link?q\

seanwilliams

Did you manage to get it in the end? If not, I've put a couple of mirrors up to take the strain.

05.40 pm 28.02.09 (UTC)

barbarakitten_t

matociquala pointed to this and I am delighted to have a chance to indulge in an author who is new to me and who comes so highly recommended

11.13 pm 28.02.09 (UTC)

seanwilliams

I am blushing. Thanks for the kind words, and for giving the book a go. I hope you enjoy it!

09.09 pm 28.02.09 (UTC)

cuprohastes

Ooh, outstanding. Handing out your work free generally boosts your sales a LOT - it's also a good karma move. *ker-clicky*

11.13 pm 28.02.09 (UTC)

seanwilliams

I've always felt that about the sales angle (and reaching new audiences--two things that aren't always the same) and karma is always good to come by. Enjoy!

02.47 am 01.03.09 (UTC) - thank you!

Sounds like it's up my alley! Thanks, I look forward to reading this.

10.34 pm 01.03.09 (UTC) - Re: thank you!

My pleasure! I hope you enjoy it.

07.49 am 01.03.09 (UTC)

Excellent. Hopefully this will make it easier to get my friends to read it as I will not part with my copies of the books and it's difficult to find in US bookstores.

And yes, I was a little choked up when I finished "The Devoured Earth."

10.35 pm 01.03.09 (UTC)

Choked up is good. :-)

12.25 am 02.03.09 (UTC)

featherfour

Too cool, Sean! Thanks for the download.
ps I've asked the Clarion convenors a couple of times about getting the tutors onto the list. They are being slack. I can only offer virtual arse-kicks.
amanda

04.25 am 02.03.09 (UTC)

seanwilliams

Thanks for asking! It'll happen eventually. :-)

02.55 am 04.03.09 (UTC)

Oh wow, that's a name I haven't come across since I left Tassie....

I met you many years ago at a Thylacon NatCon.

-- Paul Saunders

07.13 am 04.03.09 (UTC)

seanwilliams

Many years ago indeed! I hope life is treating you well in Chicago.

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03.23 am 05.03.09 (UTC) - Thanks

Anonymous

Found your book through BB post. Thanks heaps for putting it up, I'm reallly looking forward to reading it.

Adrian

04.25 am 05.03.09 (UTC) - Re: Thanks

seanwilliams

My pleasure. I hope you enjoy it!

10.53 pm 05.03.09 (UTC)

This is amazing! You are officially the first author to ever do this that I am aware of. I have a copy on my bookshelf already, but I want to download this and hand it out to others. ^____^

Thank you so much! It has really brightened up my night.

10.55 pm 05.03.09 (UTC)

seanwilliams

Hey, excellent! I'm really glad. I hope your friends enjoy it!

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10.38 pm 16.03.09 (UTC)

seanwilliams

Fantastic. Thanks!

05.47 pm 16.04.09 (UTC)

Thanks,very good!!!!

10.37 pm 16.04.09 (UTC)

seanwilliams

My pleasure. Thank YOU! :-)

06.07 am 22.04.09 (UTC) - Sean Williams

Too cool, Sean! Thanks for the download.Very nice material!!!

03.10 am 24.04.09 (UTC) - Re: Sean Williams

seanwilliams

My pleasure. Thanks for your kind words!

08.29 am 01.05.09 (UTC)

Excellent!! Do like you man))

12.55 am 02.05.09 (UTC)

seanwilliams

I am pleased. Thanks!

06.12 pm 17.05.09 (UTC)

Thank you for publishing your great book free. You are master storyteller, great novel, keep it writing!

11.05 pm 17.05.09 (UTC)

seanwilliams

Hey, thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed the book. :-)

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