FREE/BARGAIN — Science Fiction & Fantasy

[salty-horse]

Originally Posted by Quoth

It's brilliant. There are sequels. Great Japanese animated version, which led me to buy the book.

And there's an omnibus with the sequels - better to wait for it to be on sale again.

[salty-horse]

Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman is $1 in the US (Amazon)
This is the beginning of a self-published LitRPG series. The audiobooks and Kickstartered special editions are also self-published. It's grown popular enough that Ace is publishing hardcover editions, but they only have rights for those. So I think this makes it traditionally-published enough to mention here.
They are extremely popular at the moment, but I know the genre can put off people - I've never read one myself, but the sample chapter of this one and the price makes me willing to try it.

The apocalypse will be televised!

You know what’s worse than breaking up with your girlfriend? Being stuck with her prize-winning show cat. And you know what’s worse than that? An alien invasion, the destruction of all man-made structures on Earth, and the systematic exploitation of all the survivors for a sadistic intergalactic game show. That’s what.

Join Coast Guard vet Carl and his ex-girlfriend’s cat, Princess Donut, as they try to survive the end of the world—or just get to the next level—in a video game–like, trap-filled fantasy dungeon. A dungeon that’s actually the set of a reality television show with countless viewers across the galaxy. Exploding goblins. Magical potions. Deadly, drug-dealing llamas. This ain’t your ordinary game show.

Welcome, Crawler. Welcome to the Dungeon. Survival is optional. Keeping the viewers entertained is not.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by salty-horse

And there's an omnibus with the sequels - better to wait for it to be on sale again.

I have that on a wish list. I do have it all on paper, so the omnibus (Ingary) needs to be cheap. It was cheap enough in the USA, but "travelling" is complicated. Last time it sort of "worked" but my bank account was frozen! Fortunately one click in app to reset it.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Quoth

It's brilliant. There are sequels. Great Japanese animated version, which led me to buy the book.

I've read the book and seen the movie. Both are great!

[Manabi]

Originally Posted by Quoth

I'll try John Scalzi's Redshirts. Strangely I've not yet ready any of his.
(I suspected from title: In Star Trek everyone knows the unnamed redshirt on the away team will die)

It's related to that concept, but goes in directions you will not be expecting. It's quite good and a lot of fun.

[ZodWallop]

The Atrocity Archives (Laundry Files Book 1) by Charles Stross is $2 at Amazon, B&N and Kobo. I almost put this in horror, but I think it is tagged more as science fiction.

The first novel in Hugo Award-winning author Charles Stross's witty Laundry Files series

Bob Howard is a low-level techie working for a super-secret government agency. While his colleagues are out saving the world, Bob's under a desk restoring lost data. His world was dull and safe—but then he went and got Noticed.

Now, Bob is up to his neck in spycraft, parallel universes, dimension-hopping terrorists, monstrous elder gods and the end of the world. Only one thing is certain: it will take more than a full system reboot to sort this mess out...

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Manabi

It's related to that concept, but goes in directions you will not be expecting. It's quite good and a lot of fun.

Agreed.

Wil Wheaton narrates the audiobook and John Scalzi (I say Scalzi when he was doing a book tour for Redshirts) said it's a lot of fun to listen to. I may try to get the audiobook ad have a listen.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

The Atrocity Archives (Laundry Files Book 1) by Charles Stross is $2 at Amazon, B&N and Kobo. I almost put this in horror, but I think it is tagged more as science fiction.

I've read this. I would not call it horror.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I've read this. I would not call it horror.

Right on. It's the mention of elder gods that made me wonder.

[ratinox]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Right on. It's the mention of elder gods that made me wonder.

The Laundry Files series is part Ian Fleming, part H.P. Lovecraft, part Dilbert.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by ratinox

The Laundry Files series is part Ian Fleming, part H.P. Lovecraft, part Dilbert.

Lovecraft is as scary as a feather about to fall on your head.

[mbovenka]

Originally Posted by ratinox

The Laundry Files series is part Ian Fleming, part H.P. Lovecraft, part Dilbert.

I concur

[ratinox]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Lovecraft is as scary as a feather about to fall on your head.

Moderator Notice
Please do not edit quoted text. Just repeat the text with the correction:

Lovecraft is as scary TO ME as a feather about to fall on my head.

FTFY.

[salty-horse]

Metal from Heaven by August Clarke is ~2 units of local currency worldwide (Kobo US, Kobo GB, Amazon US, Amazon UK)
Lesbian bikers fighting capitalism. Highly regarded 2024 release.

A bloody lesbian revenge tale and political fantasy set in a glittering world transformed by industrial change – and simmering class warfare.

Ichorite is progress. More durable and malleable than steel, ichorite is the lifeblood of a dawning industrial revolution. Yann I. Chauncey owns the sole means of manufacturing this valuable metal, but his workers, who risk their health and safety daily, are on strike. They demand Chauncey research the hallucinatory illness befalling them, a condition they call “being lustertouched.” Marney Honeycutt, a lustertouched child worker, stands proud at the picket line with her best friend and family. That’s when Chauncey sends in the guns.

Only Marney survives the massacre. She vows bloody vengeance.

A decade later, Marney is the nation’s most notorious highwayman, and Chauncey’s daughter seeks an opportune marriage. Marney’s rage and the ghosts of her past will drive her to masquerade as an aristocrat, outmaneuver powerful suitors, and win the heart of his daughter, so Marney can finally corner Chauncey and satisfy her need for revenge. But war ferments in the north, and deeper grudges are surfacing. . .

H. A. Clarke’s adult fantasy debut, writing as August Clarke, Metal from Heaven is a punk-rock murder ballad tackling labor issues and radical empowerment against the relentless grind of capitalism.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by ratinox

FTFY.

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