Hello,

Can anybody recommend a site where one can buy classic sf/horror ebooks?

Thanks a lot.

Amazon.

I wonder if there is any interest here for the Kindle tablet reader? I don't have one, but understand that they have a special digital screen that makes reading on them pleasant and with a look similar to paper.

Is the Kindle device completely controlled by Amazon, and limited to purchases from them? Or is it possible to load independent files (EPUB, MOBI, PDF files ... ?) into it?

I purchased a few ebooks from Amazon. And got a "Kindle for PC" with these, but this program seems to live its own life and is very inconsistent and unreliable; sometimes it lets you open the ebooks, other times not.

I tend to read most digital books from PDF files (opened through Adobe program) on my computer screen. They are easiest to use.

Comments below:

Knygatin Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I wonder if there is any interest here for the
> Kindle tablet reader? I don't have one, but
> understand that they have a special digital screen
> that makes reading on them pleasant and with a
> look similar to paper.

Until about 2 years ago I was resistant to ebooks. I need to tell you this so as to give you a good idea of how to calibrate my information.

I am currently using a) an old Nook (1st gen); b) an old Kindle (1st gen); and c) a KIndle paperwhite.

In very many ways I now prefer the ebook medium for certain roles.

>
> Is the Kindle device completely controlled by
> Amazon, and limited to purchases from them? Or is
> it possible to load independent files (EPUB, MOBI,
> PDF files ... ?) into it?

It seems to me like there is a bifurcation in the Kindle product line, and you should seek more information than I can give.

I *believe* that the Kindle Fire is more like a general purpose tablet in that it *may * handle Epub, text, and PDF.

The "orthodox" KIndle line, the simpler one, paperwhite included, take only native kindle and MOBI, so far as I know.

I get many free books in MOBI from Project Gutenberg, and elsewhere. These are on one pf my Kindles.

>
> I purchased a few ebooks from Amazon. And got a
> "Kindle for PC" with these, but this program seems
> to live its own life and is very inconsistent and
> unreliable; sometimes it lets you open the ebooks,
> other times not.
>
> I tend to read most digital books from PDF files
> (opened through Adobe program) on my computer
> screen. They are easiest to use.

I think that Fire and also most modern tablets will handle PDF.

First off, there is NOTHING like a high quality hardcover book; this is the gold standard, to me. It is "living high on the hog". High quality large format softcover can be really pretty good, too.

But for lower price softcovers, and by this I mean the original Ballentine Adult Fantasy series, the ereaders can be preferable EXCEPT FOR ILLUSTRATIONS AND ART.

But I go to the gym and ride a stationary bike a lot--ereaders work the best for this, by far.

I travel by car some and I am happy to take an ereader that has many, many books for me to ready, all in a handy and compact package. E.g., I've always wanted to read the complete 8 volumes of Gibbon's The History of the Decline ad Fall of the Roman Empire, and I have this on my Nook. Lots of Ruusians, Conrad, lots of fine literature to keep me happy on a trip.

The paperwhite has a backlit screen that is economical (does not require frequent charging--maybe once a week, or less). You can also make the print darker (bold level) and between the two (backlit screen/darker print) if you have failing eyes, like me, you can find a better reading experience. Of course you can select font family and size.

So I now use both regular harccopy and ereaders, each with differing roles.

I hope this can help you!

--Sawfish

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The food at the new restaurant is awful, but at least the portions are large."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank you Sawfish. That is interesting and useful. I would never had imagined you along this path; and three different devices too!

I agree about real paper books. It is a real and solid object (likely to last longer, if pampered, than the electronic counterparts which furthermore are useless without willing vendors continuing to supply an energy source), attractive in itself, a sacred (in the best cases) symbol for the contents within, and a "magic" artifact directly associated with romantically vibrating sunsets and other evasive and impossibly bizarre visions. I tend to reject books I find aesthetically displeasing; sometimes, for such books, out of desperate need, I have made my own dust-jackets; and even quite often Xeroxed texts and glued together (once, ambitiously with hardcover boards. And this one surprisingly has became one of my favorites to handle and lay in my lap.)

But I am quite surprised how satisfying it can be to read digital short stories and novels. You are left with the inner vision of the story, but you are free from the weight of an actual book. (Having too many books piling up can become an anxiety-ridden encumbrance.).

I have recently discovered that sound-books can be even more satisfying, if the reader voice is good. Professional ones for sale, and also, not least, talk-books produced and supplied by libraries to the sight-impaired. It is a relaxing luxury, and can give really memorable impressions on the brain, similar to watching a movie (but, I would say, even more intensely so). I look forward to listening to many sound- and talk-books in my old age, when I can't see so well anymore. But until then my bookshelves still harbor many books I am eager to take on.

Thanks for the insights about audio books, Knygatin. I'll give them a try.

Maybe for long road trips, they might be *really* good!

--Sawfish

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The food at the new restaurant is awful, but at least the portions are large."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I also recommend playing most sound- and talk-books one step below normal speed in the audio speed settings. It is easier to follow.