hxxp: baencd. thefifthimperium. com/
This website contains downloads of all those CDs that have the addendum "can be shared freely as long as you don't sell it" legalese that come inside books sometimes.
It has all the Honorverse stuff, Hammer's Slammer's, 1632verse, the Starfire stuff. . . yeah, pretty much everything is located on the various CDs.
Mission of Honor CD:
This has been a life saver for when I am traveling and can't lug my collection of books around.
Pretty much everything Weber. Most of the Honorverse stuff, Hell's Gate Series, Starfire, Dahak, Empire of Man, The Excalibur Alternative. . . .
I don't think I need to say much about Honorverse, I enjoy the books. Mind you, I really felt the techporn come into the forefront in the later books, and I began not wondering about the characters, but instead about what tech was going to be pulled out of someones tailpipe at the last minute to change everything. Which can be good sometimes, especially when I am trying to imagine my own stories the world, but can leave a bad taste in my mouth reading it for fun.
Starfire. Need I say more? No? Good. My books on the shelf are getting pretty dilapidated , and some pages are actually unreadable. I'll probably wear the scrollbar out. . .
Hell's gate - portals lead to different worlds, and one day an expedition from a technological civilization ends up on the same world as an expedition from a magical one. A man from each expedition have a chance encounter in the woods, both have itchy trigger fingers. . . and it all goes to hell from there. It really annoys me that the third book isn't out yet. (don't even know if they are working on a third one. )
In Fury Born. I just loved this novel for how it completely surprised me with the addition to the character list part way through the book. I did not see that coming.
Cryoburn CD:
I haven't read it, but I think I saw a reference to it somewhere else on this site - this CD contains the entire "Vorkosigan Saga". I plan on reading it sometime this summer.
1635 The Eastern Front CD:
Some of the perhaps "lesser-known" stuff (maybe not to you veterans, but it was to me) is the classic sci-fi section, including the Interstellar Patrol by Christopher Anvil, which are an absolutely hysterical group of short stories (and some long ones).
If you read nothing else, read "The Cold Equations" . This set of stories has inspired me to one day at least try to be that good in world building. Each story made me feel as those the galaxy or world was huge. Just read chapter 17, the CD's namer. *shiver* *is now depressed and goes off and eats some chocolate*
Also a favorite of mine, are the "The Trouble with _____" series. They are collections of short stories. Some of the stories are set in a "message back and forth" format. . . and are funnier and give me a better feel for the universe it is set in that most books I have read. "Behind the Sandrat Hoax" in "The Trouble With Humans" is hilarious. And reminiscent of some things I have seen.
To be honest, nearly every "book" located under the classic sci-fi section in the bottom right of the CD's main page has at least one story that has left an impression on me.
When The Tide Rises CD:
Lt. Leary Commanding.
Lt. Leary Commanding.
Lt. Leary Commanding!!!
Enough said.
