Hans Patrick Griesser - "What's More Affordable than Free?" (flash fiction, surgery, free)

Sometimes funny story about the future of heath care - as internet & smart phones start interacting with health care networks...

Fact sheet.

First published: Medgadget, 7 December 2009.
Download full text from publisher's site (need to click "Read More..." link at the bottom of page & then scroll down to see this story). [via Marooned]
Rating: A.
Added to my "best of 2009" list.

Free fiction: 7 issues of "Startling Stories" magazine

At Crosseyed Cyclops, in 3 RAR files. Mostly scans in CBR format; in one case, as HTML file too.

Here is what individual RAR files contain:

1. "Startling rar 1": Contains 3 issues: "Startling Stories (British Edition), No 8"; "Startling Stories (New Zealand Edition), No 14"; & a very unusual magazine that is supposed to be a combined edition dated Summer 1955 of Startling Stories + Thrilling Wonder Stories + Fantastic Story Magazine with a single ToC page. There is no mention of publication date of first two on either cover or ToC page.
   
   Includes fiction by Murray Leinster, Jack Vance, Isaac Asimov, & Gordon R Dickson - among others.
2. "Startling rar 2": Contains 3 issues, only two of which could be extracted because of WinRAR errors: dated November 1939 & Winter 1955.
   
   Includes fiction of Poul Anderson, Philip K Dick, Jack Williamson, Jack Binder (I think one of the brothers of the Eando Binder pseudonym), & Stanley G Weinbaum - among others.
3. "Startling rar 3": Contains 3 issues, only two of which could be extracted because of WinRAR errors: January 1939 (CBR + HTML), April 1953.
   
   Includes fiction of Stanley G Weinbaum, Eando Binder, & Ross Rocklynne - among others.

Related: Fiction form Startling Stories.

RIP: Christopher Anvil (1925-2009)

His death on 30th November 2009 seems to be just getting reported in genre world.

Related: Stories of Christopher Anvil.

Parting thoughts on Aurealis Awards 2009

I've now read 4 of the 5 nominees in short science fiction category: one a very average story, & others not even that. This is amongst the weakest "best of the year" award lineup I've seen yet.

Free fiction: Audiobook: Larry Niven's "Ringworld"

At Audible. Narrated by Tom Parker. But you need an Audible account to download. Nearly 11 hours of audio.

[via SFFaudio]

Related.

1. Stories of Larry Niven.
2. "Ringworld" novel post.
3. Buy print version of "Ringworld" from Amazon.
   

Free fiction: Scans & HTML of 4 issues of "Thrilling Wonder Stories" - June 1939, December 1940, December 1947, & February 1948

At Crosseyed Cyclops, as CBR files in 3 numbered RAR packs - #1, 2, 3. Numbers, however, do not tell which issues are inside the pack; my list below does (item 1 is the contents of pack numbered 1, etc).
Note: Sole HTML - December 1947 - is also inside its own CBR file. Just change file's extension to RAR & extract. All other issues are as scans only.

1. December 1947 (scans + HTML) & February 1948. Henry Kuttner & Ray Bradbury are among the authors represented.
   
   This gave me a lot of trouble downloading - apparently heavy server overload. But it did eventually download.
2. June 1939. Stanley Weinbaum, E E "doc" Smith, Eando Binder, & Jack Williamson are among the authors included.
   
   Note that this RAR - containing more than one CBR files - is corrupt. But one of the CBRs extracts ok, in spite of WinRAR error; that's the one listed here.
   
3. December 1940.

Related: Fiction from Thrilling Wonder Stories.

Free fiction: 3 stories from Paolo Bacigalupi's collection "Pump Six and Other Stories"

At Webscription: "Pocketful of Dharma" (download), "The Fluted Girl" (download), "The People of Sand and Slag" (download).

I have a feeling I've seen some of this online before, but cannot find links. If my memory is right, "The Fluted Girl" featured on one of the year's best anthologies (last year?)

[via Free Speculative Fiction Online]

Related.

1. Stories of Paolo Bacigalupi.
2. Buy "Pump Six and Other Stories" from Amazon.