Gibraltar Earth, by Michael McCollum

Gibraltar Earth is the beginning of what could be an epic scifi adventure. The storyline is convincing - I was impressed with how detailed <and correct> the science was. After reading the book I learned that McCollum has a degree in Aerospace Engineering.

I first heard about the Gibraltar Series from the Security Now podcast. I was intrigued by the few details Gibson provided, but even more intrigued by McCollum's business model. He sells paper books, but also sells pdfs of his books at discounted prices. He does not protect the pdf at all - anyone can subsequently spread his books like stolen mp3 files. I purchased the pdf to read over my trip to Mauritius. Coincidentally, while I was reading the book Cory Doctorow blogged about how we pay for form, and not content <this is why hardcover books all cost roughly the same price, even though the quality of the content varies dramatically>. McCollum's method is contrary - this time I paid for content, not form. Not all his pdf novels cost the same, the new novels cost more.

I have no desire to give his pdf away <ie seed it to a torrent>. Purchasing the book from his website was easy, convenient, and totally worth it. I can't wait to buy, and read, the next book in the series - Gibraltar Sun.

My Rating = 1