If you don’t have an e-reader yet, you should get one. As an avid book lover, I have fully embraced my Kindle, which makes reading easier, and, to be honest, causes me to read even more. (The only drawback: I can’t get author autographs in the books anymore.)
Here’s my list of the top 10 FREE eBooks that are must-reads for geeks.
The List:
10. The Legends of King Arthur and His Knights (Sir James Knowles) — So much of modern geekery is based on King Arthur that you’d be remiss in not being familiar with the legend. This edition (written by a contemporary of Lord Alfred Tennyson) is free, but I highly recommend you pay 99 cents and get Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, which is a literary treasure.
9. A Princess of Mars (Edgar Rice Burroughs) – You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who wouldn’t rate this story 5 out of 5. It’s science fiction at its best. After you read it, you’ll be eager to devour Rice’s other books in the Mars series.
8. A Journey to the Centre of the Earth (Jules Verne) – Verne took fiction to whole new levels with Journey, Around the World in 80 Days and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. He envisioned sci-fi perhaps better than anyone other than H.G. Wells.
7. Grimm’s Household Tales (Jacob & Wilhelm Grimm) — This ultimate collection has 211 (yes, 211) stories which are the inspiration and foundation for much of what we read today. You probably won’t make it through all of them (some of them can be a bit repetitive), but there’s more than enough to enjoy.
6. The War of the Worlds (H.G. Wells) — Wells’ best book, IMHO. You can also get Time Machine for free, which is also a must-read.
5. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle) — You’ll probably appreciate the new Robert Downey Jr. films a lot more after reading Doyle. It’s smart, witty, and a lot more suspenseful than you might think.
4. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (Lewis Carroll) — It doesn’t matter whether you love or hate the movie versions. The book is a gem of creativity and a must-read for geeks of all stripes. Plus, Carroll’s sense of humor still makes you laugh 100 years later.
3. Dracula (Bram Stoker) — Genuinely scary. Chilling. Arguably the best horror story of all time.
2. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (L. Frank Baum) — One of my favorite books ever. It’s got everything I love in a story and more. And it makes me yearn for a film or television series that’s faithful to the book and has a lot less singing. (Can you imagine a Peter Jackson version?!)
1. Frankenstein (Mary Shelley) — Pure awesomeness on so many levels. Partly because of the fact that she never uses lame phrases like “pure awesomeness.” But I’m not Mary Shelley. Just remember “Frankenstein” is the doctor, not the monster.
Bonus: At the Mountains of Madness (H.P. Lovecraft) — It’s not free, but it’s only 99 cents. Which may be the best buck you’ll ever spend. Guillermo del Toro is currently working on a movie version of this book (due out in 2013) which relays the account of scientists in the Antarctic who discover an ancient alien civilization that’s millions of years old…and not happy to be awakened.
Found any others you’d like to pass along or add to the list?