Fiction Bundle

A quick update regarding yesterday's software giveaway: The very apologetic AOMEI rep noted that the service responsible for distributing license codes was overwhelmed with the response, but that codes should be arriving "sooner or later." That said, they have now listed the code right on the giveaway page, so if you didn't get yours, now you can.

So. With the holidays rapidly approaching, many folks will find themselves with some much-needed leisure time. And to my thinking, nothing fills that time better than a good book.

Insanely practical nonfiction is always good (ha-ha, see what I did there?), but sometimes you want a little escapism. And to my thinking, nothing fills that desire better than sci-fi.

Before you plunk down $10-$15 for one measly sci-fi novel, though, check out this deal: Fiction Bundle offers six sci-fi books for whatever price you want to pay (with a $6 minimum). And if you pony up at least $10, you'll get a seventh book.

The bundle includes works from some pretty well-known authors in the genre, including Frank Herbert, David Farland, and Tim Pratt. A quick perusal of Amazon reveals that every title offered here received at least a four-star rating from readers, if not closer to five stars.

During that perusal, I did some math: The six-book bundle alone would cost you around $30 if purchased separately. As for the bonus book, "The Complete Stories of Tim Pratt (So Far)," I haven't actually found it anywhere else, so you might say it's priceless. Or, more accurately, you might say it "contains virtually every story the award-winning author has published in the past 15 years," including a Hugo Award winner.

Like all good bundles, this one allows you to divvy up your payment among the authors, the bundlers, and charities, in this case the American Red Cross and the Challenger Center for Space Science Education. I recommend equal shares to each, but obviously you can make your own call on that.

All seven titles are provided DRM-free in your choice of formats: EPUB, MOBI, and PDF. In other words, you can read them on virtually any device, though the support page doesn't explain how to go about loading them on, say, a Kindle or Nook. Here's a pretty good overview if you need help.

Though I think it's a little disingenuous that the $6 minimum isn't mentioned anywhere until you get to the payment section, I also think this is a great value and a must-buy for any fan of science fiction. Your thoughts?

Leawo

Bonus deal: Heads up, Mac users! For a limited time, Leawo is giving away its iOS Data Recovery (Mac) utility. This desktop program promises to extract up to 12 kinds of lost files from an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch, and it can also recover lost data from iTunes. It regularly sells for $59.95. To get it, click the green Download Free button, then click Get Keycode Now for your activation code. You must activate the software before Dec. 18.

Deals found on The Cheapskate are subject to availability, expiration, and other terms determined by sellers.

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