Baen Books is now offering its entire Webscriptions catalog of e-books free to the astronauts living aboard the International Space Station. The new books available follow a sizable number of printed Baen titles already available in orbit. Baen Publisher Toni Weisskopf said “We were pleased and surprised to find that almost 25 percent of the titles on that list were Baen books,” following previous crew member requests. “The ISS library is heavy on the Lois McMaster Bujold, David Weber, and John Ringo­: three of our most popular authors.”
Baen’s Webscriptions have more than 600 of the publisher’s books available as downloadable e-books in a variety of unencrypted e-book formats. Weisskopf offered to make the complete Webscription library available to ISS personnel, free of charge, including both of Baen’s on-line magazines, The Grantville Gazette and Jim Baen’s Universe, and NASA promptly accepted.
“It’s very satisfying to know that ISS crewmembers will be able to get our books easily and without fuss,” Weisskopf said. “They’re the ones who are truly creating a future for humankind in space.”