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Baen's Universe launches with a thumb in Sony's eye

The inspiring Baen’s Universe SF magazine has just launched, and amongst many other things, the copies you buy online feature no DRM at all. Surely, if a tiny, cost-sensitive company like (and its artists!) this can survive without DRM, so can an electronics behemoth?

From the home page:

Welcome to Jim Baen’s UNIVERSE, a magazine of science fiction, fantasy, and fact.

We Believe in Stories.

We believe in stories, short and long. For many popular authors, however, the low rates magazines pay for short stories have made writing them a tough economic choice. We’re going to change that situation in the simplest way possible: by paying more.

We promise to publish stories that keep you turning the (electronic) page, stories with characters and feeling similar to those of popular novels. Many of the stories, in fact, are set in universes already popular in novel form.

Some of the well-known authors who’ve already signed on to appear in the first few issues include:

  • Christopher Anvil
  • Catherine Asaro
  • John Barnes
  • Elizabeth Bear
  • Gregory Benford
  • David Brin
  • Julie Czerneda
  • Cory Doctorow
  • David Drake
  • Eric Flint
  • Alan Dean Foster
  • Dave Freer
  • Esther Friesner
  • Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson
  • Joe R Lansdale
  • Barry Malzberg
  • Louise Marley
  • LE Modesitt, Jr
  • John Ringo
  • Kristine Smith
  • Wen Spencer
  • Charlie Stross
  • S Andrew Swann
  • David Weber
  • KD Wentworth
  • Gene Wolfe
  • Sarah Zettel

We’ll also publish exciting stories from people you haven't heard of yet, but will. In fact, we’re setting aside a section of the magazine exclusively for stories from brand-new writers. In addition, we’ll present some interesting factual articles and reissue at least one “classic” story in each volume.

Issues will appear six times a year, with each one available electronically in a variety of formats with no copy protection.

The price is a bargain: [USD]$30 for the first six, or you can choose from a wide variety of special offers of even greater value.

Join us and enjoy a universe of great stories!

Quite a roster already, and you can bet that more big names will be joining once they’re convinced it’s more than a pipe dream.

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