WOWIO News

Double Vision: Two Views of Alice’s Adventures

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 00:00:00 CST

WOWIO has released two more titles in its continuing series of remastered classics. More accurately, they are two different takes on a single work — Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures Under Ground. Both versions tell the same tale (also known as Alice in Wonderland in its later incarnations) of the title character tumbling into the fantastic world beyond the rabbit-hole.

The standard edition is a typeset version of Carroll’s 1886 manuscript, complete with its illustrations.

The second take presents the story in a uniquely personal form — it is a high-resolution reproduction of Carroll’s actual handwritten and illustrated manuscript. Its whimsical, eclectic format and Carroll’s own script allows for a wholly different view into the author’s storytelling.

Take a look…

standard edition

original manuscript

A Dark Tale for June

Sun, 01 Jun 2008 00:00:00 CST

June’s book of the month is Young Goodman Brown, Nathaniel Hawthorne's tale of one man’s descent into the tangles of good and evil that inhabit the hidden recesses of human nature.

Set in an early American Puritan community, title character Goodman Brown meets a mysterious, dark figure who confronts him with a grim challenge to his faith in the basic goodness of his neighbors and his own wife.

Download it now…

The Wind in the Willows

Mon, 12 May 2008 00:00:00 CST

It may go without saying, but we here at WOWIO love books. Because of this, one of our greatest pleasures is in taking one of our favorite titles and applying some tender loving book-design care, with a goal of producing the most beautiful edition available in any form, whether in print or ebook format.

So it is with great parental pride that we introduce the latest title in the WOWIO Classics series — The Wind in the Willows. Kenneth Grahame’s timeless storytelling is now framed in a beautiful book design by Stuff Creators Design Studio and adorned with all-new, full-color artwork by Colin Throm

Enjoy!

A Mystery for May

Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00:00 CST

May’s Book of the Month is Agatha Christie’s first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles. It set the tone for her later, wildly successful detective fiction novels, and it introduced her signature characters Hercule Poirot, Chief Inspector Japp and Captain Arthur Hastings.

This special “remastered” volume includes the original illustrations from the 1920 edition that create a proper whodunit air, so you can play along at home — download it now!

Earth Day and Ebooks

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 00:00:00 CST

As another Earth Day approaches, we’d like to pause for a moment to consider our daily work here at WOWIO and how it affects the planet’s health.

Ebooks are the core of our business. These digital alternatives and adjuncts to printed books are one part of the publishing industry’s move to reduce the environmental impacts associated with reading. Ebooks are an enormous step forward compared to the impacts of traditional printed books, such as the consumption of some 30 million trees for titles sold in the US alone, along with the energy use, carbon release and waste by-products associated with their printing, distribution and disposal.

Other aspects of our daily work include energy-saving telecommuting, partnership with environment-minded organizations like Celsias and, perhaps most significantly, our underlying belief that education and expanded access to the written word will ultimately help all of us make informed choices in our stewardship of the Earth.

We also acknowledge that our business has its impacts, from the not-insignificant environmental cost of running the Internet and WOWIO’s piece of that infrastructure to the life-cycle costs of the devices needed to read our content. While we believe our efforts result in a substantial net benefit, we are continuing to work on a number of initiatives to further mitigate our impacts and we’ll continue to report here on our efforts.

In the meantime, take a look at a few thought-provoking titles (above right) to consider this Earth Day…

Atlantis Rising Heads for the Big Screen

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 00:00:00 CST

DreamWorks Studios today announced that it has optioned the rights to make a feature film from Platinum Studios’ sci-fi comic book miniseries Atlantis Rising.

“No sea horses or tridents here,” said producers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci (writers and producers of the upcoming film Star Trek and the hit TV series Alias). “The comic brings a fresh, techno-thriller approach to a story that holds all the tenets of a classic us-versus-them alien invasion movie.”

The first four of five titles in the series are available on WOWIO now!

Supreme Named in All-Time Top 100

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:00:00 CST

Alan Moore’s Supreme — reissued by Checker on WOWIO — is voted among the Top 100 Comic Book Runs by Comics Should Be Good readers at leading online comics magazine CBR.

Twenty-five Supreme and other titles by comics legend Alan Moore — creator of other classics such as Watchmen and V for Vendetta — are available.

Check out Supreme now!

National Poetry Month

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 00:00:00 CST

April is not only the start of baseball season, it’s also National Poetry Month! We have quite a strong collection of poetry from BOA Editions, Insomniac Press, Soft Skull and other publishers.

Browse the collection now…

Play Ball!

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 00:00:00 CST

To celebrate the start of baseball season, we’re declaring April’s Book of the Month — Zane Grey’s The Red-Headed Outfield and Other Baseball Stories.

Grey is best remembered for his American “wild west” tales published as periodical series and books. But the young Grey was also a talented ball player, including a stint in the minor leagues.

Read Grey’s take on the great American pastime!

David Ohle's Pre-Release Novel, Exclusively on WOWIO

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 00:00:00 CST

With work described as “delicate and grotesque, tragic and hilarious, precarious but perfectly balanced” and metaphorically equated to getting one’s head lopped off (in a good way), David Ohle is poised to release a new novel with his uniquely disturbing and insightful blend of dystopia, allegory and humor.

The Pisstown Chaos, from Soft Skull Press, is due to hit the bookstores in July. But you can download the complete book — for free, as always — from WOWIO today.

March Book of the Month

Fri, 07 Mar 2008 00:00:00 CST

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, the March book of the month is a collection of classic toasts reflecting universal themes of patriotism, friendship, love and loss, as well as convivial, humorous and sundry sentiments expressed with the raise of a glass — all filtered through an Irish perspective.

Download it now!

All the WOWIO News You Can Use

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 00:00:00 CST

We've gathered together all of the WOWIO RSS news feeds in one place. Now you can easily stay up to date on the latest releases in your favorite categories -- books, comics, fiction, nonfiction, literature and more -- never miss a great new title again.

Take a look!

Gift Giving, a Sampler

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 00:00:00 CST

Just in time for you last-minute Valentines or any other upcoming occasion... now you can try out WOWIO gifting, and the first gift you send is free!

Find the book on WOWIO that best matches the occasion, and click "Gift this Ebook" to get started.

Top 10 and News RSS Feeds

Tue, 12 Feb 2008 00:00:00 CST

Now you can keep up with WOWIO's Top 10 Books and Top 10 Comics lists, along with the latest WOWIO news.

Subscribe to these new RSS feeds now by clicking below:

WOWIO Top 10 Books

WOWIO Top 10 Comics and Graphic Novels

WOWIO News

WOWIO on Facebook

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 00:00:00 CST

WOWIO now has a page on Facebook -- take a look!

February Book of the Month: Mansfield Park

Fri, 01 Feb 2008 00:00:00 CST

As the PBS series on the works of Jane Austen draws to a close, we have chosen her third published novel, Mansfield Park, as our February Book of the Month.

It chronicles the life of the main character, Fanny Price, a poor relation sent to live with her wealthy aunt and uncle, Sir Thomas and Lady Bertram. A tale of character and sensibility, Fanny, sensitive and shy, is torn between her duty to her family at Mansfield Park and her duty to her own conscience. In this work, Austen continues her exploration of the themes of money and marriage, of choices and consequences, of appearance and reality.

Download it now!

Give the Gift of Reading... Now!

Sat, 26 Jan 2008 00:00:00 CST

We're pleased to introduce a new feature that enables registered users to quickly and easily personalize ebooks and then send them to friends and family as gifts. Whether for birthdays, holidays, or just because, a WOWIO ebook is a personalized gift your friends and family can appreciate and really use... and they can receive it instantly!

Click on the "Gift an Ebook" link at the bottom of any page for more information, or go to any book that you want to give and click on the "Gift This Ebook" button.

Book of the Month: A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court

Tue, 01 Jan 2008 00:00:00 CST

January's title is Mark Twain's classic cross-century mashup pitting a modern, nineteenth century Yankee's pluck and ingenuity against the oppressive institutions and medieval mores of Arthurian England. Twain mercilessly strips away any romantic notions of Camelot with barbed wit even as he casts his own storytelling spell.

Bill Maher's When You Ride ALONE You (Still) Ride with bin Laden

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 00:00:00 CST

Political provocateur Bill Maher speaks his mind on post-9/11 America with his signature blend of curmudgeonly satire and piercing insight. When a book receives strong praise and laughter from both Michael Moore and Ann Coulter, you know that it's worth a look!

Book of the Month: A Christmas Collection

Sat, 01 Dec 2007 00:00:00 CST

On the heels of last month's holiday title, the latest Book of the Month serves up a collection of Christmas-themed prose and poetry to go with December's festivities.

Arthritis: A Cleveland Clinic Guide

Fri, 30 Nov 2007 00:00:00 CST

The Cleveland Clinic has posted an information-packed but very user-friendly guide which tells the stories of ten people living with the affliction's most common forms. Essential reading for those touched directly or indirectly by arthritis...

Dreamland Chronicles -- Animated!

Thu, 15 Nov 2007 00:00:00 CST

Experience comics in a whole new way, with frames that come to life in 3D! Scott Christian Sava and Blue Dream Studios are creating special animated editions of the all-ages fan favorite, The Dreamland Chronicles... available only on WOWIO.

Check out the first special edition -- The Dreamland Chronicles 28 (ANIMATED!).

Recommend a Book

Sat, 10 Nov 2007 00:00:00 CST

Find a great book that you want to share with a friend? You'll now find links at the bottom of each book page which will let you email a book suggestion or share a recommendation in Facebook.

Give it a try!

Photography from Various Angles

Mon, 05 Nov 2007 00:00:00 CST

Several new titles from RotoVision SA explore the art, science and magic of photography.

Capturing reality is the theme of Black & White Photography: Photojournalism. It gets you inside the heads of leading photographers, examining both technique and philosophy as they capture the shots that tell whole stories without a word. Capturing a very different kind of reality is what Extreme Photography is all about. It presents "the hottest, coldest, fastest, slowest, nearest, farthest, brightest, darkest, largest, smallest, weirdest images in the universe..."

Whether you're a photographer looking to extend your skills or simply a consumer of stunning imagery, be sure to take a look!

Book of the Month: A Thanksgiving Collection

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 00:00:00 CST

This month's title sheds some light -- sometimes playful, often reflective -- on the origins and celebration of the American holiday. Have a big helping of tradition to go with that Thanksgiving feast!

Book of the Month: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 00:00:00 CST

Just in time for October's ghosts and goblins... this month's title is Washington Irving's classic tale, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

PowerMark Comics

Thu, 20 Sep 2007 00:00:00 CST

Uploaded a great Christian-hero comic series from PowerMark comics. Twelve issues in all, starting with The Mission and ending with Redemption ... as it should be.

Star Trek

Tue, 18 Sep 2007 00:00:00 CST

For all the Trekkers/Trekkies, Checker BPG has posted a number of comics based on the original Star Trek series (Kirk, Spock, et al.). Classic, thoughtful sci-fi at its best.

New Web Comics

Mon, 10 Sep 2007 00:00:00 CST

Uploaded a number of excellent new Web comic collections worth checking out: Fantasy Realms, Fractured Kisses, Sebo, Out There, and Inverloch, to name a few. Check them out!

Book of the Month: The Red-Headed League

Sat, 01 Sep 2007 00:00:00 CST

Book of the month is the classic Sherlock Holmes tale, The Red-Headed League, in honor of all of our red-headed friends out there.

Happy Birthday!

Mon, 13 Aug 2007 00:00:00 CST

WOWIO is one year old.

Steve Canyon

Fri, 10 Aug 2007 00:00:00 CST

If you are a fan of the legendary cartoonists Milton Caniff, you need look no further than WOWIO: Caniff's Steve Canyon flies again in fully digital format only on WOWIO!

How Did It Happen?

Mon, 06 Aug 2007 00:00:00 CST

Uploaded a great new series from Arcturus, the "How Did It Happen?" series, addressing key historical events such as The Great Depression, The Cold War, and others. The books are a tidy 50 pages each, offering concise answers to the difficult title questions.

Allen & Unwin

Sat, 04 Aug 2007 00:00:00 CST

Uploaded a great set from Allen & Unwin. In particular, check out the 101 Ways series and their self-help books. For readers who enjoy travel adventures, Brian Thacker's Where's Wallis? and Planes, Trains & Elephants are must haves.

Book of the Month: A Vindication of the Rights of Woman

Wed, 01 Aug 2007 00:00:00 CST

Book of the month is A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, the classic treatise of women's rights by Mary Wollstonecraft. The book has been updated and designed with a pop-art/modern look and includes a timeline of women's rights.

Breakneck Books

Tue, 31 Jul 2007 00:00:00 CST

Uploaded a wonderfully produced mix of action-adventure and science fiction titles -- some old, some new, all excellent. Titles include new works such as Raising the Past and Forge of the Gods - The Last Knight, and some remastered classics such as 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea - Special Edition and The Land That Time Forgot - Three Book Special Edition.

ECW Press

Mon, 23 Jul 2007 00:00:00 CST

Uploaded an eclectic mix of titles from ECW press. Titles range from the somber and absorbing How Linda Dies to the trials, tribulations, and parties of the pro tennis circuit in Break Point to a Michael Moore biography. And there's something in their collection for all the pro wrestling fans as well.

Storyline Studios

Tue, 17 Jul 2007 00:00:00 CST

Uploaded two very graphical and compelling works of visual storytelling, Frameworks 01 and 02, as well as the historically inspired and critically acclaimed Pistolfist series, both from Storyline Studios.

Insomniac Press

Sun, 15 Jul 2007 00:00:00 CST

Uploaded over 100 excellent titles from Insomniac Press. Titles include fiction, non-fiction, investment, graphic novels, poetry and more.

Book of the Month: The Elements of Freedom

Sun, 01 Jul 2007 00:00:00 CST

In celebration of the 4th of July, the book of the month is The Elements of Freedom: a remastered collection of the documents that made the United States of America posible.

William Shakespeare

Mon, 25 Jun 2007 00:00:00 CST

Uploaded a number of remastered Shakespeare plays, including Pericles, Prince of Tyre, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Cymbeline, Measure for Measure, The Comedy of Errors, Othello, Antony and Cleopatra. Our goal is to have the collected works of Shakespeare available for the Fall semester.

Link to WOWIO Books

Fri, 22 Jun 2007 00:00:00 CST

To help you tell your friends about your favorite WOWIO books, you can now easily link to any individual WOWIO book from your site or blog. Find the "LINK FROM YOUR SITE" section below the book descriptions of your favorite books, click on the links, and copy and paste the link code to your site/blog -- that's all there is to it.

Heroic Publishing

Fri, 15 Jun 2007 00:00:00 CST

Uploaded several new series from Heroic Publishing, including WitchGirls Inc, Alter Ego, Black Enchantress, Anthem, and more.

Imaginator Press

Fri, 08 Jun 2007 00:00:00 CST

Uploaded two fun new titles from Imaginator Press in the style of Harry Potter: The Dark Dreamweaver (The Remin Chronicles: Book 1), and The Breezes of Inspire (The Remin Chronicles: Book 2). If you are a Harry Potter fan they are definitely worth a look.

WOWIO at BEA

Fri, 01 Jun 2007 00:00:00 CST

WOWIO will be at BEA in New York. Visit us at Booth #454, or send us an email to set up a meeting with our Editorial Group. Make sure you chase down one of our reps riding Segways out front to get a free WOWIO t-shirt!

Book of the Month: The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County

Fri, 01 Jun 2007 00:00:00 CST

Book of the month is the ever-hilarious The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.

More Arcturus Books

Sun, 20 May 2007 00:00:00 CST

Uploaded a number of great new titles from Arcturus, including three great art books--The Fundamentals of Drawing Landscapes, The Fundamentals of Drawing Still Life, and The Fundamentals of Drawing Portraits--as well as several history titles like Vietnam: A War Lost and Won, Victory in the Pacific, and History's Greatest Battles: Masterstrokes of War.

Smashout Comics

Thu, 10 May 2007 00:00:00 CST

Uploaded a nice mix of comics from Smashout including UNA Frontiers, Ripperman, ELLIUM, and SELIG.

LEXUS Ltd

Sat, 05 May 2007 00:00:00 CST

Uploaded a great set of travel companion books from LEXUS, including The Spanish Travelmate, The Italian Travelmate, The Greek Travelmate, among others.

Book of the Month: The Velveteen Rabbit

Tue, 01 May 2007 00:00:00 CST

In celebration of Mother's Day, the book of the month is The Velveteen Rabbit, gorgeously remastered by our design team.

London Book Fair

Mon, 16 Apr 2007 00:00:00 CST

Our Editorial Director, Kristin Ellison, will be at the London Book Fair from April 16th - 18th looking for great content. If you are a publisher interested in exploring WOWIO as a new means of distribution, she'll be making the rounds. If you miss her in London, we will also be at the BookExpo America in June.

Nomad Press

Wed, 04 Apr 2007 00:00:00 CST

Uploaded a number of great DIY titles from Nomad Press: Amazing Leonardo da Vinci Inventions You Can Build Yourself, Great Ancient Egypt Projects You Can Build Yourself, and Tools of Timekeeping: A Kid's Guide to the History and Science of Telling Time, among others. Supposed to be for kids, but we love them as adults.

Book of the Month: The Secret Garden

Sun, 01 Apr 2007 00:00:00 CST

Book of the month is The Secret Garden, a classic of children's literature.

Sponsorship Recognition

Sun, 01 Apr 2007 00:00:00 CST

We are beginning to identify the sponsor of each book in the order emails, giving sponsors the recognition and exposure they deserve for helping make these books available for free.

Category Update

Sat, 31 Mar 2007 00:00:00 CST

Added subcategory page for Literature & Poetry.

Category Update

Fri, 23 Mar 2007 00:00:00 CST

Added subcategory page for History.

BOA Editions

Wed, 21 Mar 2007 00:00:00 CST

We are very proud to make the poetry books from BOA Editions available to our readers. Poetry books are difficult to sell through traditional channels, and we hope that WOWIO will help give these great authors and works the exposure and success they deserve.

Avant-Guide Travel Books

Wed, 21 Mar 2007 00:00:00 CST

Uploaded a batch of Avant-Guide Travel books. These books are beautiful to the point that we are tempted to also place them in the Architecture & Design category. No doubt the future of travel guides.

Edgar Allan Poe Collection

Tue, 13 Mar 2007 00:00:00 CST

Remastered and uploaded the complete Edgar Allan Poe collection. We are very proud of the editorial and design treatment of these books. If you are a fan of Poe, or better yet if you are unfamiliar with his work, check them out. You will not be disappointed.

New Authentication Method

Wed, 07 Mar 2007 00:00:00 CST

Implemented a new means of authentication to lower the barrier of entry for readers: we now accept non-anonymous email addresses. Not as reliable as our other methods, but hopefully it will strike a better balance between giving people access and protecting the intellectual property of our content partners.

Beatrix Potter Collection

Sun, 04 Mar 2007 00:00:00 CST

Remastered and uploaded a collection of Beatrix Potter books. Working on these classics has renewed our appreciation for just how amazingly talented Potter was as both an artist and author.

New Sponsorship Model

Thu, 01 Mar 2007 00:00:00 CST

Changed the sponsorship model to dramatically increase value for sponsors while also reducing the impact on the reader experience. The new model is akin to the sponsorship model you see for PBS series like Nova and Frontline. So far, publishers, readers, and sponsors all like it.

Book of the Month: True Irish Ghost Stories

Thu, 01 Mar 2007 00:00:00 CST

Book of the month is True Irish Ghost Stories--scary Irish stories in celebration of St. Patrick's Day.

Engines of Creation 2.0

Fri, 09 Feb 2007 00:00:00 CST

Remastered and uploaded Engines of Creation 2.0 as a WOWIO exclusive. This is the seminal work of nanotechnology and we are proud to have worked on it. EOC 2.0 includes many extras like the original lecture on nanotech by Feynman and the open letter debate between Drexler and Smalley, as well as other original elements. This is the first of many great contemporary works that WOWIO will be remastering and republishing as free ebooks. Special thanks to K. Eric Drexler for his vision and support of this project.

iPod Shuffle Promotion

Fri, 09 Feb 2007 00:00:00 CST

Launched the iPod Shuffle promotion: sign up 10 friends and get a free iPod Shuffle. Rather than spend money on banner ads or Super Bowl commercials, we decided we wanted to spend the money in a way that would directly benefit our readers.

Book of the Month: Venus and Adonis

Thu, 01 Feb 2007 00:00:00 CST

Book of the month is Venus and Adonis, a classic Shakespearian poem that receives far less attention than it deserves.

Arcturus Publishing

Tue, 16 Jan 2007 00:00:00 CST

Uploaded an eclectic mix from Arcturus Publishing--titles range from A History of Cannibalism to The Fundamentals of Drawing. Very nicely designed and produced.

Antarctic Press

Fri, 05 Jan 2007 00:00:00 CST

Uploaded a collection of comics from Antarctic Press out of San Antonio, Texas. These folks are going to be famous--the comics are awesome! We particularly like the Sci-Fi version of Beowulf and the art in the Twilight X series.

Book of the Month: The Road to Serfdom

Mon, 01 Jan 2007 00:00:00 CST

Book of the month is Road to Serfdom: Cartoon Version. We remastered this classic work of visual communication and libertarian economics.