At the end of February we published a list with the best nine science fiction novels available in the public domain. Getting those texts in English isn't too difficult, but if that language is a barrier, there are different online resources that let us limit the search to Spanish, and at the same time get in touch with thousands more works, without paying a cent.
Have you seen the price of books lately? Nobody doubts that every author deserves a fair sum for their work, but there are several loose demons between printing and distribution that challenge even the most steadfast consumers. A popular shortcut is buying used texts, and I dare say that carries its own charm when revealing the wear, folds, and notes left behind by previous owners. The other alternative is reduced to searching for offers in ebook format, or better yet, getting free access books and at no cost on the Web. The number of portals dedicated to free ebook downloading is very significant, and today we are going to mention some of the most outstanding ones:
Amazon
The most obvious option at the beginning. The integrated DRM and the obligation to use the Kindle app annoy many users, but the number of free titles available on Amazon is too large to ignore, and if you are willing to pay just a euro or less, the authors multiply.
Archive.org
The extraordinary backup portal also has a gigantic database dedicated to ebooks, and with a couple of clicks it is possible to restrict its results to Spanish, which equates to about 185,000 texts. The legal situation of some books is uncertain, although there is always the option to read with the browser if you prefer not to download them.
Project Gutenberg
One of the most popular sites to download ebooks in English, Project Gutenberg has a whole special section dedicated to books written in Spanish (or translated to our language), with downloads in ePub, Kindle, plain text, or HTML version.
Libroteca
Libroteca is a classic with more than 37,000 books in its database. Locating Spanish ebooks is a bit more complicated than it should be, and some entries are repeated (I found two copies of "The Art of War"), but it's not a bad idea to start with a list of the most downloaded, full of must-read classics.
Bubok
The priority of Bubok is self-publishing books through the Internet, but it also offers thousands of free works digitally. In some cases such an offer is limited to audiobooks, however, the rest is available in ePub or PDF, and we only have to share an email address to access the download.
Lektu
The difference of Lektu compared to other platforms is that it openly rejects the use of DRM in ebooks, and presents greater transparency by explaining the distribution of percentages in each sale. The free ebooks in Lektu are 376 (for now), but it's worth taking a look.
Well, I think we have our hands full. These six portals form an excellent starting point to download ebooks, and if you want to recommend another place, don't hesitate to do so. Comments are open. Good luck!
