Tag: Amazon Kindle

Last second gift ideas for your sci-fi & fantasy loving geek

Christmas Presents
Christmas Presents (Photo credit: stephbond)

I wish I could say this was prepped to be posted days and days ago, but earlier today the post I had meant to schedule (my closed for the holidays message) was sent up instead of being held, so all bets are off on whether there will be more blog posts before I shut down. In thinking about writing this post, I discovered that these lists are all the more fun because they are thinly veiled attempts to let you all know what we really wanted. Here are a few things I thought of for the discerning shopper that realized while driving over that they didn’t get you anything, but happen to have both their smartphone handy, as well as the superb taste in reading my blog. They are awesome for it.

  • E-Mag gift subscriptions. Lots of choices here. While I champion Clarkesworld a lot, truth is there are plenty choose from. “But why pay when they can get them for free, Mike?”  Because I said so? No, that doesn’t even work with the kids most of the time. It’s true, Clarkesworld, Lightspeed, and other online magazines provide most if not all of their content for free. But buying a subscription supports them to continue providing (and paying for) content, so it’s a win win for your giftee.
  • Daily deals. Not to favor one ebook seller over another, but Amazon has really been hitting it out of the park this weekend. Prince of Thorns, Theft of Swords, etc. have been on sale as ebooks for special $2 prices. Great reads for great costs is a win for everyone.
  • Heifer. Because nothing says last second gift giving love like the gift of bees. Swarming. Or a goat, I guess, but really, I like the idea of giving bees in the name if a loved one. Organizations like Heifer are only too happy to provide a digital thank you to your loved ones for the gift given in their name, and your helping someone become self sustaining. Don’t like that? There’s plenty of other, reputable charities that are worthy of your attentions too, like the Population Council, which helps improve the health and education of folks in need in other countries.
  • Gift certs. I know, how impersonal, but really, do you know the intimacies of your loved ones in this modern age? Do you know for sure that they don’t have – or want – that cd or book? No, not really, not when they could have succumbed and bought it for themselves in the time it took for you to go for. The start of this blog post to here. But a gift cert for Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Xbox, iTunes, what have you, can be applied to whatever they really want. The only prerequisite I suggest here is that you pick something they will like and use. An iTunes cert for someone that doesn’t do Apple in any way might not be too nice, just like Xbox credits for a PS3 owner will run afoul.

Just remember when sorting through these gift options that the spirit of the season (unless your season is welcomed with the airing of grievances) is in sharing it with the ones you care about, even if that includes a walrus named Fred.

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