Elizabeth Bear writes,
Shadow Unit is an ongoing, now five-year-old science fiction web serial about a mysterious “anomaly” that causes affected human beings to simultaneously develop superpowers and sociopathy–and about the law enforcement agents who struggle to contain the crisis.
In more formal terms, it’s is a semi-real-time semi-interactive shared-world hyperfiction narrative–which is to say, a story in which you can interact with some of the characters much of the time.
It’s the brainchild of Emma Bull and Will Shetterly, and is written by Elizabeth Bear, Holly Black, Leah Bobet, Amanda Downum, Sarah Monette, Chelsea Polk, and Stephen Shipman–with art by Amanda Downum and Kyle Cassidy.
Shadow Unit’s producers have always made the entire narrative available on a donation model on the website and its associated social media. We’ve also produced a series of ebooks (available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords)–and the first volume is available as a paper book.
For a limited time (We’re not yet sure how limited!) we’re also giving the first ebook (Shadow Unit #1) away for free.
(Thanks, Bear)