The artform of storytelling is as old as the spoken word and in today’s modern age, the online medium is the perfect place for readers to find all kinds of stories. From reading what diehard fans have produced for their favorite characters in the form of fan fiction to digital publishers sworn to the proliferation of free stories - the golden age of digital literature is here.
But with the freedom of online publishing comes its dark side: AI content, poorly written stories, plagiarism, and smut (not that there’s anything wrong with it, but it seems to be everywhere nowadays).
Today we’ve compiled a list of great online libraries and websites for you to find free, high-quality fiction while dodging all the questionable stuff!
Let’s dive in:
Lore Publication
A quaint online publisher based in Scotland, Lore Publication is a website dedicated to telling stories. Their catalog consists primarily of science fiction, fantasy, and mystery short stories and they have only one commercial work available (a poetry collection).
With dozens upon dozens of free short fiction available to read online, and with more published every month, Lore Publication is a great place for any avid reader. For the writers out there they also provide useful blogs on the craft that are worth checking out.
Visit Lore Publication and get stuck into their online catalog today!
Loyal Books
For those who want to take a look at public domain works and more classic literature, Loyal Books is a great place to explore. The website boasts over 7,000 titles ranging from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and Moby Dick to Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and King Solomon’s Mines - just to name a few.
What is superb about Loyal Books is that they offer books in a variety of different languages such as English, Chinese, French, Spanish, German, Japanese, and many more - ideal for those who can read multiple languages or are wanting material they can test themselves with.
While they have a spectacular range of public domain fictional works up for grabs, they also have non-fictional titles available too. Check them out!
Archive of Our Own (AO3)
Archive of our own is a brilliant website for those that are into fan fiction in a huge way. The website is known for its organization and community features, such as its extensive tagging system that allows readers to find exactly what they are looking for. Be it Lord of the Rings fan fiction that your fancy or something from a more obscure fandom, there’s likely to be fanfiction to be found on AO3.
As a non-profit organization, AO3 is dedicated to keeping all their content legal, above-board, and exploitation free (especially when it comes to intellectual property). And the website goes beyond just fan fiction by being a place for people to share fan art, fan videos, and more.
One of the best bits about the website is how inclusive and friendly its community is. Why not take a gander and see if it floats your boat?
Internet Archive
One of the biggest and best online resources for readers wanting to delve into something new is the Internet Archive. The Internet Archive is a non-profit website dedicated to being a free library with a mission to provide universal access to knowledge for all. As such, it provides access to both fiction and non-fiction books.
Due to the scale of the project, The Internet Archive is a fantastic place to find a diversity of different creative writing and literature to suit all kinds of reading preferences. They not only provide downloads and free access to hundreds of thousands of books, but the site is also known for the preservation of knowledge (and for having editions of books that are no longer in print or available in print format).
This is certainly a website worth a bookmark!
Other Notable Websites
The above are a few highlights that we’ve found for you to read through in your own time, but we couldn’t round off this article without a few honourable mentions such as:
● Project Gutenberg; for more public domain works.
● Wattpad; for browsing new talent and work from aspiring writers.
● Simon Teen; for access to one full-length YA novel per month, great for new readers.
● Fanfiction.net; another spectacular fan fiction website.
● HathiTrust Digital Library; for access to millions of journals and books that have been digitalized.
● Granta; a famous literary magazine that offer free fiction.
● Reddit; there are dozens of sub-reddits dedicated to writing that feature original works and fan faction such as r/shortstories and r/writing.
Conclusion
Reading in the digital age need not be complicated, or expensive for the wallet. There are a plethora of places online that provide free fiction and non-fiction for the betterment of humanity.
Needless to say, this is not an exhaustive list. Get out there and get exploring; you never know what hidden gem of a website (or author) you may find!
