Six sci-fi books at a pay-what-you-want price and bonus titles for those who cough up more than average marks the first Humble eBook Bundle, with proceeds split between authors and charitable concerns. The six core offerings are Pirate Cinema by Cory Doctorow, Pump Six and Other Stories by Paolo Bacigalupi, Zoo City by Lauren Beukes, Invasion by Mercedes Lackey, and two short story collections from Kelly Link in Stranger Things Happen and Magic for Beginners.

In the case of the e-book initiative, and as is the tradition of the indie retail portal, those who pay more than average for the pack gain two extra titles, Signal to Noise by Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean, and Old Man's War by John Scalzi.

Excerpts from each are available at the Humble eBook Bundle site, where buyers can determine how much of their purchase price goes to the authors, and how much is split between three charities -- the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, and the Child's Play Charity.

Should the eBook Bundle continue to follow in the footsteps of previous software and music bundles, extra bonus titles will be added until the two week drive's closure on October 23.

With the Humble Bundle bursting onto the e-book scene now, it joins other bulk-buy e-book promos such as Snug Nugget and the StoryBundle, which is currently running a crime and thriller collection until October 15.