Fans of science fiction and fantasy short stories rejoice! L. Ron Hubbard’s Writers of the Future competition is back and some of the best stories have now been collected and are available in the new book, L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 40.
An impressive 40 years since its inception, the Writers of the Future contest (originally created by L. Ron Hubbard of Battlefield Earth fame), continues to bring to the fore a plethora of exciting new talent in the world of SFF and fantasy writing.
Writers of the Future Volume 40 brings together 12 new short stories spanning both science fiction and fantasy from the competition winners, as well as three bonus stories, plus four articles providing art and writing tips from bestselling authors and renowned artists.
This latest collection opens with ‘The Edge of Where My Light Is Cast’ by Sky Mckinnon and kicks us off into the world of an AI cat searching for its missing owner, provoking probing questions into the future and potential for AI.
Other standouts from the collection include Tom Vandermolen’s ‘Nonzero’, a yearning and desperate tale of dreaming of being lost in space and ‘The Wall Isn’t a Circle’, Rosalyn Robilliard’s brilliant cyberpunky tale of evil corporations and the devils of social media.
Interspersed throughout the collection are other pleasant articles and stories from L. Ron Hubbard that should motivate future aspiring writers while providing a cushion between some of the intense themes the contributors have explored.
One of the biggest highlights is the artwork commissioned for each story. Pride of place at the front of the book and rendered in glossy colour, celebrated artists have captured the essence of each tale, depicting stunning landscapes and introspective interpretations, that only serve to enhance the delicate world-building the authors have accomplished.
A captivating anthology that showcases the untapped imagination of so-far undiscovered authors, L. Ron Hubbard’s Writers of the Future Vol 40 is yet again a hopeful collection delivering, as the best sci-fi always does, a thirst for seeking out and pushing boundaries. For those who like to read and for those who like to write, the book is a guiding and entertaining melting pot of imagination bound in love for genre.
L. Ron Hubbard’s Writers of the Future Vol 40 is out on Monday 9 July 2024 from Galaxy Press. Pre-order your copy here.
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