The newest installment in the Writers of the Future anthology has just released in Kindle and will release in paperback on June 28th!
The Writers of the Future contest is dedicated to discovering and nurturing new creative talent. It is one of the longest running awards in science fiction and fantasy and the only one limited to new authors and artists. This yearʼs winners are featured in the anthology, and their stories are illustrated by the winning illustrators. Gorgeous—what a masterpiece.
Here is the scoop.
What is the Writers of the Future?
Ron Hubbard initiated the Writers of the Future writing contest in 1983 to provide “a means for new and budding writers to have a chance for their creative efforts to be seen and acknowledged.”
It was so successful, the sister contest, Illustrators of the Future, was created five years later to provide that same opportunity for the aspiring artist. There has always been strong connection between artist and author, and this partnership shines in the final anthology each year with each winning story illustrator by one of the winning illustrators.
Over the last 38 years, the intensive mentoring process has proven very successful. Over 500 past winners and published finalists of the Writing Contest have published over 1,800 novels and nearly 6,200 short stories. They have produced 33 New York Times bestsellers, and their works have sold over 60 million copies.
The 370 past winners of the Illustrating Contest have produced over 6,000 illustrations, 360 comic books, graced 624 books and albums with their art, and visually contributed to 68 TV shows and 40 major movies.
Several great authors you are likely familiar with were discovered by contest. For example, Brandon Sanderson was a finalist and gives credit this this win providing encouragement to keep going. Nnedi Okorafor, Sean Williams, Patrick Rothfus, Jo Beverly, Eric Flint, and many others were winners or finalist in the program, and this win helped to jump start them on the road to success.
The newest in the series, Writers of the Future Volume 38, is on the launch pad. It is available as a Kindle exclusive and in Kindle Unlimited. See here: https://www.amazon.com/Ron-Hubbard-Presents-Writers-Future-ebook/dp/B09VXXCP5T
Cover Art by Bob Eggelton
Earlier in March, the cover art for Writers of the Future Volume 38 was revealed to an international online audience by the cover artist Bob Eggleton. John Goodwin, President of Galaxy Press the publisher of the fiction works of L. Ron Hubbard and the Writers of the Future series, hosted the event. Bob presented the process and inspiration for the cover, saying “My idea was taking this older work of mammoths and merging it with these new elements, humanoid robots exploring a past earth. Or is it someplace else? That is for you to decide.”
Video of event is embedded here: https://www.youtube.com/embed/pWJW4PCLLOs
Bob Eggleton is a winner of nine Hugo Awards and twelve Chesley Awards, the 2019 L. Ron Hubbard Lifetime Achievement Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Arts, a 2015 Rondo Award in Classic Horror, and an award from the Godzilla Society of North America. His art is on the covers of numerous magazines, professional publications, and books in science fiction, fantasy, and horror worldwide, including several volumes of his own work. He has also worked as a conceptual illustrator for movies and thrill rides. He has been an Illustrators of the Future Contest judge since 1988, of which he stated, “L. Ron Hubbard ignited the spark of imagination, which in the minds of these new artists has become ablaze.”
The presentation of the new cover took on special significance this year. After this book was finalized, the book’s editor, David Farland, tragically left us. One of his last acts was to write a short story to accompany Bob Eggleton’s cover art. To this, Eggleton stated, “I feel privileged to have worked with David Farland on his last story, and so dedicate this cover art to him and the memory of his life.”
Attendees of the online event were quick to make known their excitement for the cover art.
Illustrators of the Future judge Lazarus Chernik commented, “This perfectly represents Bob Eggleton to me. He emotes with his brush as much as his characters and compositions, breathing life to fantastic scenes like no other. No faces? No problem. The paint itself becomes a person.”
Bookseller Jean-Paul L. Garnier of Space Cowboy Books stated, “Year after year, Writers of the Future remains an important anthology and a great read. If you’re looking for stellar new voices in science fiction and fantasy, look no further.”
About Writers of the Future Volume 38
This year’s collection includes 3 Bonus Short Stories by Frank Herbert, David Farland, and L. Ron Hubbard. Frank Herbert was a judge for the contest, and in recognition of the success of his science fiction classic Dune, we have republished his last essay with advice for new writers and one of his rare short stories.
“A Word of Power” by David Farland: When Fava, a Neanderthal shaman, discovers the men of metal driving away her mammoths, she must find magic powerful enough to save the herd.
“The Daddy Box” by Frank Herbert: An abused boy finds an alien artifact that gives him the strength to reshape his life and stand up to his violent stepfather.
“The Professor Was a Thief” by L. Ron Hubbard: Grant’s Tomb—missing! Pennsylvania Station—missing! The Empire State Building—missing! New York City is disappearing piece by piece.
And art and writing tips by Frank Herbert, Brian Herbert & Kevin J. Anderson, L. Ron Hubbard, and Diane Dillon.
“The Single Most Important Piece of Advice” by Frank Herbert: The last essay from Frank Herbert was written with the clear purpose of fulfilling what he saw as a paramount obligation to his art and craft—he provided the single most important piece of advice he would give a beginning writer.
“Boos and Taboos” by L. Ron Hubbard: L. Ron Hubbard challenges the restrictive “taboos” of writing for publications that bind stories in formula straitjackets. Urging writers to flout by-prescription storytelling, he describes his own conspicuous success in doing that, with a final, telling reflection on creative energy, sales—and writing stories that will be remembered.
“Teamwork: Getting the Best Out of Two Writers” by Brian Herbert & Kevin J. Anderson: Together, Brian and Kevin have written over twenty novels and numerous short stories, primarily expanding Frank Herbert’s Dune universe, but also on their original SF epic, the Hellhole Trilogy. Here they share the pitfalls and successes of their process and how they make it work.
“The Third Artist” by Diane Dillon: Leo and Diane Dillon chose to blend their talents, working together as one artist—the third artist—beginning a career that spanned fifty-four years. As an interracial couple, they dedicated their career to be inclusive of all races and cultures to reflect the world we live in.
And for a taste of this year’s award-winning stories—thirteen captivating tales from the best new writers of the year—here are the short descriptions:
In a world where monster killing and trapping is big business, one girl from a Hunter family decides she won’t kill monsters. As a matter of fact, her best friend is one…. —“Agatha’s Monster” by Azure Arther
A “book wizard” wants to help a pair of young orphaned brothers repair their relationship. But a powerful new magic book with problematic spellwork stands in the way. —“The Magic Book of Accidental City Destruction: A Book Wizard’s Guide” by Z.T. Bright
The daughter of Neptune Station’s greatest hero is about to face her most daunting mission yet: elementary school on Earth. —“The Squid Is My Brother” by Mike Jack Stoumbos
A bartender with a vendetta against the future must determine if his customer is a time-traveling tourist. —“Gallows” by Desmond Astaire
Grant’s Tomb—missing! Pennsylvania Station—missing! The Empire State Building—missing! New York City is disappearing piece by piece…. —“The Professor Was a Thief” by L. Ron Hubbard
A disgraced Lark is forced to take the job nobody wants. His songs can sway minds, but there’s no margin for mistakes in the frozen north. —“Lilt of a Lark” by Michael Panter
When a lieutenant with a mysterious past discovers an exotic creature held captive by a traveling farrago, they must decide how far they will go to save what matters most…. —“The Mystical Farrago” by N.V. Haskell
Alone but for her grandchild and a fox spirit, Emily braves Russia’s winter and Napoleon’s army to keep her family alive and together. —“Tsuu, Tsuu, Kasva Suuremasse” by Rebecca E. Treasure
An abused boy finds an alien artifact that gives him the strength to reshape his life and stand up to his violent step-father. —“The Daddy Box” by Frank Herbert
A son must decide whether to follow his father’s footsteps and accept a responsibility he doesn’t understand. —“The Island on the Lake” by John Coming
When a desperate bid to recover stolen memories goes wrong, Alice must decide how far she’s willing to go to protect her best friend. —“The Phantom Carnival” by M. Elizabeth Ticknor
A botanist must cure a dying planet before an evacuation when she will be forced to leave her young daughter behind. —“The Last Dying Season” by Brittany Rainsdon
When Fava, a Neanderthal shaman, discovers the men of metal driving away her mammoths, she must find magic powerful enough to save the herd. —“A Word of Power” by David Farland
Technology suppresses crime on the generation ship Eudoxus until a body is discovered, threatening the years of peace. —“The Greater Good” by Em Dupre
A genetically engineered assassin, concubine, and bodyguard has to unravel the entirety of her being to save her son…. —“For the Federation” by J.A. Becker
Tyson doesn’t need to be psychic to know the invitation is a trap, but he can’t refuse a poker tournament with the highest stakes imaginable. —“Psychic Poker” by Lazarus Black
The Writers of the Future Week
Starting a week before the annual awards event, the winners are flown in to Hollywood for an exclusive workshop to learn from the professionals in the industry who share their insights and secrets for success. For more information see the articles covering the writing workshop (https://www.writersofthefuture.com/writers-workshop) and the art workshop (https://www.writersofthefuture.com/art-workshop).
The famous art reveal, where the artists and illustrators of this year’s anthology meet for the first time and see the artwork created for their story was held on April 6th at the Hollywood Roosevelt hotel.
On April 8th, the Achievement Awards was held at the Hollywood Taglyan Complex. Judges, winners, and celebrities flew in from around the world to acknowledge this year’s winners and to announce the L. Ron Hubbard Golden Pen Award and Golden Brush awards. This Award was presented to this year’s winning authors and illustrators along with $5,000: Desmond Astaire won the Golden Pen for “The Gallows” and Zaine Lodhi won the Golden Brush Award for his artwork of “Agathaʼs Monster.”
Critical Acclaim
As the only program of its kind, with a consistent top-notch collection of talent, it continues to be applauded from industry professionals to bestselling authors:
“Science fiction as a genre has always looked to the future and the Writers of the Future looks to the future of science fiction.” —Kevin J. Anderson (co-author of the Dune sagas)
“Some of the most excellent speculative fiction that you can find. They’re cutting edge.” —Nnedi Okorafor
“These are the people who are going to be creating trends.” —Brandon Sanderson
“Writers of the Future, as a contest and as a book, remains the flagship of short fiction.” —Orson Scott Card
“The best new stories by new writers, anywhere.” —Larry Niven
“See the best of the best culled for you, curated and selected in a single volume every year.” —Robert J. Sawyer
“An absolute wealth of imagination, adventure, excitement, stimulation and joy, every possible human emotion.” —Sean Williams
“A very generous legacy from L. Ron Hubbard a fine, fine fiction writer for the writers of the future.” —Anne McCaffrey
“Writers of the Future is a terrific program for new writers, and goodness knows, there are few enough of those. It has my heartiest support and unqualified recommendation.” —Terry Brooks
“Some of the best SF of the future comes from Writers of the Future.” —David Hartwell Hugo-Award-winning editor
“This collection shows why I'm happy to be a judge for the Writers of the Future Contest it always finds great stories by the new writers who will be winning Hugo and Nebula Awards a few years from now.” —Tim Powers
“The Writers of the Future Contest has not only provided a place where new writers could break into print for the first time but it also has a record of nurturing and discovering writers who have gone on to make their mark in the science fiction field. Long may it continue!” —Neil Gaiman
“It all started when I won the Writers of the Future Contest. Without them, I can honestly say I would not be where I am today.” —Patrick Rothfuss
“Writers of the Future played a critical role in the early stages of my career.” —Eric Flint
“Writers of the Future was an accelerator to my writing development.” —Jo Beverley
“The best-selling SF anthology series of all time.” —Locus Magazine
“Writers of the Future collection is exciting and engrossing, with stories that range across the spectrum of SF and fantasy. Tried-and-true space opera and epic fantasy, these stories explore new mysteries and ideas.” —Publishers Weekly
“This is a fine collection that will appeal to both fans of science fiction and fantasy short stories and aspiring writers looking for ways to improve their craft.” — Booklist
“Verdict: Speculative fiction fans will welcome this showcase of new talent.” —Library Journal, Starred Review
Conclusion
If you have not yet read the Writers of the Future and love cutting edge science fiction, fantasy, and horror short stories you need to check out this series.
If you are an aspiring writer or illustrator with a passion for the genre, you need to enter this contest. It is recommended you also read the books as you will see quality of your peers that are winning and each volume has tips from the Judges to give you the edge.
Watch the Achievement event online at https://www.writersofthefuture.com
Here are the quick links to the new book and contest resources:
Writers of Future Volume 38 on Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Ron-Hubbard-Presents-Writers-Future-ebook/dp/B09VXXCP5T
Writing Contest Rules: https://www.writersofthefuture.com/contest-rules-writers/
Enter the Writing Contest: https://www.writersofthefuture.com/enter-writer-contest/
Free Writing Workshop: https://www.writersofthefuture.com/writing-workshop/
Writing Podcast: https://www.writersofthefuture.com/podcast/
Contest Judges: https://www.writersofthefuture.com/writer-judges/
List of Writers of the Future & L. Ron Hubbard books: https://galaxypress.com/l-ron-hubbard-books/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WotFContest/
