DRUM ROLL PLEASE…AND THE WINNERS ARE…??

GET READY FOR THE NEW VOLUME OF AWARD-WINNING TALENT!

Have you heard of Writers of the Future—the world's largest Science Fiction and Fantasy writing contest for aspiring authors? Imagine an anthology that publishes the best sci-fi short stories from new international authors each year!

And who would be qualified to hand-pick those entries that measure up? None other than famed authors Brandon Sanderson, Orson Scott Card, Nnedi Okorafor, Jody Lynn Nye, Kevin J Anderson, Larry Niven, and more of your favorites.

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As author and contest judge Robert J. Sawyer says, “See the best-of-the-best culled for you, curated and selected in a single volume every year.”

While the Gold Award winners will be announced at the Gala Black-Tie Awards event on April 28th, I got a sneak peek and have outlined highlights and winning stories for your pleasure.

With unforgettable yarns ranging from aliens in your TV set to shapeshifters; from challenging your concept of how to decide what’s real to regaining your innate powers; and immortal tips from the great Masters, you’re sure to be entertained and expanded.

All you have to do is turn the page and enter your private multiverse of pure imagination. So grab a cup o’ joe, and let’s whet your appetite.

Tips from the Top:

“Every year the Writers of the Future Contest inspires new writers and helps to launch their careers. The combination of reward, recognition, instruction, and opportunity for beginning authors is unparalleled. There is no contest comparable to the Writers of the Future.”—Rebecca Moesta Writers of the Future Contest judge

In every issue, you’ll find insights for writers from contest founder, L. Ron Hubbard. Here are his thoughts about the power of science fiction to change the world.

“Science fiction does NOT come after the fact of a scientific discovery or development. It is the herald of possibility. It is the plea that someone should work on the future. Yet it is not prophecy. It is the dream that precedes the dawn when the inventor or scientist awakens and goes to his books or his lab saying, ‘I wonder whether I could make that dream come true in the world of real science.’…

“You have satellites out there, man has walked on the moon, you have probes going to the planets, don’t you? Somebody had to dream the dream, and a lot of somebodies like those great writers of The Golden Age and later had to get an awful lot of people interested in it to make it true.” —L. Ron Hubbard Battlefield Earth, Introduction

And this from his introduction to the first volume launching the Contest:

“A culture is as rich and as capable of surviving as it has imaginative artists. The artist is looked upon to start things. The artist injects the spirit of life into a culture. And through his creative endeavors, the writer works continually to give tomorrow a new form.

“In these modern times, there are many communication lines for works of art. Because a few works of art can be shown so easily to so many, there may even be fewer artists. The competition is very keen and even dagger sharp.”

“It is with this in mind that I initiated a means for new and budding writers to have a chance for their creative efforts to be seen and acknowledged.” —L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Volume 1, Introduction

Welcome to the largest forum on planet Earth for inciting interest in speculative fiction!

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Tip from WOTF Podcast 44: Writing Short Stories that Sell, from Contest Judges

“Have a purpose for your story, know where you’re going with it, and don’t go off on tangents because you don’t have the real estate to do that [in a short story]. You need to keep in mind what your story is, what your character’s goal is and go there! Of course, don’t forget your twist at the end.” —Jodi Lynn Nye, Lead Contest Judge

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Tip from the King of Illustrators, Frank Frazetta:

“The definition of artist is a creative person who is totally honest and original. Bingo! If you want to appear to be an artist, if you want to convince me that you’re an artist, I don’t care how detailed it is, I don’t care whether it’s less than perfect. If it’s original, it comes from the heart and makes a statement that appeals to people like me emotionally, I’ll just love you to death. That’s my recommendation.” — “Advice from a Master: Frank Frazetta” on YouTube

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Ready for Volume 39 story teasers? Here we go!

Reserve your copy today. It will release in US and Canadian bookstores on May 16^th and international markets on July 18^th.

Art and Writing Tips from the Masters:

“Circulate” by L. Ron Hubbard: Do you ever wish for an effective cure for writer’s block?

“What Is Art Direction?” by Lazarus Chernik: How can artists realize their dream in the fast world of marketing?

“Prioritize to Increase Your Writing” by Kristine Kathryn Rusch: What does it mean for a creative person to take care of yourself?

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Bonus Short Stories:

“Fire in the Hole” by Kevin J. Anderson: Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I., ‘nuff said!

“The Unwilling Hero” by L. Ron Hubbard: What would you do if your editor ordered you to outer space?

“Constant Never” by S. M. Stirling: Knights and dragons, unexpectedly perverse.

12 Award-Winning Authors—Story Synopses

“Kitsune” by Devon Bohm: A miracle? An omen? Or something else? One day, they arrived in droves—the foxes of the desert, the field, the imagination…

“Moonlight and Funk” by Marianne Xenos: When a vampire, a dragon and a shape-shifting Chihuahua meet on a beach in Key West, fireworks go off! But that’s just the background.

“Death and the Taxman” by David Hankins: The Grim Reaper, trapped in an IRS agent’s dying body, must regain his powers before he dies and faces judgment for his original sin.

“Under My Cypresses” by Jason Palmatier: In a metaverse future, a woman who exposes falseness in others must decide what is real to her—the love she lost or the love she may have found.

“White Elephant” by David K. Henrickson: Dangerous opportunities present themselves when an alien ship arrives in the solar system seeking repairs.

“Piracy for Beginners” by J. R. Johnson: With her spaceship at the wrong end of a pirate’s guns, a former war hero must face down her enemies and demons to save Earth’s last best chance for peace.

“A Trickle in History” by Elaine Midcoh: Years after the Second Holocaust, the last surviving Jews on earth attempt to rewrite the past.

“The Withering Sky” by Arthur H. Manners: When I said I’d do anything to pay off my debts and get back home to Earth, I didn’t mean survey a derelict spaceship at the edge of the solar system—but here I am.

“The Fall of Crodendra M.” by T. J. Knight: High-powered telescopes bring galactic life to our TVs, and network tuner Hank Enos figures he’s seen everything—until the day an alien boy stares back.

“The Children of Desolation” by Spencer Sekulin: Determined to save his wife, Tumelo takes an unlikely client through South Africa’s ruins to the heart of the Desolation—a journey that will cost or save everything.

“Timelines and Bloodlines” by L. H. Davis: When a terrorist smuggles a nuclear weapon into London, a team regresses in time to AD 1093 to assassinate a knight on the battlefield, thereby eliminating the terrorist a millennia before his birth.

“The Last History” by Samuel Parr: The Grand Exam, a gateway to power for one, likely death for all others—its entrants include ambitious nobles, desperate peasants, and Quiet Gate, an old woman with nothing left to lose.

Early Accolades!

The International Review of Book’s Gold Badge of Achievement:

The International Review of Books has conferred its gold badge of achievement on Volume 39!

Well done! No corner of the speculative fiction genre has been left untouched with these epic stories told by the hottest new authors and illustrated by the most talented within the industry.

Winning a spot in the Writers of the Future Contest is a serious career-making event for writers and illustrators, many of whom send in submissions for years. Upon winning they are ferried off to Hollywood to revel in their new fame and glory, rubbing shoulders with the greats of the past and present in a glittering lights and black-tied affair. They are chosen for their freshness and skill, offering the judges their rare stories and gifted illustrations.

The book was transcendent, and as my only focus should be on recommending it to fellow readers, that I can do with heart and soul, and argue that the worlds to which the stories teleport their readers are far more special and grand than a black tie event in Hollywood.

The true winners in the Writers of the Future Contest? Readers!

These stunningly talented authors and illustrators can have their well-deserved fame, and I will remain at home greedily devouring their stories a second time, and perhaps a third. The beauty of this compilation of short stories is the pure pleasure in the myriad writing styles, voices, characters, and worlds. Each story is completely different from all those that came before and after.

So for speculative fiction readers everywhere, this book represents the best and brightest upcoming authors and illustrators within the genre, and with this breakout introduction to their work, you’ll one day be able to brag that you were their devoted fans from the beginning!

Want to Enter the WOTF Contest? It’s quarterly!

First, you’ll want to peruse the anthology itself, to assess the market and get a feel for today’s standard in speculative fiction. Of course, also for fun while thinking outside the box.
Next, look over the contest guidelines to be sure you qualify as an amateur writer.
Then, write the story that’s inside you!

Personally, I felt thrilled to receive the Semi-Finalist Award the first time I entered a few years ago. It represented the validation I needed from top professional science-fiction authors, to keep on going! I also revere the handwritten note I received from top judge Dave Farland on my strengths and how to improve further. When I need inspiration, I remember his opening words, “I read every line of your story with great interest.”

Many who enter the contest regularly, say that the quarterly deadline gives them a calendar target to shoot for. Not to mention the carrot on the stick—a chance for attendance at a high-profile one-week workshop given in Hollywood by industry leaders on craft and marketing.

And all culminating with the annual Gala event to match up illustrators with authors, announce the winners on-stage, and marvel as the crowd lines up for your book signing!

Winners have gone on to grace the pages of New York Times bestseller lists; while illustrators have contributed to movies, comic books, and album covers.

Let’s get writing; and see you there!

Bonus Gift when you purchase your Anthology!

This year, the publisher is offering a free e-Bundle bonus for anyone ordering the book!

They will send you the beautiful cover art by Tom Wood, “Wyvern Crucible,” for your phone and desktop, two free short stories from Volume 38 and several articles with advice from New York Times bestselling authors, including Brandon Sanderson, Orson Scott Card, L. Ron Hubbard, Algis Budrys, Tim Powers, Kristine Katherine Rusch, and Mike Resnick.

Redeem bonus by sending your receipt to customers@galaxypress.com

You will love this collection of the best new voices in science fiction and fantasy because, as Locus magazine puts it, “Not only is the writing excellent…it is also extremely varied. There’s a lot of hot new talent.”

Get it now and scoop up your bonus!

By Dr. Lee Carroll

Working abroad in 10 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, and North and South America, both as a doctor and teacher, has shown me life as a prism of viewpoints. That experience has enriched my writing to the point where I enjoy showcasing the admiration I feel for varied cultures. For example, my WOTF Semi-finalist entry is published for Kindle as Death Clearinghouse: The Novelette, featuring Apache ingenuity. When I'm not writing, I'm yanking swords out of stones around the world. (Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B07TRC1F4V/about)

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DRUM ROLL PLEASE…AND THE WINNERS ARE…??