L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 39

by Jody Lynn Nye (Editor), Dean Wesley Smith (Editor), Tom Wood (Illustrator)

In the world of speculative fiction… Your favorite authors…Have selected the best new voices of the year. 24 Award-winning Authors and Illustrators. 3 Bonus Short Stories by Kevin J. Anderson • L. Ron Hubbard • S. M. Stirling. Art and Writing Tips by Lazarus Chernik • L. Ron Hubbard • Kristine Kathryn Rusch. Edited by Dean Wesley Smith • Jody Lynn Nye. 16-page color gallery of artwork • Cover art by Tom Wood.

Check out the stories Brandon Sanderson, Orson Scott Card, Nnedi Okorafor, Robert J. Sawyer, Kevin J. Anderson, Jody Lynn Nye and others chose as the best of the best. Be amazed. Be amused. Be transported … by stories that take you by surprise and take you further and deeper into new worlds and new ideas than you’ve ever gone before….Twelve captivating tales from the most exciting new voices in science fiction and fantasy accompanied by three from masters of the genre.

Contents:
* Kitsune / Devon Bohm: A miracle? An omen? Or something else? One day, they arrived in droves—the foxes of the desert, the field, the imagination…. Illustrated by Alaya Knowlton
* Moonlight and Funk / 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. Illustrated by April Solomon
* *Fire in the Hole / Kevin J. Anderson: Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I., faces one of his funniest and most perplexing cases ever—an enlightened ogre, a salamander with low self-esteem, and a raging fire dragon terrorizing the Unnatural Quarter!
* Death and the Taxman / 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. Illustrated by Sarah Morrison
* Under My Cypresses / 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. Illustrated by Helen Yi
* *The Unwilling Hero / L. Ron Hubbard: Vic Harden wasn’t lured by glory on a daring mission into the reaches of outer space, he was ordered out there by his editor. Illustrated by Bruce Brenneise
* White Elephant / David K. Henrickson: Dangerous opportunities present themselves when an alien ship arrives in the solar system seeking repairs. Illustrated by Kristen Hadaway
* Piracy for Beginners / 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. Illustrated by Chris Binns
* A Trickle in History / Elaine Midcoh: Years after the Second Holocaust, the last surviving Jews on earth attempt to rewrite the past. Illustrated by Jose Sánchez
* The Withering Sky / Arthur H. Manner: 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. Illustrated by Ximing Luo
* The Fall of Crodendra M. / 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. Illustrated by Chris Arias
* *Constant Never / S. M. Stirling: Knights, damsels and dragons, curses and fates foretold, the stuff of legends and stories, but unexpectedly perverse. Illustrated by Nick Jizba
* The Children of Desolation / 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. Illustrated by Alexandra Albu
* Timelines and Bloodlines / 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. Illustrated by Clarence Bateman
* The Last History / 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. Illustrated by Dao Vi
.

Genres: Fantasy, Short Stories, Science Fiction, Anthologies, Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy

544 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 16, 2023

About the author

Jody Lynn Nye lists her main career activity as ‘spoiling cats.’ When not engaged upon this worthy occupation, she writes fantasy and science fiction books and short stories.

Before breaking away from gainful employment to write full time, Jody worked as a file clerk, book-keeper at a small publishing house, freelance journalist and photographer, accounting assistant and costume maker.

For four years, she was on the technical operations staff of a local Chicago television station, WFBN (WGBO), serving the last year as Technical Operations Manager. During her time at WFBN, she was part of the engineering team that built the station, acted as Technical Director during live sports broadcasts, and worked to produce in-house spots and public service announcements.

Over the last twenty-five or so years, Jody has taught in numerous writing workshops and participated on hundreds of panels covering the subjects of writing and being published at science-fiction conventions. She has also spoken in schools and libraries around the north and northwest suburbs. In 2007 she taught fantasy writing at Columbia College Chicago. She also runs the two-day writers workshop at DragonCon, and is a judge for the Writers of the Future contest, the largest speculative fiction contest in the world.

Jody lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, with her husband Bill Fawcett, a writer, game designer, military historian and book packager, and three feline overlords, Athena, Minx, and Marmalade.

Reviews

[Empress of Bookingham · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Sometimes stories take us by surprise, and then drag us on rides we didn't expect.”

Spencer Sekulin

~~~

Its safe to say these volumes get better and more powerful year by year. The bar is set high and we get stories from the best of best. You can also clearly see how impactful WOF are to these new writers. I immensely loved and enjoyed this volume than I did last years. That's not to say volume 38 didn't have its magic mind you.

Volume 39 of Writers of The Future features twelve diverse, captivating stories and beautiful illustrations from the best new writers and illustrators of the year. And that's the beauty of the anthology: you'll get served with different writing styles, themes, delivery, worlds, questions...in one platter/book. It was a wholesome and filling read.

In between the stories the whose who in the Sci-fi and Fantasy genres drop anecdotes about writing, prioritizing your time and writing, working with other writers (last years volume)... And these pieces always makes me appreciate writers more and that process of writing as a whole.

I also deeply appreciate seeing writers fresh off the oven sharing there creations, writers who have tried time and again and finally gotten published: these in themselves are stories of resilience, faith, hard work, persistence, perseverance.

These writers dare to ask deep questions that have you thinking. These writers dare to break barriers on writing. In the end, you're left craving more.

The Children of Desolation, a story set in Southern Africa after the apocalypse, left me deeply thinking. About life, race, love, forgiveness, my history... Can't wait for the full book.

Kitsune, A Trickle in History, Piracy For Beginners, Timelines and Bloodlines, The Last History, Death And the Taxman, Under My Cypresses also left me ruminating.

That's not to say the rest didn't leave a dent. I enjoyed exploring the vast themes they had to offer while they question life and writing.

I highly recommend the book.

“For the first time since Thabo died, Tumelo felt the heaviness lift from his heart. It was time to let go. To break the cycle. It was time to live on.”

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Writers Of The Future is a neat collection series, and this was my first time encountering it. The volumes contain works by two sets of winners for the year, writers and illustrators, with winners chosen quarterly over the course of a year's submissions. Volume 39 showcases 12 winning writers and illustrators (1st, 2nd, and 3rd place per quarter), plus 2 additional stories by Writers of the Future Contest judges Kevin J. Anderson and S. M. Stirling, an L. Ron Hubbard story, and some essays on writing and art. The rules for entry are a little more complex than this, but basically the contestants must be largely unpublished--the idea is to identify new/developing talent and elevate it to a wider audience. Each winning story is paired with an illustration, and the pair are preceded by blurbs for both the writer and the illustrator; some use the blurbs to talk about the genesis of the story or their path to becoming a writer/illustrator, but I was most charmed by a few who were willing to be open about how many times they had entered before winning (in one case, 25). That kind of thing--how many unsuccessful tries preceded the success--is important for developing writers & contest entrants to see.

I like the stories and had fun reading them. Several read as emerging talent--promising and engaging, but not yet masters of their craft (naturally). A few stories stood out to me as being especially well-crafted or memorable: I really particularly liked White Elephant by David K. Henrikson, I enjoyed the quiet literary magical realism of Kitsune by Devon Bohm, and was effectively spooked and unsettled by the tense horror-in-space story The Withering Sky by Arthur H. Manners. A couple of stories didn't work for me, which is usually the case in an anthology. So: a mix containingsome standout 4 star stories that stuck with me and had me thinking later, several 3-star stories that I enjoyed but wasn't likely to recall details of in a week or two, and one or two that just weren't to my taste would have made this an overall 3-star read for me.

Except.

The editors at Writers of the Future know how to wrap an anthology, and they saved the strongest story for last. Easily worth the price of admission all by its lonesome. (It's phenomenal. Like, Hugo-ballot material, I'm not exaggerating.) The Last History, by Samuel Parr, is a stunner. The author says about his story, "It started with a question about two concepts: could you take the brutally long Civil Service Exams of Imperial China and make them a magic battle royale?" That will do for a teaser, and it's not inaccurate, but it's more than that, too--it's got heart and hard questions and nuance and I got choked up at the end. 5 star story, easy. Parr notes in his blurb that this is his first professional sale, which "has helped Sam after a lifetime of low confidence in his writing. He now can’t wait to continue setting the weird worlds in his head onto the page, and he hopes you might read his work again." I hope so too, Sam.

I was provided an ARC by BooksGoSocial and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[readwithvel (bookishrebel01) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wholesome, gripping, action-packed, and insightful, if this is what you're looking for in your next read then I have the perfect book for you.

This book is an anthology. It is a collection of 12 captivating short stories written by new upcoming writers, 3 articles of writing and artist advice, and also features some incredible illustrations by some upcoming talented artists.

This book is mainly fantasy and sci-fi but these aren't your ordinary everyday fantasy or sci-fi stories. The premise of every author's story was so unique and refreshingly new and was executed wonderfully. Each author's writing style was so different but managed to fit together seamlessly. Each story manages to capture your attention and leaves you invested in the characters and wanting more.

My favorite story has to be Moonlight and Funk by Marianne Xenos. A story about vampires and dragons, I was immediately sold. I had no idea what to expect, but I loved seeing this author's new take on classic fantasy.

The illustrations were another favorite of mine. Each illustration was so beautiful and captured each story perfectly.

I think this competition brilliantly shows the talent that newer writers and illustrators have.
It also contains 3 articles with tips and information for newer and seasoned writers and artists.

This book is a quick, fun, and thought-provoking read. This book has a story for everyone. I highly recommend everyone picks up at least one volume from this competition as you will discover some amazing hidden talents.

Thank you @galaxy_press and @bookinfluencerscom for the gifted review copy.

[Harsh Tyagi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my second time reading of "Writers of the Future", I read the previously published volume 38 a year ago and instantly became a fan. Living up to the expectations, the latest volume in this bestselling series is definitely a worthy read.

The new volume includes 12 stories in the science fiction and fantasy genres from new and budding writers, i.e. the writers of the future along with three stories from previously published authors. All of the stories have a breathtaking, marvellous and undeniably gorgeous illustrations. I absolutely adore the initiative from L Ron Hubbard, in which they give a platform to budding writers, reward them with prizes as well as to the illustrators.

Absolutely indulging, engaging and engrossing stories and instantly appealing book cover and further illustrations, a visual and descriptive treat for anyone that's even slightly interested in science fiction and fantasy genres. Absolutely the best and the finest have been picked and each story is different from the other, beyond imagination, full of varied themes, making the book a page-turner. The very first story is about emerging of extinct foxes while we get a story about the Grim Reaper in another one, we have vampires, zombies, dragons and pirates in various brilliant stories. We'll enter a different realm in each story and each story will leave us with a lot to think about. I took my time reading this wonderful anthology, one story at a time, and enjoyed it one-hundred percent.

[Cole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this review and hundreds more at The Quill To Live.
Welcome…to the FUTURE. Hold up a minute, though, because we need to take a brief journey to the past. Namely, way back in 2022, when I reviewed Writers of the Future Volume 38. Back then, I reviewed the anthology by selecting three of my favorite stories within it. If you liked that format, great news: I’m doing it again, but with four favorites! This year, though, I’m adding a section at the beginning to discuss general trends, likes, and dislikes from this year’s volume.

Now that we’ve taken a brief journey to the past, let us jump to the present and look forward, once again, to the future.

Writers Of The Future Volume 39: Trends & Loose Ends
My first thought upon finishing Writers of the Future Volume 39 was a simple “wow.” The sheer quality of the storytelling on display shows that the ante is higher now than ever. We owe this both to the growth of the WOTF contest, which garners more entries every year, and to the continuous rise of SFF.

This trend is not without its hiccups, of course. A few of the stories could use a polish, but they’re still fun and plenty good. I chalk most of this up to the word limit (no more than 17,000) and the fact that, obviously, these are heretofore unpublished writers.

What did I notice next? This is the year of sci-fi. There are two or three fantasy stories in this year’s collection, but sci-fi dominates. I wonder if there’s a connection between our crumbling social and societal structures and the desire to imagine a different future. I’ve always felt sci-fi gets a bad rap—not necessarily among those of us who adore the larger SFF umbrella, but among the readers who dip their toes into every genre. It’s nice to see new writers embracing the universe as a limitless setting for their unique stories.

Finally, I noticed many of this year’s stories featured a first-person perspective. I think it, too, is underappreciated. Volume 39 makes a case for the format as a worthy and amazing avenue for deep character stories told from the perspective of one person or being.

Now, let’s jump into three of my favorite stories.

The Children of Desolation by Spencer Sekulin
Anyone published in Writers of the Future is already a literal winner, earning a nice payday and the prestige of being a published writer. This year, I’m tacking on a completely useless award to the already-amazing accomplishment: Cole’s Favorite WOTF Story. The Children of Desolation takes it in this volume.

Tumelo Laska lives in Underhaven, an underground refuge from the desolate and dangerous wastelands on Earth’s surface. He runs his late father’s locomotive company, which makes transport runs on the surface. He hopes to make enough to afford his wife’s cancer treatments, and a well-paying job comes along just in time. All he has to do? Bring a worn-down young girl and her dog far beyond the borders where most trains dare to go.

Listen, I’m not a train guy, per se. I know a few people who have elaborate model setups in their basements, and I admire the hobby. I also enjoy Wynton Marsalis’ Big Train, a jazz concept album about trains. After reading Spencer Sekulin’s story, I’ll be damned. I heavily considered making “trains’ my entire personailty. This story is the single coolest take on trains I’ve read in recent memory, and that includes Brandon Sanderson’s train heist in The Alloy of Law.

Sekulin imagines a well-realized world complete with dangerously powerful beings called Desolates and a literal underground crime ring. I’m leaving a helluva lot for you to find out on your own, but suffice it to say this was a page-turner. I hope Sekulin expands on the world in his future work.

Kitsune by Devon Bohm
Devon Bohm’s Kitsune opened the anthology and charmed me with its brevity and whimsy and relevance. Foxes, long thought extinct, reappear on Earth in blazing color, and nobody is quite sure how or why.

Soon after, young women begin disappearing. Reyna, our protagonist, fields countless calls from her mother about the wondrous development. Reyna isn’t all that interested, but soon she starts connecting the dots. I won’t spoil the short story, but it’s a dang good one, and I lingered on its ending for a while after I finished it.

The Fall Of Crodendra M by T.J. Knight
It’s official: T.J. Knight is now my second-favorite writer who goes by the first name T.J. and a last name starting with “K.” T.J. Klune remains my first.

Jokes aside, The Fall of Crodendra M is the perfect sci-fi for our current era of wanton media consumption. Hank Enos works for Net1, a broadcaster of doom. Net1 is known for finding planets near destruction and broadcasting their apocalyptic misery live. Hank stumbles upon a pre-industrial planet whose denizens are unaware of their approaching armageddon. He gets a foul taste in his mouth after realizing he has doomed an already doomed people to be entertainment for elites.

The closest comparison I can draw is to Robert Jackson Bennet’s Vigilance, which details a society that consumes mass shootings as entertainment. Crodendra M is distinctly more light-hearted, but the same ick permeates the story. We are willing to consume almost anything and call it entertainment, but at what cost?

The Withering Sky by Arthur H. Manners
Let’s just call this one a brain-addling sci-fi fever dream. I loved it. I’m not quite sure I completely understand it, and I’m not sure I need to! It’s a fascinating story of a crew sent to protect a mysterious asset, only to descend into the chaos the thing exudes. Manners whisks readers into a weird and horrific world of something completely alien, and the results are chilling.

Final Thoughts
I’ve gotta be real here: it was hard to whittle my list down this year. The winners of this year’s WOTF contests came to play, and they delivered some top-tier stuff. If this is just the beginning for them, we’re in for an amazing incoming class of SFF writers and stories. This year’s Writers of the Future Volume 39 is absolutely worth the read.

[James Mourgos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun stories, great anthology, and some pretty good writing tips and tricks from professional authors. Recommended.

[Raynee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bookstagram l BookTok l BookTube

"Writers of the Future Volume 39" is a literary trove that serves as a platform for aspiring writers and illustrators to showcase their talents. This contest not only grants writers the opportunity to have their work published alongside fellow winners but also offers a stage for talented illustrators to breathe life into these captivating tales.

This anthology, in particular, stands out as a well-balanced fusion of fantasy and science fiction short stories. What I enjoyed most was the diversity in story length. Some narratives were longer, inviting readers to lose themselves in the depths of the storytelling, while others offered delightful bite-sized adventures, perfect for a quick escape. The ability to dip in and out of this collection, immersing oneself in a fresh story each time, was a refreshing and delightful aspect of the reading experience.

While I found myself thoroughly engaged with several of the tales, it's worth noting that not every story resonated equally. Some felt overly extended, even for a short story format, slightly impeding the overall flow of the anthology. As a result, I've rated this collection at 3.5 stars, acknowledging the enjoyable moments but recognizing room for improvement.

In essence, "Writers of the Future Volume 39" is a commendable showcase of emerging talent in the realms of speculative fiction. It not only offers readers a glimpse into the imaginations of budding authors but also highlights the symbiotic relationship between literature and illustration. For those seeking a diverse selection of thought-provoking and imaginative short stories, this anthology remains a worthwhile choice.

Thank you to the publisher for a finsihed copy of this book.

[Dione Basseri · Rating 2 out of 5]

Let’s get one thing out in front: I should have done more research to make sure this wasn’t published by something associated with Scientology. I do not know WHERE my mind was, back when I requested this for review, but apparently, it was way far away and not answering calls. Galaxy Press is, indeed, a subsidiary of the Scientology holdings. Thus, I cannot recommend it for purchase, despite the quality of the stories. Wait until these authors release their own collections.

Now, for the stories and writers themselves, I have nothing but praise. (5-stars for writing, the 2-stars is for publishing.) It’s hard, breaking into the market. If you need to get a paycheck in, sometimes you do things…well, you know how the saying goes.

Special mention to:

“Death And The Taxman” by David Hankins: A lovely addition to the personification of Death. This time, he’s a bit of a goober. Even has to go on his first date! The final “joke” is predictable, but still overall fun.

“White Elephant” by David K. Henrickson: Aliens make contact with Earth, and need help. A place to stay for a few years, while they perform some ship repairs and have babies. Can they buy the Moon? Mars? Mercury? Oh dear…

“Prioritize To Increase Your Writing” by Kristine Kathryn Rusch: Advice essay on how to order your life, especially when you suffer from chronic illness.

Non-special mention to:

The shoehorned-in pieces by Hubbard. They don’t even approach the quality of the winning writers. I don’t know why they even bother to include them in this publication, seeing as he can’t, you know, COMPETE with new stuff.

[Tehmeena Salam · Rating 4 out of 5]

L. Ron Hubbard presents Writers of the Future volume 39 is an anthology consisting of exciting, witty and grasping sci-fi and fantasy stories. I would like to rate this book a 4 out of 5. There are many stories consisting of various themes. It was interesting in its own way. Some stories were funny while some moved my heart. One of my favourites would be The Death and the Taxman. There are many to chose from in case of my favourites. The best thing about the book remained that even though there are many writers involved with different writing styles, it was a well proofread and properly edited book. Individuality of each story remains. The ilustrations added to the beauty of the book. Stories including vampires, dinosaurs to space stories. It was a pleasant read. Mingboggling stories like The Withering sky would leave you questioning a lot of things. Some stories did inspire the thought of how advanced the world could become in a few years. While stories like The Moonight and The Funk gave the comfort of vampire stories. Overall i thoroughly enjoyed the book. A perfect read for lazy Sunday evenings when you want to read some crisp and comforting stories.

[Kriti Dalmia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fresh and wonderful reading experience for me. It is my second anthology and I quite enjoy them. I got the chance to listen to audiobook and the narrator was awesome.

Let's first talk about illustrations, they were beautiful, amazing and capturing the essence of the character. I did fell in love with them.

Now coming to the stories, the were interesting, brilliant, engaging, entertaining and unique. I liked how each of them started and I felt they all had a learning to them. My top favourite was Death and the Taxman.

Each story started with an introduction about the writer and illustrator which added a personal touch and was inspiring. These were character driven and had smooth flow.

I need more! Lovers of fantasy and sci-fi check this out. It has something for every reader.

Highly recommended!

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐️

Every anthology has hits and misses. This one was no different. Sci-fi isn’t really my thing, but I do really enjoy fantasy so I knew I would enjoy some of these.

Some favorites include:
-the Children of Desolation
-the Last History
-Death and the Taxman
-Moonlight and Funk

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Milt Lindner · Rating 5 out of 5]

>>>>>Overall

I have no criticism for the overall publication. It kept my interest most of the way through, and I have detailed my feedback for every story and article below.

>>>>>Timelines and Bloodlines

Not only does the subject of time travel require that the reader do a complete suspension of belief. This subject also can make it very difficult for the author to maintain the integrity of his data. For example, keep in mind that the reconciliation of the data in this next paragraph might not occur instantly.

Suppose you fatally shot your own ancestor at a time prior to the conception of his child who also was your ancestor. Then you would not exist and consequently could not have killed your ancestor, except that then you WOULD exist and might see that ancestor alive, despite your memory of having killed him (whew!).

This and more happens to a foursome that is sent back in time on a mission to commit a murder and thereby prevent a huge catastrophe. Through it all, this crew constantly must deduce what is happening and why. Their communications could remind one of the Abbott and Costello skit, “Who’s on First”. More than once they have to move back to their time of arrival on the scene; change their plans; and start over.
The author bit off all this and still succeeded.

>>>>>Kitsune

The only comparable work I have seen is Ionesco’s “Rhinoceros” but with the opposite underlying theme. Both depict rejection of human identity, but in “Rhinoceros” the flow is toward conformity and joining the thundering herd, while in “Kitsune” the flow is toward freedom and individuality. The author very precisely depicts who would be most likely to join such a movement.

>>>>>Moonlight and Funk

Because this story included so many supernatural abilities, it came close to exceeding my imagination, but not quite. The author was able to hold my interest to the end.
The life of a vampire is not all joy. The question is whether she will choose to become human again even with the accompanying loss of immortality.

>>>>>Death and the Taxman

Treat this as a comedy. It’s not often that you get to laugh at both the Grim Reaper and a tax auditor. The issue is not how the main character will get out of a monumental predicament but how in the world the author will get out. The punch line is extremely clever.

>>>>>Circulate

Very good advice to writers from LRH, and probably the last thing that most writers want to do.

>>>>>The Unwilling Hero

This is a story of total adventure into the unknown. If any story ever showed what it takes to be a master writer, this is it!

The characters are so focused on a common mission that they show no signs of succumbing to the loneliness, extreme monotony, and cramped conditions of space.

>>>>>White Elephant

For centuries, humanity had been searching for an alien intelligence. Now one had found humanity and had carried the message that an enormous, damaged space vehicle was headed to the inner solar system. The aliens would need – totally need - an enormous amount of real estate to set up lodging and a repair facility. The aliens made the request in a civilized manner, but common sense dictated that if the politically bickering factions of humanity could not supply the real estate, then humanity would not stand a chance against a far superior technology.

What is the scale of the problem? The aliens originally suggested taking over Earth’s already colonized moon.

The author provides spot-on descriptions of the personalities likely to be attracted to the various extraterrestrial colonies and outposts.

Be prepared to look up a good many words.

>>>>>Piracy for Beginners

Encounter with space pirates is a common sci-fi theme, but this time much more than one ship and its contents is at stake. Failure to bring THESE passengers safely to Earth would ruin Earth’s last good chance for peace.

The pilot has one thing going for her. Majorly incompetent criminals are quite common at the end of an extremely devastating war (as evidenced by what happened on Earth right after World War II), and the pirates were no exception.

The opening fight scene on the moon is unreal.
1. The pilot would have approached with more caution and alertness.
2. If she jumped right into a man’s fist, and she then could not see a thing – particularly with a second man holding a pipe, she would have been through.

The rest of the story is heavy action with emphasis on strategy, which burdens the author with the task of describing the available technology as she goes along, but she does hold the reader’s interest.

>>>>>Prioritize to Increase Your Writing

The main benefit I got from this article is to keep one’s priorities simple.

The author covers only what she considers the most basic priorities in life: Family, health, and career. Indeed such an article would be useless advice if she had tried to cover too many priorities because then the priorities would vary vastly from one person to the next.

One thing in this article does not make sense: “When I was in college, I wrote essays instead of taking tests,” How in the world could one persuade any college administration to accept the substitution of essays for tests?

>>>>>Fire in the Hole

The story includes enough humor to keep the reader amused without laughing himself silly. It includes so many interacting ghoulish, swamp, and fire characters that one stays focused on what the author will do next. One’s attention never remains on mud, slime, or fire for long. Also, the reader tends to stay focused and not do an extended think because the story is SUPPOSED to be absurd.

Even in swamp scenes, which in real life would have a host of distractions, the reader stays focused on the intended characters.

>>>>>A Trickle in History

Time travel is a very difficult subject even when a character is sent back alone without a team. It still is probably the only concept in sci fi that requires the reader to do a complete suspension of belief, so I tip my hat to the author for sweeping the reader along.

In addition, the characters and their conviction are totally real and ethnically consistent.

>>>>>The Fall of Crodendra M

You find someone on an alien planet and a way to communicate across spatial distance. You form a very strong bond with him. The problem is that a meteoroid is destined to collide with the alien planet, and neither you nor he can survive on the other’s planet. Your military won’t go to the expense of destroying the meteoroid. The best you can do is pay a visit, and you are not certain that you can do even that.

In addition, media coverage on your own planet is sensationalizing the whole incident, so pull up a chair and watch the screen.

>>>>>What is Art Direction?

This article presents material that all parties to this book, including the readers, need to know, and without this article, it is doubtful that anyone would know it except the artists, the editor, the publisher, and the art director himself. This article enables the reader to know that the art director is neither an employee nor a freelance but a very necessary professional.

>>>>>Constant Never

Yes, the story is about knights, damsels, dragons, curses and fates foretold. Put aside all concepts of pain. Put aside all concepts of limitations on one’s willingness to fight. Put aside all possibility of judging a stranger’s character. If you do all that, this story will hold your interest.

But the story does break some rules that LONG SINCE SHOULD have been broken. That makes the story worth reading.

Be prepared to look up a good many words and names.

>>>>>Under My Cypresses

I’ll have to recuse myself from reviewing this story. Living in a metaverse is totally unreal to me.

>>>>>The Last History

I’ll have to recuse myself from reviewing this story as well. It is too weird for me to follow.

>>>>>The Withering Sky

Five incompatible individuals, on a secret mission, are thrown into a place of no interest but some danger, supposedly to wait there until a research team arrives and then to aid the researchers, meanwhile neither making nor receiving any transmissions. They were under another, very vague, instruction to not disturb unsecured areas, which the reader easily could interpret as not to explore anything.

The initial orders also stated that the estimated time of arrival of the researchers was two days, but the arrival was delayed and delayed and delayed.

This situation is certain to produce extreme boredom in the characters, and I would expect it also to produce extreme boredom in the reader.

The characters start exploring the place, a huge derelict space vehicle, and keep uncovering mystery after mystery, with none of them being solved, but I forced myself to read through to the end.

It becomes manifest that the ship is a trap and that previous explorers had been trapped. Finally, the researchers arrive right into the same trap.

But the author does drive home the concept that something, bodyless, remains of those who had been trapped previously.

>>>>>The Children of Desolation

Sorry, much too long and drawn out with too many complexities.
End of review.

[Jason Bleckly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Given this has many authors in it the single overall star rating isn't really sufficient. That just indicates the overall quality of the whole book. So I've written a few words on each of the stories and given them individual start ratings. There are also essays and intros. I did read those, but I'm not mentioning them in the review. Overall I think the new coordinating judge isn't as good. The ratio of good to bad stories has dropped, and the some of the bad ones are really bad..

Kitsune by Devon Bohn - 2 stars - A story about running away from your problems instead of dealing with them and using foxes as a metaphor for it, which doesn't work as it's completely unfox like behavior. Very nicely written, but pointless.

Moonlight and Funk by Marianne Xenos - 3 stars - An simple urban fantasy. The unbecoming of a vampire thief. The story lacks character depth. The vampire is stated as being 1100 years old, but none of that age is discernible in the character. Everything that happens is too easy and convenient for the plot, there is no drama, or tension, or struggle. This makes the whole story a bit meh.

Death and the Taxman by David Hankins - 5 stars - There's an obvious parallel with the late Terry Pratchett's Death, but that's acknowledge in the intro. It's not reloutionary or life changing or even thought provoking. It is exactly what it sets out to be, a light fun romp and succeeds beautifully.

Under My Cypresses by Jason Palmatier - 5 stars – A cyberpunk take on prejudice, the nature of ‘real’, and the future of AI viewed through a person’s rebound from a bad relationship.. There was a couple of world-building oversights, but I could look pass though as they weren’t super relevant to the story. And the FAT32 nerd joke did raise a smile, despite being outdated.

The Unwilling Hero by L. Ron Hubbard - 5 stars – First published in 1950 the anachronisms (mechanical typewriter, morse wireless telegraph) in this story give it a contemporary steampunk feel rather than make it feel dated, it’s a classic space adventure of finding and rescuing a lost expedition. There is even a Doctor Livingston scene.

White Elephant by David K. Henrickson - 4 Stars - A slow first contact. The aliens send advance notice they are arriving in 170 years so people can prepare. The political setup is, unfortunately, straight out of The Expanse. And sciene factoids are included in a heavy handed way. But it's still an enjoyable read and the description of the alien tech is imaginative and different.

Piracy for Beginners by J. R. Johnson - 4 stars - A space opera pirate boarding in LEO that goes wrong. The story is complete but is clearly also the setup for either more short stories or novels using the same characters. I almost gave it 5 stars, but some of the fighting is a bit mechanical. And the snarky arse-kicking atitude of the central charater has become cliche through it's overuse. It's still enjoyable to read, but a character like that needs an added level depth to diffuse the cliche.

Fire in the Hole by Kevin J. Anderson - 3 stars - A coming of age in an urban fantasy setting. Set in the universe of his novel series this lacks depth trying to stand by itself. It's too reliant on familiarity with the related works which I haven't read. The tone is also the younger end of YA making it a bit simplistic.

A Trickle in History by Elaine Midcoh - 2 stars - Let's kill Hitler and the Grandfather paradox. Nothing new or interesting to see here. And the writing is average.

The Withering Sky by Arthur H. Manners - 1 star - An unexplained thing in space is explored by a bunch of people. At the end the thing is still unexplained and a new bunch of people have arrived to explore it. This was tedious. I nearly gave up and skipped to the next story. Twice. It's an art to fill 58 pages with words and say nothing. It uses repetition, hyperbole, and vagueness to try and build tension. It fails. Stating this is scary endlessly doesn't make it so.

The Fall of Crodendra M by T. J. Knight - 1 star - Guy goes to alien planet to give kid a hug before kid, kids entire civilisation, and they planet they are on is destroyed by an asteroid. The intro says it's about connecting with people in person rather than remotely, which the story does. But the world=building is just dumb. It exists simply to badly illustrate the inspiration for the story. Giving a kid a hug before he's killed by an asteroid impact is about as useful as thoughts and prayers.

Constant Never by S. M. Sterling - 2 star - This can best be summed up as, 'Look at all the research I googled.' The writing isn't bad and the story isn't bad. It's a knight saving a damsel from a dragon, with a twist. But it's buried under historical research of the middle ages. Which is pointless, as it's a fantasy with a dragon. Trying to ground it in reality just makes it dumb.

The Children of Desolation by Spencer Sekulin - 3 stars - Post-apocalypse train ride to fulfill a contract. Well written, but overly long, overly complicated, and overly maudlin. Spener is trying to cram too much into the story for pay off.. And there are some world building issues, train tracks require regular maintenance.

Timelines and Bloodlines by L. H. Davis - 1 star - Another assassinate someone in the past to change the future. But this is less clear than the first. It's never really explained hoe the target links to the future event, your just meant to accept it does. The paradoxes aren't even internally consistant. And the time travel tech as explained would instantly kill anyone who used it. The writing (ie langue use) is average.

The Last History by Samuel Parr - 5 stars - A fantasy where words have power and failing the final exam will kill you, unless the other students do it first. Quite a vicious story where none of the characters are truly good. A rich imagined world. The magic is clearly defined with rules. Well written.

[Book Night Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was an exciting mix of science - fiction and fantasy. There were twelve main tales and other bonus short stories and all of them were written by different writers. This ensured that the stories were unique in its storytelling.

One of my favorite ones was Fire in the Hole, which contained a lot of supernatural characters like ghost, vampire, zombie, and even dragon. This story was an exciting read as it had suspense as well as I enjoyed the supernatural world. The book also dealt with several topics like time travel, alien invasion, space exploration, and artificial intelligence, making it a diverse collection of science-fiction.

Each story in this book was accompanied by illustrations that were so beautiful and detailed. I loved them quite a lot. That, along with the story, gives a memorable experience to its readers.

Overall, this book was a great read!

[Olivia Fink (NatureGraceReader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is a great collection of stories for those looking to get into the fantasy/scientific field genre. It gives you a variety of work for you to read and get a taste of. And I love the whole idea of getting to read a variety of indie authors work. Supporting up and coming authors is always a plus.

I also love the illustrations in this book. They fit the stories perfectly and help to bring them to life.

But I also think this will appeal to those who don’t particularly like these genres because they are very character driven. You learn a lot about them and each character is very compelling to read about.

Love the stories and highly recommend!

[D. B. Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first time coming across the ‘Writers of the future’ compilation. I wasn’t sure entirely what to expect but i loved it! I loved each beautiful story written by every single author. My favourite was “The Unwilling Hero”. I am now on the search for the previous 38 volumes as they are perfect for short bursts of imagination. These are perfect for sci fi lovers or stories that are truly out of this world.

[Kat Mullen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two things about short story collections:
1. You get so invested in some stories and they just…end. I just got attached to those characters, I need more!
2. It’s hard to give a star rating because you like some stories more than others

This was my first time reading a Writers of the Future anthology and I was pleasantly surprised. I had no idea what to expect and was glad when I vibed with stories. Kitsune: “I was almost thirty and tired” - MOOD.

The anthology came spiriting out of the gate with my favourite stories being Kitsune and Moonlight and Funk. I enjoyed others, but those two resonated with me the most.

I loved the illustrations throughout, every piece was amazing!

The concept of the Writers of the Future competition is great and I love that there was a section in the end about the competition and community (bonus points for refusing the use of AI to create the content!)

Thank you Galaxy Press for the copy and opportunity to review!

[Lizzie Morse · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love that there are 12 short stories, and you can easily read one in a day. I love that each of these stories was written by a person who is pretty new to the writing world, along with the illustrators.

I like that these stories are filled with fresh, new ideas and keep you wanting to read because you're not sure what is coming next. I love when stories aren't predictable.The illustrations are also up to par with the stories, filled with beautiful colors and different designs. I can't draw, so when I come across amazing illustrations I stop and take notice. If you are into fantasy, I would highly recommend this book! 💕

[Kara (Books.and.salt) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each of the twelve stories included are illustrated in full color by a winner of the Illustraters of the Future contest, which added such a cool element to the book. I really enjoyed diving into each of these stories - I thought both The White Elephant and Piracy for Beginners were phenomenal!!!

If you're looking to find some up and coming writers in science fiction and fantasy, check this one out!!

[Ονι · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the immense pleasure of reading columns 37 and 38 and to say my mind was blown by how talented these storytellers and illustrators are, is an understatement!

Just imagine,32 brilliant minds, coming up with stories that are out of this world! Illustrations that are completely jaw droppingly beautiful, and not only that but the audio version of this book is just mesmerizing!

Even switching between the book and the audiobook was a wonderful experience! The narrators bought these stories to life!

[Devons book corner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this anthology, and some stories I enjoyed more than others. It's a wide range of ideas and topics, but it was definitely interesting. If you enjoy science fiction and fantasy, this group of stories would be great for you.

[Dugan · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an imaginative batch of stories. What makes Writers of the Future different from picking up an anthology from more established authors is the creativity that bleeds off every page. There are more polished, entertaining books of speculative fiction out there, but WOTF delivers a freshness and nuance that is hard to find anywhere else.

“Death and the Taxman” by David Hankins, “A Trickle in History” by Elain Midcoh, and “Timelines and Bloodlines” by Clarence Bateman are standouts.

The following are short reviews for each story written by a contest winner (two other stories by established authors are included in the anthology).

Kitsune by Devon Bohm
An urban fantasy that trades the cliched dark and rainy streets of the inner city for a sunny New Mexico suburb. The author does an admirable job blending real characters with relatable struggles and a beautifully haunting supernatural element that explores where we go to escape the pain in our lives.

Moonlight and Funk by Marianne Xenos
Indeed a funky story about the companionship between a dragon, a vampire, and a shape-shifting chihuahua. Despite the highly imaginative elements and the charming mixture of present-day culture with traditional fantasy fare, the meandering plot and the distant feel made it one of the weaker stories.

Death and the Taxman by David Hankins
A humorous tale that brings Death to life. The author manages to capture the magic of humor writers like Terry Pratchett and give us a story that is a breath of fresh air amidst more serious and intricate works.

Under My Cypresses by Jason Palmatier
There’s definitely a cyberpunk feel to this one. The immersive descriptions really drive home what the urban party scene may look like fifty years from now. The deeper themes of reconciling A.I. and human interaction and the pitfalls that come with the struggle of choosing are increasingly relevant today.

White Elephant by David K. Henrickson
A well thought-out, well researched tale of first contact. This tilts more toward ‘hard’ sci-fi with an emphasis on the geo-political and economic factors involved in accommodating alien life. I must say the overall conflict is a little weak and makes for somewhat of a dry read, but if you’re into exploring the practicalities of interplanetary relations, then this is a fine read.

Piracy for Beginners by J.R. Johnson
This story continues this volume’s trend of light-hearted stories with a fast-paced account of a military captain’s confrontation with space pirates. Action abounds here, with lots of snappy dialogue and inventive situations. I wasn’t too engrossed in the characters or the conflict, but the clever writing kept me engaged.

A Trickle in History by Elain Midcoh
Different from most of the other stories in this volume, both in tone and content. Science fiction and history come together to tell a story of a Jewish family in the twenty-second century, the lone survivors of a second Holocaust and inventors of a time machine. The writing is concise, the dialogue poignant, making the end result a special addition to this anthology.

The Withering Sky by Arthur H. Manners
To be brutally honest, I don’t know how this story made the cut. It’s a deep space story Alien style without any of the elements that made that story work. Because it’s written in first person, I don’t think our character is named, even in dialogue. I did have some problems with skimming this story, so a name could have slipped past me. Still, it’s indicative of a total blandness of every character on the spaceship. There’s always the sense that something is happening throughout the story, but as a reader, I never felt that same urgency. I never really felt anything while reading except boredom. Not badly written necessarily, just didn’t connect at all for me.

The Fall of Codendra M by T.J. Knight
A good-intentioned asteroid hunter spots an asteroid projected to eradicate an inhabited planet. The story is good, but the worldbuilding details are amazing. From future drugs to a culture reliant on doomsday events to stay entertained, the author paints a frighteningly realistic picture of our future.

The Children of Desolation by Spencer Sekulin
This story is another dim view of the future. Set in suburban Africa in a world experiencing the fallout of an environmental catastrophe, where demons in human skin roam the streets, the protagonist must engage in the fallout to pay his debts. This story gives a nuanced look at what human relationships look like in a post-apocalyptic world.

Timelines and Bloodlines by L.H. Davis
I really enjoyed this one. Though fairly straightforward, it’s an entertaining time travel story that takes no shortcuts when it comes to explaining the process and examining the ramifications of changing the past. Who wouldn’t want to read about medieval knights taking on modern soldiers with sniper rifles?

The Last History by Smauel Parr
A weird but worthwhile tale of a gifted woman’s journey to completing a deadly exam. This story takes a minute to get into because of all the terms being thrown at you, but the main character is interesting enough to carry you through.

[Ivani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full of amazing short stories!

My tiktok review:

https://www.tiktok.com/@ivanislittlel...

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 39

Dean Wesley Smith (Editor)Jody Lynn Nye (Editor), Tom Wood (Illustrator), Dao Vi (Illustrator),
Alexandra Albu (Illustrator), Clarence Bateman (Illustrator), Sarah Morrison (Illustrator), Ximing Luo (Illustrator) Alaya Knowlton (Illustrator), José Sánchez (Illustrator), Kristen Hadaway(Illustrator), Chris Binns (Illustrator), Chris Arias (Illustrator), Helen Yi (Illustrator), April Solomon (Illustrator), Bruce Brenneise (Illustrator), Nick Jizba (Illustrator), L. Ron Hubbard,
Kevin J. Anderson, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, S.M. Stirling, Lazarus Chernik, Samuel Parr, Spencer Sekulin, Devon Bohm, Arthur H. Manners, L.H. Davis, David Hankins, David K. Henrickson, J.R. Johnson, Marianne Xenos, Elaine Midcoh, Jason Palmatier, T.J. Knight

Kitsune by Devon Bohm
Mystical look at meaning and how people view their world. From New Mexico, Georgia O’Keefe, and the idea of women's lib, and freedom. The cross cultural look at need and desire, and freedom. A beautiful idea.

Moonlight and funk By Marianne Xenos
True friendship is accepting who you are. The best friend is the one that makes you better, gives you direction and company along the way. Can a dragon, a vampire, and a chihuahua find that best friendship?

Death And the taxman by David Hankins
Started as stories he made up for his daughter at bed time. What a hilarious beginning. I loved the humor and the ideas shown by the characters that create amazing puns, and hilarious episodes.

Under my cypresses by Jason Palmatier
What is reality, what is AI, how will life balance these two opposing structures? This story looks at our perception of reality and brings in the idea of ai and computer generated societal constructs.

Circulate by L. Ron Hubbard
Looking at his writing and legacy.

The unwilling hero L. Ron Hibbard
A pioneering venture into space. What is our responsibility to explorers? Are we obligated to find lost travelers in space? And does the found real-estate of worlds found in this search. It's a Space voyage of philosophical and mathematical imagination.


White Elephant by David k. Henrickson
Given warning of alien contact and possible invasion how would a Space faring earth respond.

Piracy for beginners by J. R. Johnson
An adventure into space, finding out how to use her personal skills to evade space pirates. Her choice was not supported by the company, but it worked that she saved her ship and her crew. An interesting look at rules of corporations and independent actions.

Prioritize to increase your writing by kristine kathryn Rusch
A short personal story of the struggles we all have with obligations and motivations.

Fire in the hole
By Kevin J. Anderson
The story of a young monster who has to face his family and take his own life in hand. A twist on mythological monsters with humor and the gumshoe investigations.

A Trickle in history by Elaine Midcoh
The last of the Jews in Europe are hidden behind false papers and ideology. The propaganda and prejudice affect every part of their lives. This book shows the sad image of a possible history. Time travel has circumstances for change but it erases those things that happen after they change.

The Withering Sky by Arthur H. Manners
One of the darkest stories in this collection. Showing the fractures of human personality and mind. The exploration of an alien artifact has a phenomenal effect on the group.

The fall of Crodendra M T. J. Knight
We are responsible for our existence. That if family calls we are to go. We are to be there. If we do not we find regret. It's a poignant story of regret and goodbye.

What is art direction? By Lazarus Chernik
Personal description of the community and audience of the artist and their direction of illustration to stories and descriptions.

Constant Never by s.m. Stirling
A knight, a dragon and a Maiden. Formula for the epic heroes story with a final magical twist.


The children of desolation by Spencer Skulin
A dark look at the future, our current fears of destruction and apocalyptic results. Based in South Africa this story looks at misconception and propaganda as one side plays the other.
7.Timelines and bloodlines by L. H. Davis
Alternative view of time travel and its ramifications. How it affects personal history and how changes can prevent the worst disaster through violence or discussions.

The last history by Samuel Parr
What do we sacrifice for? The abstract or the concept. What do we sacrifice with our past or our future? This story manifests these concepts.
The art work here is remarkable and very beautifully done, each artist is matched perfectly to the medium of the story, with amazingly detailed and remarkable artist renditions of the story. I wish that the publishing industry was as conscious of the cover art as the director of art this book shows.

[Tim Emery · Rating 5 out of 5]

As with all volumes of Writers of the Future, version 39 provides a wide variety of good quality science fiction and fantasy stories together with essays on writing and art. I don’t recall two stories of the same subgenre in an annual before and think the previous coordinating judge said that, for instance, he wouldn’t have two werewolf stories. In version 39, there are two time travel stories, but I’d rather have 2 of the same subgenre than a weaker story. So for me, that’s an improvement.
The Last History is a wonderfully rich fantasy and a great way to end the anthology. The story is about someone trying to change her world by training people from a lower house to win a challenge and get into a powerful and influential position. The magic blends in naturally with the history of the characters and the place creating a fulfilling story with a satisfying but unpredictable ending. Great story and art.
White Elephant presents an impressively imagined first contact story in which the politics and limitations of an Earth that has reached out and populated near space meets what is clearly a technically superior and very different alien race. The story kept me totally engaged with intense science. While this satisfies as a short story, with plenty of human political conflicts to explore, and characters to drill down into, I can see potential for a full novel – or three.
The Withering Sky is different to anything I recall reading in a dozen or so WotF anthologies. Intrigue grows into mystery evolves into scifi horror. In a story that completely engrossed me, the author manages to come up with a form of hell – and when I wake up at night, the shapes in my curtains are now ones of ever-shifting doom.
In a current setting, Moonlight and Funk has a vampire help out a dragon who has a were-dog as a friend. The ‘monsters’ are well-imagined and a little out of the ordinary – particularly the dragon. But for all the vampire has enviable powers, there are things she misses.
Kitsune revolves around a woman who is disappointed with her lot but doesn’t appear to have ever done anything about it. The story is presented in an easy to read literary style that carries an ethereal feel.
Under My Cypress is a thought provoking variation on stories with robots that look like humans. In believable situations where people ‘can’t live without meta’, many things are better than real via meta feedback. The author makes the protagonist’s workplace, disco and street protests easy to believe. Whether it’s coffee or a company that’s artificial, the experience is considerably enhanced by a neuro plug. A captivating story around a neat idea.
In TJ Knight’s introduction to his story, The Fall of Crodendra M, he talks about hyper-individualism and the trend for people to watch events on a screen rather than attend. For me, the heart of his story is about the regret of failing to keep contact with those you love. He successfully blends his theme into a novel scifi concept delivering a take in which the tension and action build to a dramatic and emotional end.
It’s said you can’t escape death and taxes, so David Hankins bringing together Death and the Taxman is ominous. Perhaps Death is English since he appreciates courtesy and a cup of tea. A day of seeing life through Death’s eyes provides plenty of scope for good humour in a neatly woven tale. And in case Death and the Taxman weren’t enough – the Auditor is after them. I love the picture of a podgy Death.
Piracy for Beginners is a space romp with plot twists, traitors, evil corporations, a clever/amusing way to fix a problem, fights, intelligent computers, a don’t-do-things-by-the-book military heroine with the inevitable bad incident in her backstory, someone motivated by the incident and a chance to show she really is a no one gets left behind type of hero. The author tops it all by weaponising donuts.
A Trickle in History begins in a world that has suffered a second holocaust. The world might be fixable with time travel, but it seems Time itself doesn’t allow this. With one attempt left, a more considered approach is needed. A few historical details are well placed, and the bitter-sweet ending is well written.
The Children of Desolation presents a grim post-apocalyptic world in which survivors in the Badlands could have super powers while corruption is rife and life is hard in what remains of the civilised world. With twists, turns, treachery and a well-drawn protagonist, the story provides a compelling read.
Setting aside the dubious timelines logic of the mission, Timelines and Bloodlines has an imaginative opening and is a fun time-travel tale that’s sure to get reader’s head spinning keeping up with causal loops.

[DPorter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every year I look forward to reading the L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future. Each year it gets harder to believe that these are some of the first published works for these emerging writers. The quality of the stories are outstanding.

It was also nice to find that a majority of the stories had female protagonists and that the LGBTIQA+ communities were represented. There are stories for everyone. Some are humorous, others dark, and many of them refreshing in their originality.

Here are some brief descriptions of each story.

Kitsune by Devon Bohn

This story begins with the mysterious return of fox species from extinction and then leads the reader into a mystery of missing women, while exploring the the struggle for each person to find their own pathway and purpose in life.

Moonlight and Funk by Marianne Xenos

A fun story showing friendship and camaraderie amongst monsters, as told by a beachcombing Key West Vampire.

Death and the Taxman by David Hankins

Can Death be tricked? Can Death be escaped? A story from Death's viewpoint on someone who tried.

Under My Cypresses by Jason Palmatier

An interesting twist on the story on who we can love and who can love us back.

White Elephant by David Hendrickson

When Humanity first encounters Alien life and everything boils down to a series of negotiations, what solar system real estate is a good trade for advanced technology? This was one of my favorites from the book.

Piracy for Beginners by J.R. Johnson

A fast paced story about a military veteran, and now Captain of a transport full of passengers, that must suddenly deal with sabotage, political intrigue, mercenary pirates, and a critically damaged ship. Things don't look good at all for her crew and her. How will the Hero of Luna Station, The Dark Side Demon respond?

Fire in the Hole, A Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. Adventure by Kevin J. Anderson
A fun read by one of the Judges from the WOTF contest.

A Trickle in History, by Elaine Midcoh

A time travel story where the protagonist works to fight the flow of time and change history. Will it take a major event, or just a small nudge to trick the past?

The Withering Sky by Arthur H. Manners

A dark story where the protagonist takes on a secret mission to hopefully pay off all her debts. This mission might be just what she needs to turn here life around, focus, and move forward. All her team has to do is set up camp on a mysterious secret spaceship and wait for the research team to arrive.

The fall of Crodendra by T.J. Knight

The main character is one of many news team reporters that use powerful telescopes to show events occuring on other planets in a competitive, media news environment. Through a situation involving a wormhole, he finds the first realtime tragedy in the making and now must deal with the ethical and emotional issues that come with it.

Constant Never by S.M. Stirling, another story by one of the WOTF judges.

The Children of Desolation by Spencer Sekulin

A post apocalyptic story with strong themes present in society today woven through it. Can people get the freedom to live as they want when society is set up to keep them down and under control?

Timelines and Bloodlines by L.H. Davis

This story has a unique spin on typical time travel stories, at least with twists I've never encountered before. I give a lot of credit to the author for making this a fresh, really fun read. Another one of my favorites from the book.

The last History by Samuel Parr

This story was on the dark side and was the most thought provoking for me. I'm a teacher and near the beginning of the story there was a quote that resonated with me. "When you taught someone, you gave them part of your soul. You watched your knowledge grow in them and saw yourself reflected." The quote seemed very straight forward until I reached the end of the story and realized how different the meaning of this quote could really be.

[Leo Aguerrebere · Rating 4 out of 5]

I totally recommend this anthology. Here is my review. I liked some stories more than others. I tried to keep things as spoiler free as possible.

Kitsune (7/10)
It is a promising start. The protagonist is relatable and likeable. I'm not really sure if I really get the main theme, though. What the author is really trying to say.
I liked the way it integrated Japanese mythology.


Moonlight and funk (6/10)
The story is simple and well told. It didn't grab me like some other stories in the anthology.

Death and the taxman (8/10)
A fun lighthearted fantasy story. It made me chuckle a couple of times.
I liked the back story of Death.
And as for the taxman, who wouldn't want to trick Death?.



Under my cypresses (10/10) who ever said that cyberpunk is dead?
Naming a character Senator Gibson was a nice touch.
The story is about facing your prejudices, and it uses AI the same way X Men uses mutants. As a stand in for minorities.
And on top of that, the protagonist has to deal with her own feelings of rejection.
The story asks important questions about identity and relationships.
It handles it's themes in a way that does not feel preachy or one sided.
It let's the characters give their point of view in a way that is believable.
I don't want to give too much away. Just read it.
I get the feeling Philip K. Dick would have liked this one.

Circulate is some useful advice by L. Ron Hubbard on how to never run out of ideas to write new stories. And how your environment and the people you run into every day might inspire you if you actually bother to know them.
I wonder how L. Ron Hubbard would react to social media and it's place in our word?.
Would he see it as a tool to get in contact with more people from all over the world and get their stories?. Or would he see it as a distraction and a waste of time?.

The unwilling hero (6/10)
It could be said that this one is a product of a time before the space race. The main plot is a bit hard to swallow and more than a few things have not aged well.
Not one of L. Ron Hubbard's best.
I did like the framing device. People from a distant future who see the protagonist as an historical figure. A hero.
And yet, they try tell his story as close to the truth as possible trying to separate the man from the myth.
A similar device that would be used successfully in the final episode of the fourth season of Babylon 5 and not so successfully in the final episode of Star Trek: Enterprise.

The white elephant (10/10)
When I read the title I wasn't sure what to expect. Now that I have read the story, I feel like I can't praise it enough.
It presents a first contact scenario set in a future where humanity is colonizing the solar system.
They have accomplished a lot with colonies on the Moon, Mars and other remote places, but is still work in progress.
The solar system is still something huge, to the point that some of the characters in the story have problems grasping the scale of it.
The arrival of the aliens introduces an interesting dilemma, that require humans of different backgrounds and different priorities to reach some kind of consensus.
The story handles the conflicting views in a mature thought provoking kind of way.
And since the protagonist lives in space, not on one planet or colony she has a different perspective.
The story really puts the science in science fiction, really making you feel like you are travelling though outer space with the characters.
I don't want to give too much away about these "aliens". They are technologically more advanced than the humans in the story and you will feel you are discovering them along side the characters feeling the same sense of wonder.



Piracy for beginners (9/10)
This one plays like a fast paced action movie. Like Die Hard in space.
The protagonist has a dark past filled with war and regret.
But she is smart and fun. The best written strong female character I've seen in a while.
And she has to deal with a band of detestable pirates.
Action, suspense, and sc fy.


Prioritize to increase your writing
Kristine Kathryn gives some advice about setting your priorities and your boundaries to improve your writing.

Fire in the hole. (8/10)
The story is set in a world were every mythological creature ever conceived is real and we have to co exist with them.
And they with us, having to live by our laws.
The "client" this zombie detective takes is likeable and his problem relatable.
It is not about the fate of the world or even a murder case.
It is about standing up to your abuser.
At this point the undead detective is basically it's own subgenre, but this short story does enough to make it stand out from the rest and to make me want to know more about the characters and the world they live in.

A trickle in history (9/10) (Elaine Midcoh wrote The battle of Donasi which was a favourite of mine, so I came to this one with high expectations. And this story actually met those expectations.
Time travel maybe an over used plot device, but it works when it is used properly like it is the case here.
Time travelling Jews look to travel back in time to prevent the second holocaust that pretty much annihilated them by stopping the first.
It uses the character's knowledge of history to it's advantage.
It is a short story that accomplishes a lot in just a few pages.
And while some details are left to the reader's imagination, it is the human element that makes the story stand out.
You really feel for the characters and their last desperate attempt at changing their past to give their people a better tomorrow.
I don't want to give more of the plot away.


The withering sky (7/10)
This one sets up an interesting mystery. It creates an atmosphere of isolation, dread and paranoia.
It has moments of very effective horror.
But it kind of left me confused more than anything.

The fall of Crodendra M. (9/10)
A very touching story about finding real connections with those around us. And how our time watching screens can blind us to what is really important.
It shows us a somehow pessimistic view of the future but somehow ends on a positive note.

What is art direction provides a reasonable explanation for artists, illustrators specifically.

Constant never (8/10)
As in a western, the ageing warrior embarks on a last mission, this time to find the glory he could never reach in his younger years.
There is a curse. There is betrayal.
A classic fantasy story with a couple of twists.

The children of desolation (10/10)
This one does a lot of things.
An adventure set in a post apocalyptic word.
A story about forgiveness and redemption.
About seeing past your prejudices.
About the powerful using fear and money to control the people.
And it does all those things beautifully.
There are characters that you will love and characters you love to hate.
The antagonist is hateful but complex.
The action is exciting.
The setting comes to life almost becoming a character in the story.
And it shows that no matter how grim things get, there is always room for hope.

Timelines and bloodlines (7/10)
This story creates it's own rules for time travel that mostly make sense. Mostly.
But once it sets the rules it uses them well.
The two main characters are likeable enough and try to navigate though an interesting dilemma.

The last history (10/10)
A fantasy story with excellent world building and characters.
It creates a world where magic is real and dangerous.
A world with it's own rules.
But some things never change.
Society is still divided between the privileged and the rest. The haves who face the challenges of life with unearned advantages making it easier for them to achieve positions of power, and the have nots who have to fight harder for everything they have.
And in order to achieve this position of power, you have to pass a test, or probably die trying.
This is no story of good vs evil.
The characters of this story are more complex than that. Each with their own light and their own darkness. Each with their own perspective of life and the world they inhabit. You sort of see where they are coming from, even when they are doing something questionable.
It explores the bonds between parents and sons, between student and teachers.
It asks interesting questions about right and wrong and provides no easy answers.
The last history ends the anthology on a very high note.

[Marvin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This 39th edition of Writers of the Future contains 12 short stories by the quarterly winners of the Writers of the Future Contest, 3 additional contributions by seasoned authors, and 3 short essays. For each short story, an illustration is created by one of the winners of the Illustrators of the Future Contest.

The opener -- Kitsune by Devon Bohm -- was very nice and original. In a near future, foxes are extinct, but suddenly they start appearing again, in increasing volumes and in many colours. At the same time women begin to disappear. Great plot idea, well brought, but I wasn’t too impressed by the ending. Due to that it felt more like the prologue of a larger story. I liked it, nothing more, nothing less. Piracy for Beginners by J. R. Johnson is another example of a story that I simply liked, but nothing more than that. It’s about an attempt to hijack a ship that transports people between the moon and Earth. It’s very action-oriented with shooting, and manoeuvring, and with such plots, I sometimes loose track of where everybody is and what they are doing exactly. That happened here, at which point the story moved from ‘like a lot’ to ‘like’.

In the ‘like a lot’ category, Under My Cypresses by Jason Palmatier was definitely my favourite. It pictured an interesting dilemma about how real AIs are, how human they are, how much their feelings count, etc. Some of the questions posed in this story are questions our society will have to address too at a certain moment in the foreseeable future. AI is very hot at the moment and the story came at precisely the right moment, it’s very relevant. But above all, it was well composed. Death and the Taxman by David Hankins is another very good story, about a human being tricking the Grim Reaper. And I loved the illustration Frank Totmann designed for it, which was so funny and spot on. About the illustrations: there are only beautiful drawings here, almost always adding something to the story. There wasn’t a single one I disliked. My drawing skills never exceeded toddler level so I’m extremely jealous of these people’s talents. Timelines and Bloodlines by L. H. Davis is another one of those top stories. It’s a very appealing time travel story with a very elegant solution at the end. I’m not going to review every single story but I definitely want to mention two more that are very recommendable: The Withering Sky by Arthur H. Manners for those who like a touch of horror in their sci-fi, and White Elephant by David K. Henrickson for fans of first encounters.

The essay by Lazarus Chernik about what art direction is, was very informative and interesting. I felt no connection to the other two essays. But they were short, so not much time was lost… Out of the 15 stories, only 4 didn’t attract me. That’s actually a very good score for a story collection. Usually my like/don’t like ratings are around 50/50. It shows that Writers of the Future 39 is a high quality volume. Because of the amount of sci-fi stories in it, I’d recommend it more to sci-fi lovers than to fans of other types of speculative fiction.

[chez wise · Rating 4 out of 5]

An anthology from thousands of entries from the Writers Illustrators quarterly contest. This is the 39th year, which is amazing in itself. I received an Advanced Copy and found some real gems in this one.

Articles - "What is art direction" has a lot of good information well presented. Worth reading for non-artists. "Prioritize to increase your writing" is fluff. Family, health, career. She has no children, a helpful husband, and does not work. It must be nice. Hubbard’s "Circulate" is a writing article (1935) relevant today than in ‘35.

The pros – "Fire in the Hole" was adorable. middle grade, and fun. "Unwilling Hero", I enjoy reading these older pieces and always love Hubbards opening pages. "Constant Never" Fantasy's old trope style is kind of fun.

The contestants The judges select a first, second, and third-place finisher each quarter, which I have noted.

My Favorites: 3rd place "The Fall of Crodendra M" by T. J. Knight and Illustrated by Chris Arias. A fresh, new perspective on life in the future torn from “remotely” living through 2020-2. 3rd place "Death and the Taxman" by David Hankins, Illustrated by Sarah Morrison. Humor is complex, and David Hankins is a master. Frustrated ordinary people in roles that are far into another realm. 3rd place. "A Trickle in History" by Elaine Midcoh, Illustrated by José Sánchez, Time travel/ future and the last 8 living Jews. Kudos to the Asimov vibe and the handling of the backstory. 2nd place "The Children of Desolation" by Spencer Sekulin, Illustrated by Cyberaeon. A Mad Max sequel, and so much more. 1st place "The Last History" by Samuel Parr, Illustrated by Dao Vi, Plot, character, and pace create an immersive read.

Great reads: 2nd place "Under My Cypresses" by Jason Palmatier, Illustrated by Helen Yi, jumps into the AI argument, the matrix in Las Vegas. A strong theme of being able to see the individual in whatever form. 1st place "White Elephant" by David K. Henrickson Unique takes on the “First encounter” trope in a distant future. Character motivation is a fresh take on the expected.
Good premises but fell short of achieving it. 2nd "Withering Sky", by Arthur H. Manners, Illustrated by Ximing Luo, Space SciFi/ Horror. 1st place "Timelines and Bloodlines" by L. H. Davis, Illustrated by Clarence Bateman, Time travel. 3rd place "Piracy for Beginners" by J. R. Johnson, Illustrated by Chris Binns, Military sci-fi. 1st "Moonlight and Funk" by Marianne Xenos Fantasy.

Why? 1st place 2nd quarter "Kitsune". Contestants were cheated, and so are the readers of Vol. 39. The genre is angry women’s lit. The characters are single female adults with pre-pubescent minds, incapable of responsibility or decisions. Rather than Shapeshifting Guardians, as the title suggests, the foxes are a metaphor for weak, inept women who need to sneak away. Hubbard is rolling over in his grave.

[Sandra Vdplaats · Rating 5 out of 5]

My childhood consisted mostly of reading SF stories. Loyal Dr Who fan and long-time Trekkie here. Over the years, my preference for novels has been subject to change, - at the moment I'm reading mostly mysteries a la Christie again - but still, always that longing for good SF. So I am the happy owner of all the Year's Best SF anthologies (Dozois), and works by Olaf Stapledon, M.P. Shiel, Wyndham H.G. Wells, and stories from Golden Age SF (anthologies).
They can't be thick enough for me, this anthology contains new (and some older) stories, with beautiful illustrations.

As in any anthology, it is a mix of stories that stir your heart, describe fantastic magical worlds or come with a Battle Royale with a twist. About floating in Neptune clouds, gaming in a metaverse world, or a story in which Jack London features.
Vampires and dragons cannot charm me, so I skipped the story Fire in the Hole about a zombie PI. Otherwise I read everything, and raced through the 400 plus pages.
The illustrations are truly breathtakingly beautiful.
A must read for readers who love SF. Highly recommended! (5 plus stars)
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this review copy. This opinion is my own.

Some of the stories I personally loved the most:
Kitsune: a heartbreakingly surreal story about shapeshifters (canine/human) and where all the foxes come from.
Death and the Taxman - a beautiful and hilarious story about a man who tricks the Grim Reaper. Is somewhat similar to Good Omens in terms of humour.
White Elephant - for me one of the best stories in this volume- about a First Contact with a species (Cenanti) asking Earth for help to repair their seed ship on which they travel. They are a migratory species, and come en masse (2 billion) - on Earth consultations take place on where to leave them. In the end, they sell Venus in exchange for terraforming (Venus) and technology from the creatures. In addition to the wonderful story about the stupidity of the earthlings, as a reader you get another lesson in astrophysics (Venus spinning backwards, gravity, Kuiper & Oort belt, Jupiter, warp drive etc).
The Fall of Codendra - highlights the drawbacks of our evolving individuality. People can watch a whole planet/civilisation blown to bits by an asteroid on huge billboards in the street.
The Children of Desolation - about Tumelo travelling through what was once South Africa to bring a blind girl and her dog to a desolate place where she will surely die. The area is infested with the Desolates (mutant demons in human skin - they are immortal and their blood can cure)

Also included are some bits on what an art director does, and how to write a good story.
Highly recommended! 5 (***** plus stars)