Writers of the Future, Volume 27

July 1, 2011
The Writers of the Future Contest has now rounded out a quarter-century. Along with its companion, Illustrators of the Future, it continues to play a valuable role in ferreting out new talent. Stories in this volume include fantasy about a witchcraft contest, a detective trying to solve crimes in a world in which a giant computer can alter reality, a space-salvage freelancer with more problems than prospects, missionaries trying to bring peace to a planet on which war is essential to the life cycle, and an immortal woman who may be freed from her curse only if she kills. Added work by contest-winning illustrators, essays on writing and illustrating, and a cogent introduction by the editor make for good reading and a good sampling of where the field may be going.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)