L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future, Volume 33

February 20, 2017
Given that the 14 new writers represented in this anthology are all winners of the contest L. Ron Hubbard founded in 1983, it’s not surprising that their contributions are of a consistently high quality. There’s nothing groundbreaking here, but familiar themes are well handled. For example, both Dustin Steinacker’s “Envoy in the Ice” and C.L. Kagmi’s “The Drake Equation” imagine first contact with alien intelligences in a thoughtful way that’s reminiscent of Carl Sagan’s lengthier treatment in Contact. Stephen Lawson’s “Moonlight One” is the standout, setting up a seemingly impossible crime while economically conjuring up a plausible near-future: Gwen and Ehrly Kennedy are the first, and only, humans to live on the moon, but their experiment turns tragic when Gwen awakens to find that someone (hopefully someone other than her) has stabbed her husband to death. Fans of classic science fiction will find much to appreciate here. Agent: Claude Sandoz, Author Services.

March 15, 2017

This collection of 17 stories is the latest volume to come out of the Writers of the Future contest, which aims to showcase the work of previously unpublished sf/fantasy authors. The pieces range in subgenres, from the solidly sf ("Envoy in the Ice") to clear fantasy ("The Dragon Killer's Daughter"), from the futuristic mystery "Moonlight One" to the folkloric tale, "Tears for Shulna." Some of the tales lean toward horror or even the surreal. The settings also vary widely, from a modern backyard to an African-inspired landscape to an Arabian Nights-type city. The contrasts contribute to this anthology's success in presenting the creativity of different writers asking unique "what ifs." This title also incorporates 14 winners of the Illustrators of the Future contest, whose visual art is paired with the literary art of the stories. Finally, there are four nonfiction essays included on research, storytelling, careers in illustration, and art direction. VERDICT Readers who are interested in discovering promising writers and who want to sample an inventive mix of speculative fiction will be likely to find something that resonates here.--Sara Schepis, Fishkill,

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