Good stories although somewhat of a mixed bag, but I enjoyed most of them. some really good authors!

This Writers of the Future volume was marvelous (as always)! The stories and illustrations are top-notch, and the length of the stories is perfect if you are busy doing something and just have a short while to read!

I always look forward to this annual collection. It's important to remember that for the most part, this anthology is composed of first publications, but it's a chance for a first look at many new writers who will go on to be well known in the fantasy and scifi genres. As always, not every story is wonderful, but all are competent. I enjoyed all of the selections.

The Writers of the Future anthologies are a great way to find new writers, and this is no exception. I'm just trying to fix names in my head so that I'll recognise them later on. This one seems skewed more towards fantasy rather than science fiction, with paranormal/horror and folklore thrown into the mix.

Some of my favourite pieces include:
Moonlight One (Stephen Lawson) - how can you prove you didn't murder your husband when you're the only two people living on the moon?
The Armor Embrace (Doug C. Souza) - a dying mech-soldier heads home to see his daughter for the last time.
Obsidian Spire (Molly Elizabeth Atkins) - Fiske isn't much of a sidekick, but Varga can't let him die anyway.
The Dragon Killer's Daughter (Todd McCaffrey) - The village is slowly dying and Paksa's father is keeping secrets, but she's got enough gold to make a small fort, so that'll do for now.

L. Ron Hubbard, best known for founding Scientology, was also an incredibly prolific writer, penning literally hundreds of golden age pulp stories and novels and science fiction novels like Battlefield Earth. I'm not the biggest fan of his pulp work. At any rate, in his honor, the prestigious Writers of the Future writing contest was established 33 years ago, featuring really top notch science fiction stories. Here are this year's 14 winners together with illustrations and essays on writing and art. There is a broad spectrum of science fiction and fantasy represented here with cyborgs, space stations, scary things in New York sewers, dragons, and magic spells. My absolute favorite was a story about a dad who had been melded into a cyborg visiting his eight year old daughter.

Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy.

moonlight one
by stephen Lawson
what part of the solar system is humanity and what part is owned by the coorperations that bring humanity to the stars. the first two humans to live on the moon are in danger but the cooperation wants to blame their deaths on each other. not their strategically placed technology. waking from sleep the wife finds her husband dead and only daring and broadcast will save her.

The Armour Embrace
By Doug C. Souza
When do we define the spirit, the ghost, and the living. His Mechsuite tried to save him, the nano bots knitting together the flesh the bone, the memories of the man within. But as it downloaded his mind to keep its program going more happen than would ever be anticipated.

envoy in the ice
Dustin Steinaker
how would humanity respond to an envoy from some other place or time, that is found that it has been on earth for a lomger time. would are own skeptism cause us problems. or just our limited grasp make us see its we who are not ready, not worthy, of contact.

tears for shula
Andrew l Roberts
she was his first love, his wife his second, the sea his third. he had no love for his son although he took the motherless boy all around the world. He searched for her people, he kept a log. But he found no otherd like her. It was when he was sick, dying and nearly gone that his son called to her, and gave her what they both held precious.

the Draje equation
C l Kagmi
the idea of how long does a civilization last. what is the lenght of time for a civilization take to learn to accept to know and reach for the stars. are we ready.

Obsidian Spire
molly elisabeth Atkins
the remates of magic still pollutes the world.the mages left their towers, their glass creatures, and the wisps of power. given her first solo adventure things are not working out as planned. but guilt and guts is all she has to face and free the entrapped beast.

A thousand or so words of wisdom
Anne Mccaffrey
one of my most admired authors reminds us the steps to writing a new story. her utter brilliance and capasity shows in this short piece about the process and forbils of writting.

gator
Robert j Sawyer
the imposdible can come to light.
after what looked like an urban legend come to life a scientist risked his life limb and so much more to see what would have happened in an alternative past/present of a multi verse.

a Glowin heart
Anton Rose
wow a beautiful piece
the idea of a light hawk is amazing.. the compassion and nature of wonder and love is remarkable

the long dizzy down
ziporah hildernrant
the language in the piece is hard to follow. although when you get the rhythm its a surprizingly poignant story.

the woodcutters diety
walter Dinjos
the haunting images of battling supernatural powers usimg nature to over come each other.

how to be come an illustrator
larry elmore
its not dedication but obsession that drives art.. its the drive to get better to prove yourself over and over again again

the dragon killers daughter
Todd Mccaffrey
it is great to see him write. like his mother i get obsorbed into the piece. reading like its water to drink on the a thirsty mind. and to know he would only write the story if the dragon did not die, is a mark of his devotion to the story inspired by Larry Elmores painting. its brillant.. and addictive

usless magic
andrew peery
their generation can only do one spell. their father had many more but he was crewl and unkind and difficult and not until his death did they know what they lost.

adramelech
sean hazlett
wow that is a haunting story of weakness and corruption.

the fox the wolf the dove
villre merilainen
the idea of renewal by sacrifice. the children struggle against nature and supernatural elements to bring back the sun.

the magnificent Bhajan
david vonallman
old age may slow his powers, and he maybe left with only illusion but his mind is still able to change his situation and find him a place of value.

notes on art direction
the backroom suggestions and ideas to invite more artists and writers
wow its amazing the art work in color

Where to begin? Right. Let's get this out of the way first: the writers who contributed to this anthology (or were the lucky few picked by even greater writers) are all well-established wordsmiths in their own respective genres and gradually making waves in the writing industry - you don't need to look that far ahead to start seeing their works lining the digital shelves of Amazon or your local bookstore. 

Then again, with stories about a space murder mystery, a tragic yet oddly touching selkie love story, a man with his consciousness locked into a mech, and a dying person being granted the rare insight into a whole new alien civilization she first dismissed as the delusions of her oxygen-deprived mind, these are all stories with plenty of potential busting free from the minds of creative folks who get it right to think out the box. Besides, the element of magic in science fiction stories is quickly becoming a necessary building block for any compelling story as readers practically starve for their favorite authors (or any authors) to push the boundaries and tantalize their minds with something different and exciting.

You'll find that, bad-ass characters, epic plots, and expansive imaginations in this latest addition of Hubbard's Writers of the Future collection.

A great way to find new authors while enjoying great short stories, all unique and fun to read.

I enjoyed reading this book! Most all the stories were thoroughly entertaining. I only found one of the short stories that did not keep my attention. It was one of those stories where you don't really know if the character is really experiencing these things or if he was hallucinating on this boat out at sea. Some people love this kind of ambiguity. I do not.
All the other stories were great! There is a story about a bird that was really well written and left me wanting to know more about those characters. The story about an alien being they call the Envoy was fascinating!

An excellent book full of adventures to feed our imagination
Engaging compilation of science fiction and fantasy, two of my favorite genres. Each story is very well written that will catch you from beginning to end. To enjoy an evening at home alone, to read in the company of the couple or family. In addition each story is accompanied by a magnificent illustration that greatly enriches this book.
An excellent book full of adventures to feed our imagination, in general all stories are pleasant, although I do not like the horror so much. The stories really caught me and brought me different feelings, I was surprised by some plot twists. What I love most about these genres is that it allows me to contact possible inner realities, which are connected with deep emotions and desires, with a part of my subconscious that emerges when stimulated by the figurative narrative, and sometimes I discover certain aspects of my own that I dared not bring to light.
My gratitude to the Publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to review the book

I must admit the L. Ron Hubbard tag on the cover put me off a bit as I think the man was a total shyster. However, I was most pleasantly surprised by the quality of this collection. Varied and enjoyable stories with first-class illustration throughout, this series represents a much more positive legacy for Hubbard than the cult he invented.

Better than previous years

I enjoyed this anthology. My favorite stories were Obsidian Spire by Molly Elizabeth Atkins, The Dragon Killer’s Daughter by Todd McCaffrey, Adramelech by Sean Hazlett and The Fox, The Wolf, and the Dove by Ville Meriläinen. There were three or four stories that I wasn’t wild about. My favorite illustration was by David Furnal for The Fox, The Wolf, and the Dove. As always, this is an anthology well worth reading.

This anthology of science fiction/fantasy short fiction is a solid 5 stars! From the choice of authors included to the layout and editing to the introduction which is always amazing. I enjoy short fiction and love finding new authors through short fiction. I enjoy authors who only write short fiction, while other authors use it as part of a larger stage.

Stories did not seem as engaging as similar anthologies.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Anthologies are not usually my thing. I like novels better than short stories, and I've just never really gotten into magazines or collections of stories. That said, reading through these short stories, winners of the Writers of the Future contest, has made me reconsider. There was honestly no story here that I didn't enjoy at least a little bit, and some of them stuck in my head as really great. "Envoy in the Ice," in particular, was especially enjoyable.

Some of the stories were things I would never have chosen to read on my own. Stories about ghost hunters and other things that I guess could be called "urban fantasy" are rarely my cup of tea, but the authors featured here are winners of an international competition for a reason, and I liked some of the stories even if I would not have chosen them by myself. As an avid reader, I always like finding new authors to watch for, and many of these contest winners fit the bill.

As someone who aspires to write someday myself, I also enjoyed the fact that there were essays on writing from some of the major names in fantasy and science fiction. Tips from the experts are always good, even if they are necessarily a bit general or vague.

Overall, I definitely liked reading this collection of stories, and I may well try to dig up past editions of this anthology or seek out other, similar collections.

No matter your thoughts on the despicable cult that the namesake of this edition created, the stories found in this volume and others, are wonderful. Something for everyone's science fiction tastes.

This is so perfect for science fiction & fantasy fans!

Fantastic short stories to get the creative juices flowing!
This is such an inspiring anthology to lovers of Science Fiction and Fantasy. Really encouraging comments from writer and illustrators.
I will recommend this to everyone who had an interest in this genre.