L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 40: The Best New SF & Fantasy of the Year

Experience these powerful new voices―vivid, visceral, and visionary―as they explore uncharted worlds and reveal unlimited possibilities.This 40th anniversary edition of the L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future, the bestselling and most widely influential anthology of its kind, brings you 12 strikingly original stories and illustrations―by the best new creative talent in speculative fiction, all winners of the Writers and Illustrators of the Future Contests. The collection is rounded out with 3 bonus stories plus 4 articles providing art and writing tips from bestselling authors and internationally renowned artists.

Be carried away by stories―and illustrations―that will make you think, laugh, and see the world in ways you never imagined.

“When her owner goes missing, a digital housecat must become more than simulation to find her dearest companion through the virtual world.―“The Edge of Where My Light Is Cast” by Sky McKinnon, art by Carina Zhang

No one came to his brother’s funeral. Not even the spirits. Étienne knew it was his fault.―“Son, Spirit, Snake” by Jack Nash, art by Pedro N.

Man overboard is a nightmare scenario for any sailor, but Lieutenant Susan Guidry is also running out of air―and the nearest help is light years away.―“Nonzero” by Tom Vandermolen, art by Jennifer Mellen

Mac wanted to invent a cocktail to burn itself upon the pages of history―but this one had some unexpected side effects.―“The Last Drop” by L. Ron Hubbard and L. Sprague de Camp, art by Chris Arias

Dementia has landed Dan Kennedy in Graydon Manor, and what’s left of his life ahead seems dismal, but a pair of impossible visitors bring unexpected hope.―“The Imagalisk” by Galen Westlake, art by Arthur Haywood

When a teenage swamp witch fears her mama will be killed, she utilizes her wits and the magic of the bayou―no matter the cost to her own soul.―“Life and Death and Love in the Bayou” by Stephannie Tallent, art by Ashley Cassaday

Our exodus family awoke on the new world―a paradise inexplicably teeming with Earth life, the Promise fulfilled. But 154 of us are missing.…―“Five Days Until Sunset” by Lance Robinson, art by Steve Bentley

Spirits were supposed to lurk beneath the Lake of Death, hungry and patient and hostile to all life.―“Shaman Dreams” by S.M. Stirling, art by Dan dos Santos

A new app lets users see through the eyes of any human in history, but it’s not long before the secrets of the past catch up with the present.―“The Wall Isn’t a Circle” by Rosalyn Robilliard, art by Guelly Rivera

In the shadows of Teddy Roosevelt’s wendigo hunt, a Native American boy resolves to turn the tables on his captors, setting his sights on the ultimate prey―America’s Great Chief.―“Da-ko-ta” by Amir Agoora, art by Connor Chamberlain

When squids from outer space take over, a punk-rock P.I. must crawl out of her own miserable existence to find her client’s daughter―and maybe a way out.―“Squiddy” by John Eric Schleicher, art by Tyler Vail

Another outbreak? This time it’s a virus with an eighty percent infection rate that affects personality changes … permanently.―“Halo” by Nancy Kress, art by Lucas Durham

Planet K2-18b is almost dead, humanity is enslaved, and it’s Rickard’s fault. Now in his twilight years, he’d give an arm and a leg for redemption. Literally.―“Ashes to Ashes, Blood to Carbonfiber” by James Davies, art by May Zheng

What if magic could undo the unthinkable, and undo Death itself? Would you use it no matter the cost? What would you sacrifice for love?―“Summer of Thirty Years” by Lisa Silverthorne, art by Gigi Hooper

Joe is a prospector tasked with exploring the cosmos on behalf of an all-powerful government. Breadna is a toaster. There have been weirder love stories, but that’s unlikely.―“Butter Side Down”

With 19 New York Times bestsellers and more than 350 million copies of his works in circulation, L. Ron Hubbard is among the most enduring and widely read authors of our time. As a leading light of American Pulp Fiction through the 1930s and '40s, he is further among the most influential authors of the modern age. Indeed, from Ray Bradbury to Stephen King, there is scarcely a master of imaginative tales who has not paid tribute to L. Ron Hubbard. Then too, of course, there is all L. Ron Hubbard represents as the Founder of Dianetics and Scientology and thus the only major religion born in the 20th century.

.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. Since 1987 she has published over 40 books and more than 120 short stories. Among the novels Nye has written are her epic fantasy series The Dreamland, beginning with Waking In Dreamland, five contemporary humorous fantasies, Mythology 101, Mythology Abroad, Higher Mythology (the three collected by Meisha Merlin Publishing as Applied Mythology), Advanced Mythology, The Magic Touch, and three medical science fiction novels, Taylor's Ark, Medicine Show and The Lady and the Tiger. Strong Arm Tactics is a humorous military science fiction novel, the first of The Wolfe Pack series. Nye wrote The Dragonlover's Guide to Pern, a non-fiction-style guide to the world of internationally bestselling author Anne McCaffrey's popular world. She also collaborated with Anne McCaffrey on four science fiction novels, The Death of Sleep, Crisis On Doona, Treaty At Doona and The Ship Who Won, and wrote a solo sequel to The Ship Who Won entitled The Ship Errant. Nye coauthored the Visual Guide to Xanth with bestselling fantasy author Piers Anthony, and edited an anthology of humorous stories about mothers in science fiction, fantasy, myth and legend, entitled Don't Forget Your Spacesuit, Dear! She wrote eight books with the late Robert Lynn Asprin, License Invoked, a contemporary fantasy set in New Orleans, and seven set in Asprin's Myth Adventures universe: Myth-Told Tales (anthology), Myth Alliances, Myth-Taken Identity, Class Dis-Mythed, Myth-Gotten Gains, Myth Chief, and Myth-Fortunes. After Asprin's passing, she published Myth-Quoted and Dragons Deal (Ace Books), third in Asprin's Dragons series. Her latest books are View From the Imperium (Baen Books), a humorous military SF novel, an e-collection of cat stories, Cats Triumphant (Event Horizon), Dragons Run (fourth in the Dragons series) and Launch Pad, an anthology of science fiction stories co-edited with Mike Brotherton. Over the last twenty or so years, Jody Lynn Nye has taught numerous writing workshops and participated on hundreds of panels covering the subjects of writing and being published at science-fiction conventions. She has 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 Dragon Con. She lives in the northwest suburbs of Atlanta, with her husband Bill Fawcett, a writer, game designer, military historian and book packager, and a black cat, Jeremy. Jody Lynn Nye became a Writers of the Future judge in 2016.