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4.0
L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 42: Illustrated Edition Featuring the Next Generation of Science Fiction & Fantasy
ByPublisher Description
The Future Is Here.The Future Is Here.
If 42 is the answer to life, the universe, and everything, Volume 42 asks the questions worth thinking about.
Discover the next generation of science fiction and fantasy with twelve emerging authors and three powerhouse storytellers. These unforgettable short stories deliver everything readers love—time travel, first contact, magical realism, monsters, fairy-tale twists, and pulse-pounding science fiction and fantasy—crafted to surprise, thrill, and keep you turning pages.
Dive into a time-rescue gone wrong, a beauty treatment with a terrifying side effect, a detective battling a body-hopping killer, and a homesteader uncovering a truth that rewrites Earth itself. Explore whimsical, high-stakes fantasy as a baker braves the fairy underworld; confront supernatural horror in “Ghost Dog”; and experience the emotional and ethical tension of love trapped in virtual reality in “As Long as You Both Shall Live.” Whether you’re seeking the genre-bending innovation of “Bloom Decay,” the emotional epic of “A Girl and Her Dragon,” the humor and chaos of “The Triceratops Effect,” or the visionary mystery of “Skinny-Shins,” this volume delivers standout stories readers will recommend, review, and remember.
Featuring original stories by Orson Scott Card and Nina Kiriki Hoffman.
Perfect for fans of:
Orson Scott Card, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, Blake Crouch, Brandon Sanderson, V. E. Schwab, Naomi Novik, Michael Crichton, Ted Chiang, Ken Liu, and Black Mirror.Orson Scott Card, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, Blake Crouch, Brandon Sanderson, V. E. Schwab, Naomi Novik, Michael Crichton, Ted Chiang, Ken Liu, and Black Mirror.
Includes:
*12 illustrated stories from emerging stars of speculative fiction
*3 bonus stories by bestselling authors
*3 articles on the craft and business of writing and illustrating from top creators
Selected from thousands of entries worldwide, Writers of the Future Volume 42 brings together a new generation of emerging authors and illustrators—your launchpad into the future of science fiction and fantasy.
Get it now.Get it now.
If 42 is the answer to life, the universe, and everything, Volume 42 asks the questions worth thinking about.
Discover the next generation of science fiction and fantasy with twelve emerging authors and three powerhouse storytellers. These unforgettable short stories deliver everything readers love—time travel, first contact, magical realism, monsters, fairy-tale twists, and pulse-pounding science fiction and fantasy—crafted to surprise, thrill, and keep you turning pages.
Dive into a time-rescue gone wrong, a beauty treatment with a terrifying side effect, a detective battling a body-hopping killer, and a homesteader uncovering a truth that rewrites Earth itself. Explore whimsical, high-stakes fantasy as a baker braves the fairy underworld; confront supernatural horror in “Ghost Dog”; and experience the emotional and ethical tension of love trapped in virtual reality in “As Long as You Both Shall Live.” Whether you’re seeking the genre-bending innovation of “Bloom Decay,” the emotional epic of “A Girl and Her Dragon,” the humor and chaos of “The Triceratops Effect,” or the visionary mystery of “Skinny-Shins,” this volume delivers standout stories readers will recommend, review, and remember.
Featuring original stories by Orson Scott Card and Nina Kiriki Hoffman.
Perfect for fans of:
Orson Scott Card, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, Blake Crouch, Brandon Sanderson, V. E. Schwab, Naomi Novik, Michael Crichton, Ted Chiang, Ken Liu, and Black Mirror.Orson Scott Card, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, Blake Crouch, Brandon Sanderson, V. E. Schwab, Naomi Novik, Michael Crichton, Ted Chiang, Ken Liu, and Black Mirror.
Includes:
*12 illustrated stories from emerging stars of speculative fiction
*3 bonus stories by bestselling authors
*3 articles on the craft and business of writing and illustrating from top creators
Selected from thousands of entries worldwide, Writers of the Future Volume 42 brings together a new generation of emerging authors and illustrators—your launchpad into the future of science fiction and fantasy.
Get it now.Get it now.
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Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communitiesL. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 42: Illustrated Edition Featuring the Next Generation of Science Fiction & Fantasy Reviews
4.0
“This books is an anthology, so it’s 15 sci-fi and fantasy short stories. The theme here is emerging authors. The stories represent new ideas, plots and characters. My favorites are “The Girl and Her Dragon,” “Shell Game,” “In Living Color,” and “Dragon Visits.” The rest are good too. Also includes full-color illustrations for each story. Amazing.”“Writers of the Future Volume 42 was such an enjoyable read from start to finish. This anthology showcases an incredible mix of creativity, imagination, and storytelling talent, with every story offering something completely different and memorable in its own way.
What I loved most was the variety throughout the collection. Some stories were thought-provoking, others emotional or suspenseful, and some captured that classic sense of wonder that makes science fiction and fantasy so exciting to read. Even though each story had its own unique style and atmosphere, the quality stayed consistently strong the entire way through.
The illustrations added another layer to the experience and made the worlds feel even more vivid and immersive. It’s always exciting discovering new writers and artists, and this anthology is filled with fresh voices that absolutely deserve attention.
If you’re a fan of speculative fiction, creative storytelling, and discovering new talent, Writers of the Future Volume 42 is definitely worth reading. 📚✨
#WritersOfTheFuture #SciFiBooks #FantasyBooks #BookReview #SpeculativeFiction #ScienceFiction #FantasyReads #Bookstagram #ReadingCommunity #Anthology”
“Writers of the Future Volume 42 ended up being a worthwhile reading experience for me because of the few stories that genuinely stood out. While the collection was very uneven in terms of quality, the stronger entries reminded me why anthologies can be so rewarding, introducing me to stories and authors that left a real impression. Not every story worked for me, and several felt underdeveloped, confusing, or more like concepts than fully realized narratives, but the standout pieces were memorable enough to make the journey feel worth it overall.
My favorite story in the collection was Ghost Dog. As someone who has a very close bond with my own dog, this story resonated with me on a personal level. It was heartfelt, wholesome, and emotionally sincere, and it immediately connected with me. Out of all the stories in the anthology, this was the one that felt the most emotionally authentic.
I also really enjoyed A Girl and Her Dragon, especially because of its unusual storytelling structure. The story used chats, tweets, emails, articles, and other forms of media to build the narrative, and it worked surprisingly well. Instead of feeling gimmicky, the format made the story feel immersive and dynamic, adding personality and realism to the world. It was one of the most creative entries in the collection and a strong way to end the anthology.
Overall, this anthology was a mixed experience for me. There were definitely stories I struggled with, including some that felt repetitive, poorly structured, or difficult to follow. Still, the stronger entries proved that there is real talent here, and a few stories genuinely stood out enough that I would gladly read more from those authors in the future.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!”
“Here is a contest I would like to participate in one day as an artist-illustrator, but it also has an author.
Mainly Sci & Fantasy with also Horror and hints of mystery and thriller.
5 stars 🌟
I love jumping into this anthology to get a glimpse of future masters of sci-fi literature. Names like Brandin Sanderson, Patrick Rothfuss among others won and participated in this contest making it a huge first step in their careers.
I love Dan Dos Santos' art and he is one of the illustration judges.
This is a L. Ron Hubbard contest, but as many other things, other authors and illustrators have taken over and run successful contests and workshops for creatives who dare to get critiques and improve.
This year we have the classics fae, dragons, time travel, but also focus on memory, statistics anomalies, algorithms, aliens, end of worlds, triceratops... and more.
The audiobook has different narrators for the different stories.
I love the warnings to keep originality, character and refuse to use AI.
Apart from the 15 stories we have interludes with critical and usually insightful tips that always motivate me to think maybe next year I'll participate in every quarter and one day Orbit or Tor will have me.”
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