Note - I do not endorse or encourage Scientology in any way. That being said, the writers and artists competing in this contest are excellent and very well done and should be supported separately from this publication. Hubbard's writing is poorly done and hard to parse.
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Disclaimer: I am not much of a fantasy fan, in the ordinary way of things. I find Tolkien moralistic, and anything that smacks of elves and dwarves mostly insufferable; I abominate Harry Potter, and have managed to entirely avoid Game of Thrones. Nor are there any other of the endless fantasy series around of which I am a breathless follower. I like SF, in principle, but find it is often disappointing in execution. I do admire Philip K. Dick, Bradbury, Neil Gaiman, Pratchett and some others.

My expectations for this volume were not especially high, but I am happy to say that they were easily exceeded. Everything in here is worth reading. The selection is varied and (almost) impeccable; each piece is artful, well executed, free of claptrap, thought-provoking, and obviously the product of an interesting and original mind, not bound to the conventions of any particular genre. Each piece grabs holder of the reader, as it should, within the first few sentences. And, in general, they do not overstay their welcomes. The accompanying art is appropriately luminous.

A few niggling criticisms: Michael Panter's "Lilt of a Lark" is marvellously inventive, verbally, but the action drags a little. J. A. Becker's "For the Federation" is too rock-em, sock-em for my tastes, but it is saved (almost) by the ending, which is worth hanging on for. The final piece, Lazarus Black's "Psychic Poker", is the only one that is a near-dud, nebulous, self-important and not especially funny. Everything else is pretty rewarding material.

Well, I should add that the pieces by the headliners, Herbert and Anderson et al. can be safely skipped, unless you are deeply into SF history and apocrypha. And the L. Ron Hubbard piece is, viewed through modern eyes, dated, stale and predictable to the point of being almost unreadable. It is hard to believe it was at one time considering ground-breaking. Still, I have no problem giving five stars to the whole collection. If there are another 37 volumes like this in the series, that is a lot of reading to catch up on. ( )

This 38th volume of “Writers of the Future” is, I am ashamed to admit, the first one I read of this series.
As might be expected, they contain some actual gems.

The leitmotif in this anthology of short stories is memory: how memories define you, your innermost self, and what you would give to lose or regain them.


Agata's monster : A family of monster hunters in an allegory about embracing your life experiences and making your past hurts a part of yourself. Strong telling, a very good start to this anthology. The magic book of accidental city destruction: a book wizard's guide: Set in a bazaar and town straight from the Arabian nights, this story provides a clever allegory on the internet and social media.
The squid is my brother: How to both survive and stay true to yourself (and loyal to your symbiote) in a strange environment, braving prejudice and marginalization in the harsh jungle of elementary school. Mica, the school girl from Neptune, is by far the bravest hero in this volume.
Gallows: Badass undercover barman and his snarky partner catching illicit time-travelers. Awesome.
The professor was a thief: This Golden Age Pulp story has all the staple charschacters: the Irish cops, the grumpy, down-at-heel journalist, the mild-mannered, underestimated scientist … a quick and fun read.
Lilt of a Lark: Excellent world-building and a relatable protagonist assigned your typical fantasy task. I liked where the plot twist went.
The Mystical Farrago: A mythical beast kept illegally in a strange sideshow. A council official with a history of their own striving to set it all right. Great premise with a relatable protagonist.
Tsuu Tsuu Kasva Suuremasse: The buck, the fox, the beaver . The väeloom, the spirit-animals from Estonian folklore, come the old woman's aid when, caught between the Napoleonic and Russian lines, she is fighting for her infant grandson's life. Strong prose making you shiver in the bitter winter wind as you read.
The Daddy Box: An alien artifact changes the lives of Billy's family.
The Island on the Lake: About a magical mirror and the burden and responsibilty of knowledge. Sad and beautiful.
The Phantom Carnival: Dirty kids hopping freight trains and a creepy carnival. What memories would you willingly sacrifice to save your friend? Heartwarming story, great premise.
The Last Dying Season: When colonization of a new planet has led to its destruction, the only way out is to cut loose, wipe the slate clean and start over elsewhere, without remembrance, without regret. A botanist tries to find another way.
A Word of Power: Alien abduction or Ark-type rescue mission? Seen through the eyes of a Neanderthal matriarch? Very short piece of fiction.
The Greater Good: How to keep the peace among the passengers on a generation ship? Easy: Memory erasure. Quick fix, no hard feelings, everybody feeling comfy around each other. Except for the poor chap tasked with the “sin eating” part of the process. A
For the Federation: A genetically engineered bodyguard has to basically fight herself as well as her backstabbing superiors to save her son.
Psychic Poker: Mysterious stranger coercing six psychics into a poker tournament. The interesting premise quickly got drawn out for me as game after game was described in (for me) too much detail.
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Such a great collection of short stories, perfect for when your concentration span is down from Covid! I discovered Diane Dillon from this collection and am just loving her other works. Definitely a must if you want to branch out a bit. ( )

My Expectations: Because this is a collection of stories by contest winners, and says it is “the best new SF & Fantasy of the year” right on the cover, I had high expectations: I expected some really great science fiction and fantasy stories.

What I liked: There is so much to like about this book! It opens with a gallery of color illustrations by the winners of the illustration contest, one for each story, that piqued my interest and created anticipation. There is a nice range of stories exploring times from Earth’s history to planets in the far future with some time travel in there as well. I noticed a recurring theme of the power of knowledge and the dangers of memory manipulation which I find very interesting. Before each story and essay there is an extensive, informative bio for the author and illustrator which helps orient the reader for each new experience.

I especially enjoyed “The Single Most Important Piece of Advice” by Frank Herbert followed by one of his stories and then an essay by his son about teamwork and writing with others as he continues to create in his father’s world of Dune. Those three pieces in a row felt like a special moment.

The story by the editor David Farland that accompanies the cover illustration is also very special as it is the last story he wrote. He died only days after he finished editing this book.

What I didn’t like: There were a couple of stories I didn’t like, and sadly, one of them was chosen as the opening story. This made it difficult for me to get into the book. But luckily, those intriguing, beautiful illustrations at the beginning and the craft essays throughout, pulled me further into the book. My personal preference would have been more science fiction and less fantasy.

Overall, I enjoyed the majority of the stories, the illustrations are beautiful, and I really liked the inclusion of craft essays and stories by Frank Herbert and other prominent authors and illustrators. ( )