eBook edition

Wondrous and powerful tales from some of the world’s best new writers

“Writers of the Future, as a contest and as a book, remains the flagship of short fiction.” —Orson Scott Card

Featuring: 24 Award-winning Short Stories and Illustrations

Three bonus short stories by L. Ron Hubbard, Brandon Sanderson, and Jody Lynn Nye

Essays on writing and illustration by L. Ron Hubbard, Orson Scott Card, Ciruelo, and Jerry Pournelle

Edited by David Farland

Cover art by Ciruelo

L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 34 contests:

“Introduction” by David Farland

“Illustrators of the Future” by Echo Chernik

“Turnabout” by Erik Bundy
Illustrated by Adar Darnov

“A Smokeless and Scorching Fire” by Erin Cairns
Illustrated by Kyna Tek

“The Howler on the Sales Floor” by Jonathan Ficke
Illustrated by Sidney Lugo

“The Minarets of An-Zabat” by Jeremy TeGrotenhuis
Illustrated by Brenda Rodriguez

“Suspense” by L. Ron Hubbard

“The Death Flyer” by L. Ron Hubbard
Illustrated by Ven Locklear

“Odd and Ugly” by Vida Cruz
Illustrated by Reyna Rochin

“Mara’s Shadow” by Darci Stone
Illustrated by Quintin Gleim

“Theme” by Orson Scott Card

“The Lesson” by Brandon Sanderson
Illustrated by Bea Jackson

“Paying it Forward” by Jerry Pournelle

“What Lies Beneath” by Cole Hehr
Illustrated by Maksym Polishchuk

“The Face in the Box” by Janey Bell
Illustrated by Bruce Brenneise

“Flee, My Pretty One” by Eneasz Brodski
Illustrated by Alana Fletcher

“Passion and Profession” by Ciruelo

“Illusion” by Jody Lynn Nye
Inspired by Ciruelo’s Dragon Caller

“A Bitter Thing” by N.R.M. Roshak
Illustrated by Jazmen Richardson

“Miss Smokey” by Diana Hart
Illustrated by Anthony Moravian

“All Light and Darkness” by Amy Henrie Gillett
Illustrated by Duncan Halleck

The Year in the Contests

ABOUT THE CONTESTS

For over three decades, L. Ron Hubbard’s Writers and Illustrators of the Future Contests have discovered and nurtured the new stars of science fiction and fantasy, publishing their works and artwork in the annual anthology.