Fourteen enthralling stories from the best new writers of the year accompanied by three more from towering authors you’ve read before.

  After a devastating earthquake, a toy kitten crawls out of the rubble, free at last. Deep in its programming, an urge demands to be fulfilled.…

  —“The Tiger and the Waif” by John M. Campbell

  When war comes home, a mysterious sixth-senser must use her talents and the help of three orphans on a journey across a devastated city to find her son.…

  —“Sixers” by Barbara Lund

  A scientist must choose between ambition and compassion while forced to participate in a secret and sadistic government project.…

  —“The Enfield Report” by Christopher Bowthorpe

  A Victorian tea shop owner hopes to serve justice to wicked gangsters—with the help of a mysterious new friend.…

  —“The Widow’s Might” by Elizabeth Chatsworth

  Meek Dr. Henry Mudge has a dramatic personality change after discovering a mathematical equation that transports him to any place in the universe he can think of.…

  —“The Dangerous Dimension” by L. Ron Hubbard

  In a magical kingdom overrun by “chosen ones,” a wizard grows weary of always being the mentor and decides to do something about it.…

  —“How to Steal the Plot Armor” by Luke Wildman

  There can be no redemption for a man who has lost control of his warrior-bear spirit—only penance. Or so Adalum believes.…

  —“The Redemption of Brother Adalum” by K. D. Julicher

  The starship that brought mankind to its first colony among the stars was powered by a godlike being, who now wants to know what it is to be human.…

  —“The Argentum” by Anj Dockrey

  When a lover’s gift to her king turns out to be a perilous trap, the Phoenixes and their priestess face a test that will decide the fate of two realms.…

  —“The Phoenixes’ War” by Jody Lynn Nye

  Her grandfather taught her how to create music from the soul, but does it come at too high a price …?

  —“Soul Paper” by Trent Walters

  A woman who once escaped her destiny returns home to find it won’t be so easy the second time.…

  —“The Skin of My Mother” by Erik Lynd

  Time runs in a circle, beginning where it ends—but father has always been out of sync.…

  —“Death of a Time Traveler” by Sara Fox

  A guilt-ridden war hero finds herself in an unexpected extraterrestrial battle, confronting the prospect of having to kill again.…

  —“The Battle of Donasi” by Elaine Midcoh

  When an ambassador is asked to inspect the controversial Museum of Modern Warfare, she discovers life-changing secrets.…

  —“The Museum of Modern Warfare” by Kristine Kathryn Rusch

  Noam only hopes to have a normal Seder, but he’ll have to battle his brother’s new girlfriend and the demons that follow her.…

  —“A Demon Hunter’s Guide to Passover Seder” by Ryan Cole

  A young girl in a plastic boat finds herself at the doorstep of a mysterious old man living in a house built in the middle of the ocean.…

  —“Hemingway” by Emma Washburn

  When tensions between humans and dryads boil over, a teen must bridge the gap between the old world and new, before everything she loves turns to ash.…

  —“Half-Breed” by Brittany Rainsdon

  L. RON HUBBARD

  Presents

  Writers of the Future

  Anthologies

  * * *

  “The collection contains something for every reader of speculative fiction.”

  —Booklist

  “Not only is the writing excellent … it is also extremely varied. There’s a lot of hot new talent in it.”

  —Locus magazine

  “Always a glimpse of tomorrow’s stars.”

  —Publishers Weekly starred review

  “The Writers of the Future Contest is a valuable outlet for writers early in their careers. Finalists and winners get a unique spotlight that says ‘this is the way to good writing.’”

  —Jody Lynn Nye

  Writers of the Future Contest judge

  “The Contests are amazing competitions. I wish I had something like this when I was getting started—very positive and cool.”

  —Bob Eggleton

  Illustrators of the Future Contest judge

  “Sometimes a little bit of just the right kind of advice from an experienced mentor can make the world of difference to someone starting on their art career.”

  —Craig Elliott

  Illustrators of the Future Contest judge

  “I always try to help up-and-coming writers and am delighted to be able to judge in the L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest.”

  —Katherine Kurtz

  Writers of the Future Contest judge

  “Writers of the Future, which has launched the careers of so many young writers, is an inestimable boon to both individuals and the field as a whole.”

  —Nancy Kress

  Writers of the Future Contest judge

  “The smartest move for beginning writers is the WotF Contest. I’ve witnessed it kick-start many a career.”

  —Gregory Benford

  Writers of the Future Contest judge

  “Illustrators of the Future offered a channel through which to direct my ambitions. The competition made me realize that genre illustration is actually a valued profession, and here was a rare opportunity for a possible entry point into that world.”

  —Shaun Tan

  Illustrators of the Future Contest winner 1993 and Contest judge

  “The Writers of the Future Contest has had a profound impact on my career, ever since I submitted my first story in 1989.”

  —Sean Williams

  Writers of the Future Contest winner 1993 and Contest judge

  “The Writers of the Future Contest played a critical role in the early stages of my career as a writer.”

  —Eric Flint

  Writers of the Future Contest winner 1993 and Contest judge

  L. Ron Hubbard

  Presents

  Writers of the Future

  VOLUME 37

  * * *

  The year’s fourteen best tales from the Writers of the Future international writers’ program

  Illustrated by winners in the Illustrators of the Future international illustrators’ program

  Three short stories by L. Ron Hubbard / Jody Lynn Nye / Kristine Kathryn Rusch

  With essays on writing and illustration by L. Ron Hubbard / Orson Scott Card / Craig Elliott

  * * *

  Edited by David Farland

  Illustrations art directed by Echo Chernik

  GALAXY PRESS, INC.

  © 2021 Galaxy Press, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

  Any unauthorized copying, translation, duplication, importation or distribution, in whole or in part, by any means, including electronic copying, storage or transmission, is a violation of applicable laws.

  No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  For information, contact Galaxy Press, Inc. at 7051 Hollywood Boulevard, Suite 200, Los Angeles, California, 90028.

  “The Tiger and the Waif”: © 2021 John M. Campbell

  “Sixers”: © 2021 Barbara Lund

  “The Enfield Report”: © 2021 Christopher Bowthorpe

  “The Widow’s Might”: © 2021 Elizabeth Chatsworth

  “Magic Out of a Hat”: © 2010 L. Ron Hubbard Library

  “The Dangerous Dimension”: © 2008 L. Ron Hubbard Library

  “How to Steal the Plot Armor”: © 2021 Luke Wildman

  “The Redemption of Brother Adalum”: © 2021 K. D. Julicher

  “The Argentum”: © 2021 Anj Dockrey

  “The Phoenixes’ War”: © 2021 Jody Lynn Nye

  “Soul Paper”: © 2021 Trent Walters

  “The Skin of My Mother”: © 2021 Erik Lynd

  “Death of a Time Traveler”: © 2021 Sara Fox

  “The Battle of Donasi”: © 2021 Elaine Midcoh

  “The Museum of Modern Warfare”: © 2015 Kristine Kathryn Rusch

  “A Demon Hunter’s Guide to Passover Seder”: © 2021 Ryan Cole

  “Hemingway”: © 2021 Emma Washburn

  “Half-Breed”: © 2021 Brittany Rainsdon

  Illustration for “The Tiger and the Waif”: © 2021 André Mata

  Illustration for “Sixers”: © 2021 Will Knight

  Illustration for “The Enfield Report”: © 2021 Stephen Spinas

  Illustration for “The Widow’s Might”: © 2021 Madolyn Locke

  Illustration for “The Dangerous Dimension”: © 2021 Anh Le

  Illustration for “How to Steal the Plot Armor”: © 2021 Dan Watson

  Illustration for “The Redemption of Brother Adalum”: © 2021 Isabel Gibney

  Illustration for “The Argentum”: © 2021 Rupam
Grimoeuvre

  Illustration for “Soul Paper”: © 2021 Mariah Salinas

  Illustration for “The Skin of My Mother”: © 2021 Shiyi Yu

  Illustration for “Death of a Time Traveler”: © 2021 Jennifer Bruce

  Illustration for “The Battle of Donasi”: © 2021 Ben Hill

  Illustration for “The Museum of Modern Warfare”: © 2021 Isabel Gibney

  Illustration for “A Demon Hunter’s Guide to Passover Seder”: © 2021 Jeff Weiner

  Illustration for “Hemingway”: © 2021 Sethe Nguyen

  Illustration for “Half-Breed”: © 2021 Daniel Bitton

  Cover artwork Phoenix Passage © 2021 Echo Chernik

  Interior design by Jerry Kelly

  This anthology contains works of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the authors’ imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Opinions expressed by nonfiction essayists are their own.

  Print ISBN 978-1-61986-701-7

  EPUB ISBN 978-1-61986-698-0

  Kindle ISBN 978-1-61986-699-7

  Printed in the United States of America.

  Writers of the Future and Illustrators of the Future are trademarks owned by the L. Ron Hubbard Library and are used with permission.

  Contents

  * * *

  Introduction by David Farland

  The Illustrators of the Future Contest by Echo Chernik

  The Tiger and the Waif by John M. Campbell

  Illustrated by André Mata

  Sixers by Barbara Lund

  Illustrated by Will Knight

  The Enfield Report by Christopher Bowthorpe

  Illustrated by Stephen Spinas

  The Widow’s Might by Elizabeth Chatsworth

  Illustrated by Madolyn Locke

  Magic Out of a Hat by L. Ron Hubbard

  On “Magic Out of a Hat” by Orson Scott Card

  The Dangerous Dimension by L. Ron Hubbard

  Illustrated by Anh Le

  How to Steal the Plot Armor by Luke Wildman

  Illustrated by Dan Watson

  The Redemption of Brother Adalum by K. D. Julicher

  Illustrated by Isabel Gibney

  The Argentum by Anj Dockrey

  Illustrated by Rupam Grimoeuvre

  The Phoenixes’ War by Jody Lynn Nye

  Inspired by Echo Chernik’s Phoenix Passage

  Soul Paper by Trent Walters

  Illustrated by Mariah Salinas

  The Skin of My Mother by Erik Lynd

  Illustrated by Shiyi Yu

  Death of a Time Traveler by Sara Fox

  Illustrated by Jennifer Bruce

  The Battle of Donasi by Elaine Midcoh

  Illustrated by Ben Hill

  The Rewards of Imagination by Craig Elliott

  The Museum of Modern Warfare by Kristine Kathryn Rusch

  Illustrated by Isabel Gibney

  A Demon Hunter’s Guide to Passover Seder by Ryan Cole

  Illustrated by Jeff Weiner

  Hemingway by Emma Washburn

  Illustrated by Sethe Nguyen

  Half-Breed by Brittany Rainsdon

  Illustrated by Daniel Bitton

  The Year in the Contests

  Writers’ Contest Rules

  Illustrators’ Contest Rules

  Introduction

  by David Farland

  * * *

  David Farland is a New York Times bestselling author with more than fifty novels and anthologies to his credit. He has won numerous awards in several genres, including the L. Ron Hubbard Gold Award in 1987, the Philip K. Dick Memorial Special Award, the Whitney Award for Best Novel of the Year, and the International Book Award for best Young Adult novel of the year.

  Dave broke the Guinness Record for the world’s largest book signing in 1999.

  In addition to writing novels and short stories, Dave has also worked in video games as a designer and scripter, and has worked as a green-lighting analyst for movies in Hollywood.

  He has helped mentor hundreds of new writers, including such #1 bestselling authors as Brandon Sanderson (The Way of Kings), Stephenie Meyer (Twilight), Brandon Mull (Fablehaven), James Dashner (The Maze Runner), and others. While writing Star Wars novels in 1998, he was asked to help choose a book to push big for Scholastic. He selected Harry Potter, then developed a strategy to promote it to become the bestselling book in English of all time.

  Dave runs a huge international writing workshop where twice each week he interviews successful writers, editors, agents, and movie producers, and offers access to his writing courses.

  Dave also helps mentor writers through the Writers of the Future program, where for more than fifteen years he has acted as Coordinating Judge, editor of the anthology, and taught workshops to winning authors.

  You can sign up for his free newsletter and learn more about his workshops and writing group at www.mystorydoctor.com.

  Introduction

  Welcome to L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 37.

  Each year as I begin judging the Writers’ Contest, I search for tales that move me emotionally or stimulate me intellectually. Years ago, I was asked to help choose a book for a small publisher to promote big. I studied dozens and chose the book Harry Potter.

  Why choose it and not some other? Because of all the entries, for me it held the strongest mix of positive emotions. Whether you are looking for wonder, adventure, a sense of nostalgia, a good laugh, or genuine chills—it’s all there.

  You see, too often, writers struggle to create powerful prose by assaulting the reader’s sensibilities. They throw in needless violence, darkness, and despair.

  Those elements have a place in a story but reading such tales can be like going to a friend’s house and finding yourself bludgeoned with a baseball bat. You’re not getting what you hoped for.

  So, this year, I searched for stories that offered a pleasing array of emotions. Sure, some are darker than others, but there is a light sparkling at the core of each of them.

  This Contest is huge, and each year it grows bigger. We had more entries than ever, so the competition was fierce. At this point, no other contest in the field of speculative fiction has grown this large or run this long. Despite our burgeoning growth, some things remain the same. When we get a submission, our judges don’t know who sent the story, what country it came from, the age or gender of the author. We gauge our stories on quality alone. In this volume, we hit a goldmine.

  This year, we have fourteen new authors to introduce from around the globe. Each writer is paid professional rates for publication. In addition, they get prize money for winning and either an in-person or virtual trip to attend our awards ceremony in Hollywood, California, and a workshop taught by some of the biggest luminaries in the field of speculative fiction—folks like Kevin J. Anderson, Doug Beason, Gregory Benford, Brian Herbert, Nancy Kress, Katherine Kurtz, Todd McCaffrey, Nnedi Okorafor, Tim Powers, Brandon Sanderson, Dean Wesley Smith, Sean Williams, and Robert J. Sawyer.

  One first-place winner of the Contest will be awarded the grand prize of $5,000. When you add the value of the prizes and payment for publication, this becomes the top speculative fiction market in the world for new writers.

  Our companion Illustrators of the Future Contest winners are also featured in our anthology. Echo Chernik is the Illustrators’ Contest Coordinating Judge and she introduces them. A highlight of the annual workshop is when the authors meet the artists and see their illustrations for the first time.

  Of course, the illustration judges are no less illustrious than the writing judges. Our judges include such big names as Ciruelo, Dan dos Santos, Bob Eggleton, Craig Elliott, Larry Elmore, Val Lakey Lindahn, Stephan Martiniere, Sergey Poyarkov, Rob Prior, Echo and Lazarus Chernik.

  In addition to our writer winners, I’m very pleased to have the first science fiction tale from the illustrious founder of our Contests, L. Ron Hubbard. We’ve also got great stories from some of our judges—like Kristine Kathryn Rusch who entered the Contest the year it formed and now brings us a powerful tale told as a true master of the craft. We also have a wonderful story from Jody Lynn Nye inspired by our cover art from Echo Chernik.