L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future. Vol. 36: Bestselling Anthology of Award-Winning Science Fiction and Fantasy Short Stories

L. Ron Hubbard’s 36th Annual Writers of the Future Award winners presented in this anthology highlight a variety of up-and-coming speculative fiction talents. Among the stories are those inspired by Philip K. Dick that present disturbing futures, such as Leah Ning’s “Yellow & Pink,” and Katie Livingston’s “Educational Tapes.” There are stories fanciful and even a bit funny, including the troupe of artistic androids trying to keep it together to impress a critic in Sonny Zae’s “Automated Everyman Migrant Theater.” And yet others, such as Storm Humbert’s “Stolen Sky,” sees humanity co-opting alien cultures for their own pleasure. Several entries incorporate magical realism, dystopian adventure, and fantasy elements. In total, there are 12 short stories from new writers, with four from established writers Nnedi Okorafor (Binti; Who Fears Death) and Katherine Kurtz (Deryni Rising). In addition to the fiction are four how-to essays for writers and illustrators breaking into the business.