The anthology also provides an influential showcase for winners of the companion Illustrators of the Future Contest, inaugurated in 1988 as part of Mr. Hubbard's continuing legacy to the field of speculative fiction and the world of literacy and artistic craftsmanship.

He once wrote, "A culture is as rich and as capable of surviving as it has imaginative artists. The artist is looked upon to start things. The artist injects the spirit of life into a culture." And to that deeply-held view of the overriding significance and value of creative talent, L. Ron Hubbard brought an intense, life-long commitment to the immemorial tradition of the seasoned professional extending an open, helping hand to the newcomer—the fledgling writer or the novice illustrator.