by Paul Goat Allen
"In
1983, L. Ron Hubbard began the annual Writers of the
Future contest as a singularly unique means for gifted
new science fiction/fantasy writers and illustrators
to have their work acknowledged on a worldwide stage.
Since then, over the past 22 years, the contest has
become 'the standard by which any aspiring
writer and illustrator in science fiction and fantasy
measure their work,' according to editor Algis Budrys.
"Notable
selections in Volume XXII include Diana Rowland's 'Schroedinger's
Hummingbird,' which takes on quantum mechanics in a
story a la Ray Bradbury's time travel classic, 'A Sound
of Thunder.' Carol and Mark have lost their young son
in a tragic accident and Carol, who has the ability
to move back and forth through time, is futilely trying
to recreate their idyllic past—again and again
and again.
"'The
Sword from the Sea' by Blake Hutchins is a darkly poetic
fantasy reminiscent of Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea
sequence that revolves around an orphan girl named Gull.
Possessing magical abilities that some in her oceanfront
village consider heretical, the child's life changes
dramatically when a strange warrior washes ashore. Brandon
Sigrist's 'Life on the Voodoo Driving Range,' about
a homeless man's struggle to survive, is equal parts
contemporary fantasy and cautionary tale.
"One
of the joys of reading anthologies is discovering exciting
up-and-coming authors—with breathtaking new visions,
innovative writing styles, etc.—and in the 22nd
annual edition of Writers of the Future, that literary
bliss couldn't be more satisfying. If the dozen winning
stories featured within are any indication, the future
of the genre is in more than capable hands."
