L. Ron Hubbard’s Writers and Illustrators of the Future Volume 38 Strikes Gold … Again!

The 2023 Independent Publisher Book Award, IPPY, a global awards program illuminating publishing excellence, from a field of 5,000 entries, across 80 categories, has just recognized L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 38 (Galaxy Press) as the 2023 Gold Medal Winner for Science Fiction.

John Goodwin, President of Galaxy Press, exclaimed, “We struck gold … again!” The IPPY announcement followed the Benjamin Franklin Gold Award presented a month earlier for Volume 38 as the best in Science Fiction by the Independent Book Publishers Association.

Goodwin went on to say, “While I am very happy for all the winners published in this volume, I am especially happy for the legacy of David Farland, our beloved Coordinating Judge for over a decade, who passed away unexpectedly shortly after completing his edit of L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future 38. Not only was this the last book he edited, but it was also the last story he ever wrote, ‘A Word of Power,’ which was published in this volume.”

Goodwin concluded, “I want to thank everybody connected with the IPPYs—staff and judges—for recognizing that these are the new voices of science fiction and fantasy.” Writers of the Future is a contest created in 1983 by L. Ron Hubbard, now in its 40th year, and has awarded over 900 writers and illustrators over the past four decades.

Included in the book and listed by winning story, author, and illustrator:

“Agatha’s Monster” by Azure Arther, illustrated by Zaine Lodhi

“The Magic Book of Accidental City Destruction: A Book Wizard’s Guide” by Z.T. Bright, illustrated by Ari Zaritsky

“The Squid Is My Brother” by Mike Jack Stoumbos, illustrated by Natalia Salvador

“Gallows” by Desmond Astaire, illustrated by Nick Jizba

“Lilt of a Lark” by Michael Panter, illustrated by Brett Stump

“The Mystical Farrago” by N.V. Haskell, illustrated by Annalee Wu

“Tsuu, Tsuu, Kasva Suuremasse” by Rebecca E. Treasure, illustrated by Natalia Salvador

“The Island on the Lake” by John Coming, illustrated by Majid Saberinejad

“The Phantom Carnival” by M. Elizabeth Ticknor, illustrated by Xiaomeng Zhang

“The Last Dying Season” by Brittany Rainsdon, illustrated by Jerome Tieh

“The Greater Good” by Em Dupre, illustrated by Jim Zaccaria

“For the Federation” by J.A. Becker, illustrated by Arthur M. Doweyko

“Psychic Poker” by Lazarus Black, illustrated by Tenzin Rangdol

With additional stories and essays:

“The Professor Was a Thief” by L. Ron Hubbard, illustrated by Michael Talbot

“The Daddy Box” by Frank Herbert, illustrated by André Mata

“A Word of Power” by David Farland, inspired by Bob Eggleton’s cover art, The Mammoth Leaders

“Boos and Taboos” by L. Ron Hubbard

“The Single Most Important Piece of Advice” by Frank Herbert

“Teamwork: Getting the Best Out of Two Writers” by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson

L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 38 is available globally in its digital format and as a trade paperback wherever books are sold in the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, and South Africa.

L. Ron Hubbard initiated the Writers of the Future writing contest to provide “a means for new and budding writers to have a chance for their creative efforts to be seen and acknowledged.” Based on its success, its sister contest, Illustrators of the Future, was created five years later to provide that same opportunity for aspiring artists.

For more information on the Writers of the Future Contest, visit www.writersofthefuture.com