L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future (L Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future, Vol 19)

Rating:
Summary: A rich and rewarding anthology
Review: A Boy and His Bicycle is a great story.
(I put this in so I don't continuously trip over the review by someone who apparently didn't get it. I must offer the disclaimer however, that I wrote that story. It's a subtle tale, and I'm very grateful that the judges understood it and gave it a First Place award.)

This anthology, Volume XIX, (IMO) contains richly tapestried stories, strewn with new ideas or new takes on old ones. I've no doubt that before long, many of the authors will be Hugo winners

Rating:
Summary: Cyberpunk is not dead!
Review: As one of the authors who won a place in this anthology, I'd like to recommend it to all science fiction and fantasy readers. From alternate history, to cyberpunk, to fantasy, this volume has it all. The track record of this contest for discovering new talent is unmatched. Buy it now and read the first stories by people who will, in the years to come, become household names in the science fiction and fantasy fields.

Rating:
Summary: Ably compiled and edited
Review: Before he went on to invent Cybernetics, L. Ron Hubbard was a prominent author of science fiction and eventually launched annual collections of science fiction and fantasy drawn from the best and the brightest in the field. The newest addition to the L. Ron Hubbard "Writers Of The Future" series is volume 18, ably compiled and edited by long time science fiction expert Algis Budrys and highly recommended reading for any fantasy fan and science fiction enthusiast. Included in this outstanding anthology are: The Dragon Cave (Drew Morby); The Haunted Seed (Ray Roberts); Rewind (David D. Levine); Windseekers (Nnedi Okorafor); Magic Out Of A Hat (L. Ron Hubbard); Lost On The Road (Ari Goelman); Graveyard Tea (Susan Fry); Carry The God (Lee Battersby); A Few Tips On The Craft Of Illustration (H. R. Van Dongen); Memoria Technica (Leon J. West); Free Fall (Tom Brennan); All Winter Long (Jae Brim); The Art Of Creation (Carl Frederick); Advice To The New Writer (Andre Norton); The Road To Levenshir (Patrick Rothfuss); Eating, Drinking, Walking (Dylan Otto Krider); Origami Cranes (Seppo Kurki); A New Anthology (Tim Powers); Worlds Apart (Woody O. Carsky-Wilson); Prague 47 (Joel Best); and What Became Of The King (Aimee C. Amodeo). L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers Of The Future, Volume XVIII concludes with "The Year In Contests" by Algis Budrys and "Contest Information".

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful stories from up and coming scifi writers!
Review: I love short story anthologies and this is a book packed with good stories. from "Blade of the Bunny" to a thought provoking "The Price of Tea in China" every story is a must read. The tales are mixed with thoughtful tips and hints for new writers and the whole book makes a worthwhile text for anyone trying their hand at writing.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful stories from up and coming scifi writers!
Review: I love short story anthologies and this is a book packed with good stories. from "Blade of the Bunny" to a thought provoking "The Price of Tea in China" every story is a must read. The tales are mixed with thoughtful tips and hints for new writers and the whole book makes a worthwhile text for anyone trying their hand at writing.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent book
Review: I really liked this book. My favorite story was Cyclops in B Minor. Definately get this if you're into fresh talent and new ideas.

Rating:
Summary: Amendment to an Earlier Review
Review: I'd just like to mention that the 2004 Hugo Nominated novelette "Into the Gardens of Sweet Night" was written by 2004 Campbell Award winner Jay Lake, not Algis Budrys, as an earlier reviewer has stated. Jay's award winning story can be found in his collection "American Sorrows" put out by Wheatland Press, which includes three additional stories that fans of "Gardens" should not miss.

Rating:
Summary: In praise of new writers
Review: I'm honored to be in this book, and let me tell you this: these writers and illustrators are wonderful, wonderful people. They are commited to enriching the field of speculative fiction. Buy this anthology so you can say "I knew them when..."

Rating:
Summary: Good, as usual
Review: I've been reading these anthologies for about 8 years now. I've been writing for 8 years too. Trying to get into this book for 8 years. I've submitted about 20 entries into the contest over those years, being a quarter-finalist one time, and, this year, a finalist. Well, actually I was a finalist 2 years ago, but I would have been published in this volume, so I snatched the book up, hoping to find that the published finalists had better stories than mine. 3 out of 5 of them did. But I'll get in eventually...and in the meantime, I recommend these volumes to everyone who wants to someday be published.

Rating:
Summary: Writers series maintains high quality
Review: I've now read all the books through Volume 15 of this series and am very impressed with the continued high quality of both the fiction and the articles. In Volume 15, the article by L. Ron Hubbard, "Arts vs Eats," was, I thought, an insightful look at the how and why of writing that seems as applicable today as when he wrote it. And, while it wasn't writing advice, per se, the Tim Powers article provided some light fun and a glimpse of what it must be like to be a winner who gets published in these books. As they always do, the stories by new writers inspire me to go out and read more science fiction.