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Rating: 
Summary: As advertized
Review: If you are thinking that this is just a collection of stories from the Writers of the Future contest, then you are mistaken. As the cover indicates, there are 13 stories plus 4 essays that are included in this almost 500 page book. As we'd expect from a contest under Hubbard's name, one of the essays is by him. The 13 stories are quite varied and I won't repeat the brief introduction to the plots done by another reviewer. I liked 4 pieces enough to consider finding other writing by their authors. "Home Grown" by William Brown, "Like Iron Unicorns" by Paul D. Batteiger, "Guildmaster" by Dan Dysan, and "The Quality of Wetness" by Ilsa J. Bick. I thought these storylines were original but the characters were familiar enough to really hook me. "Atlantis Ohio" by Mark Siegel was a cool idea but the story just goes on and one far too long. So if you like hard science fiction, social fiction, or alternative pasts or presents, there is some story in here you may enjoy. So why only 4 stars? Frankly I think the essays could be left out, the price dropped a bit on the book, and it would be a much better buy overall. People who want insight into the craft or writing and direction toward publication can get a book geared toward that.
Rating:
Summary: As advertized
Review: If you are thinking that this is just a collection of stories from the Writers of the Future contest, then you are mistaken. As the cover indicates, there are 13 stories plus 4 essays that are included in this almost 500 page book. As we'd expect from a contest under Hubbard's name, one of the essays is by him. The 13 stories are quite varied and I won't repeat the brief introduction to the plots done by another reviewer. I liked 4 pieces enough to consider finding other writing by their authors. "Home Grown" by William Brown, "Like Iron Unicorns" by Paul D. Batteiger, "Guildmaster" by Dan Dysan, and "The Quality of Wetness" by Ilsa J. Bick. I thought these storylines were original but the characters were familiar enough to really hook me. "Atlantis Ohio" by Mark Siegel was a cool idea but the story just goes on and one far too long. So if you like hard science fiction, social fiction, or alternative pasts or presents, there is some story in here you may enjoy. So why only 4 stars? Frankly I think the essays could be left out, the price dropped a bit on the book, and it would be a much better buy overall. People who want insight into the craft or writing and direction toward publication can get a book geared toward that.
Rating: 
Summary: Imaginative and unexpectedly solid writing
Review: The four first place stories alone were worth the price of the book. They were highly creative and fascinating. Easy to believe these authors will be well-known in the SF/F field soon enough.
Rating:
Summary: Great stories and novellas, with amazing range
Review: the only thing these stories have in common is that they're all good. the volume really spans the gamut from fantasy to hard sf, action-adventure to mind-bending logical teasers. there really are no weak stories in this collection.
Rating:
Summary: the future? i hope so!
Review: the only thing these stories have in common is that they're all good. the volume really spans the gamut from fantasy to hard sf, action-adventure to mind-bending logical teasers. there really are no weak stories in this collection.
Rating:
Summary: Great stories and novellas, with amazing range
Review: What I like best about this annual antho is the diversity of the stories. Many anthologies stick to only one genre, or even one sub-genre, like Hard SF or Historical Fantasy. The "WotF" books always run the gamut, and this year is no exception. Each story packs a wallop and sticks in the reader's mind for days to come.My personal favorites were: William Brown's "Home Grown" - a Bradbury-esque, near-future tale about a robotic butler who has the glimmer of emotion, especially for the beautiful Dryad in the garden outside. Toby Buckell's "In Orbite Mediavil" - An alternate history/fantasy of Columbus' ships taking a crack at an earth that's not quite flat, but not exactly round, either. Michael Jasper's "Mud and Salt" - A near-future story of three men hunting an alien, it deals unflinchingly with a young man's first contact with an alien. The changes that meeting brings about are subtle, yet well-done. Melissa Yuan-Innes' "Skin Song" - A deft fantasy edging on horror about a med student who can hear "songs" from simply touching the skin of others. The story gets really interesting when the med student enters the cadaver lab... Leslie Walker's "As the Crow Flies" - A lyrical ghost story that forces the reader to figure out the rules as he or she reads. Nicely done. Jeff Rutherford's "Daimon! Daimon!" - A classic horror story of demons and blues music, made even better by its historical context and swamp setting. Other highlights include Gary Murphy's hard SF tale "Pulling Up Roots," Dan Barlow's time travel/comedy "A Conversation with Schliegelman," and Paul Martens' darkly humorous science fiction story "Your Own Hope." The collection also contains three longer novellas, "Atlantis, Ohio" by Mark Siegel, "Guildmaster" by Dan Dysan, and "The Quality of Wetness" by Ilsa Bick. Contest rules are also included at the end of the book. I recommend any new writer sending their stories to the contest -- the diversity and the range of the stories make this anthology one to watch for, and the writers in this year's collection will definitely be names we'll all hear from again!
Rating:
Summary: Great stories and novellas, with amazing range
Review: What I like best about this annual antho is the diversity of the stories. Many anthologies stick to only one genre, or even one sub-genre, like Hard SF or Historical Fantasy. The "WotF" books always run the gamut, and this year is no exception. Each story packs a wallop and sticks in the reader's mind for days to come. My personal favorites were: William Brown's "Home Grown" - a Bradbury-esque, near-future tale about a robotic butler who has the glimmer of emotion, especially for the beautiful Dryad in the garden outside. Toby Buckell's "In Orbite Mediavil" - An alternate history/fantasy of Columbus' ships taking a crack at an earth that's not quite flat, but not exactly round, either. Michael Jasper's "Mud and Salt" - A near-future story of three men hunting an alien, it deals unflinchingly with a young man's first contact with an alien. The changes that meeting brings about are subtle, yet well-done. Melissa Yuan-Innes' "Skin Song" - A deft fantasy edging on horror about a med student who can hear "songs" from simply touching the skin of others. The story gets really interesting when the med student enters the cadaver lab... Leslie Walker's "As the Crow Flies" - A lyrical ghost story that forces the reader to figure out the rules as he or she reads. Nicely done. Jeff Rutherford's "Daimon! Daimon!" - A classic horror story of demons and blues music, made even better by its historical context and swamp setting. Other highlights include Gary Murphy's hard SF tale "Pulling Up Roots," Dan Barlow's time travel/comedy "A Conversation with Schliegelman," and Paul Martens' darkly humorous science fiction story "Your Own Hope." The collection also contains three longer novellas, "Atlantis, Ohio" by Mark Siegel, "Guildmaster" by Dan Dysan, and "The Quality of Wetness" by Ilsa Bick. Contest rules are also included at the end of the book. I recommend any new writer sending their stories to the contest -- the diversity and the range of the stories make this anthology one to watch for, and the writers in this year's collection will definitely be names we'll all hear from again!
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