L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future, Vol 39, APR 2023 LTER
Ursprunglig rubrik: L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Fugure, Vol 39, APR 2023 LTER
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1LyndaInOregon
Disclaimer: An electronic copy of this book was provided in exchange for review by publishers, Galaxy Press, via Library Thing.
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Fans of the science fiction / fantasy genre might as well go ahead and budget every year to purchase the current entry in this compendium, now on the cusp of its fourth decade of presenting the work of talented newcomers in the field. This review will not go into the selection process. Those who are interested will find ample information in the book itself, as its producers and presenters are definitely not shy when it comes to self-promotion. But why should they be? They consistently present outstanding work in these collections, and Volume 39 is no exception.
As usual, there are a dozen original works by new and emerging writers and illustrators of science fiction and fantasy, along with a few technical essays and an almost-obligatory reprint of one of Hubbard’s pulp-era tales. The raving completist will devour every word from cover to cover; the more casual reader will skim the garnish and dive right into the 12-course feast.
The winning stories run the gamut from hard-core science fiction to fantasy of all flavors, and include two time-travel tales, a bit of humor, a couple of dystopian stories, and some first-contact accounts.
The illustrators get a chance to shine here, too. The image for each story is presented in full color, and introductory material provides links to the artists’ other works. Science fiction and fantasy, probably more than any other genre, can really get a boost from skillfully-presented artwork. Readers can pretty easily conjure up mental images of a roadside diner or a kindergarten classroom or a Christmas tree, but they may need some help visualizing a shape-shifting carnivore, the living room of a sentient squid, or a ritual cloak from a vanished civilization on Alpha Centauri. The essay on art direction is one of the more interesting nonfiction entries in the volume.
The stories, however, continue to be the centerpiece for most readers, and there is plenty to think about here.
Arthur H. Manners’ “The Withering Sky” gets this reviewer’s vote for the most compelling and most original of the bunch. A truly weird and gripping tale of the exploration of an alien artifact, it grows more frightening and malevolent by the moment.
Samuel Parr gets bonus points for setting “The Last History”, his complex and thoughtful fantasy, in an almost-Imperial-China rather than in an almost-Medieval-Europe. His main character has embarked on a deadly competition for a coveted position in the Imperial government, but she is also playing a dangerous multi-level game in a competition of a very different kind. This is imbued with an other-ness that in no way keeps it from being a beautifully realized tale.
J.R. Johnson’s “Piracy for Beginners” gets Reviewer’s Choice. It’s straight-up space opera with a sense of humor and a kickass heroine. What’s not to like?
The least satisfying of the selections, at least for this reviewer, was Spencer Sekulin’s “The Children of Desperation”. There is a novel’s worth of ideas in this tale of a man compelled to take a morally reprehensible action in order to save someone he loves, but the restrictions inherent in the short story form mean many of them remain undeveloped, and some of the actions leave the reader wondering if a few pages of the manuscript have fallen by the wayside. The Big Reveal near the end has no emotional punch because the very thing it reveals has not been foreshadowed, referred to, or even acknowledged as existing until the moment it happens. It’s as if the writer, two pages before the climax, jumps in and says “Oh, wait! I forgot to tell you! The hero has an invisibility cloak, a twin brother, and a raging allergy to shellfish – all of which are going to be really important in the next page and a half, okay?” Sekulin is probably going to be around for a while, and one hopes he will get the opportunity to give full rein to his complex background next time.
Vampires, dragons, a soul-sucking tax collector, high-tech AIs, a spacefaring civilization looking for a new home, and assorted time-travelers round out the collection, which is well worth the investment of time it takes to absorb and think about these stories.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Fans of the science fiction / fantasy genre might as well go ahead and budget every year to purchase the current entry in this compendium, now on the cusp of its fourth decade of presenting the work of talented newcomers in the field. This review will not go into the selection process. Those who are interested will find ample information in the book itself, as its producers and presenters are definitely not shy when it comes to self-promotion. But why should they be? They consistently present outstanding work in these collections, and Volume 39 is no exception.
As usual, there are a dozen original works by new and emerging writers and illustrators of science fiction and fantasy, along with a few technical essays and an almost-obligatory reprint of one of Hubbard’s pulp-era tales. The raving completist will devour every word from cover to cover; the more casual reader will skim the garnish and dive right into the 12-course feast.
The winning stories run the gamut from hard-core science fiction to fantasy of all flavors, and include two time-travel tales, a bit of humor, a couple of dystopian stories, and some first-contact accounts.
The illustrators get a chance to shine here, too. The image for each story is presented in full color, and introductory material provides links to the artists’ other works. Science fiction and fantasy, probably more than any other genre, can really get a boost from skillfully-presented artwork. Readers can pretty easily conjure up mental images of a roadside diner or a kindergarten classroom or a Christmas tree, but they may need some help visualizing a shape-shifting carnivore, the living room of a sentient squid, or a ritual cloak from a vanished civilization on Alpha Centauri. The essay on art direction is one of the more interesting nonfiction entries in the volume.
The stories, however, continue to be the centerpiece for most readers, and there is plenty to think about here.
Arthur H. Manners’ “The Withering Sky” gets this reviewer’s vote for the most compelling and most original of the bunch. A truly weird and gripping tale of the exploration of an alien artifact, it grows more frightening and malevolent by the moment.
Samuel Parr gets bonus points for setting “The Last History”, his complex and thoughtful fantasy, in an almost-Imperial-China rather than in an almost-Medieval-Europe. His main character has embarked on a deadly competition for a coveted position in the Imperial government, but she is also playing a dangerous multi-level game in a competition of a very different kind. This is imbued with an other-ness that in no way keeps it from being a beautifully realized tale.
J.R. Johnson’s “Piracy for Beginners” gets Reviewer’s Choice. It’s straight-up space opera with a sense of humor and a kickass heroine. What’s not to like?
The least satisfying of the selections, at least for this reviewer, was Spencer Sekulin’s “The Children of Desperation”. There is a novel’s worth of ideas in this tale of a man compelled to take a morally reprehensible action in order to save someone he loves, but the restrictions inherent in the short story form mean many of them remain undeveloped, and some of the actions leave the reader wondering if a few pages of the manuscript have fallen by the wayside. The Big Reveal near the end has no emotional punch because the very thing it reveals has not been foreshadowed, referred to, or even acknowledged as existing until the moment it happens. It’s as if the writer, two pages before the climax, jumps in and says “Oh, wait! I forgot to tell you! The hero has an invisibility cloak, a twin brother, and a raging allergy to shellfish – all of which are going to be really important in the next page and a half, okay?” Sekulin is probably going to be around for a while, and one hopes he will get the opportunity to give full rein to his complex background next time.
Vampires, dragons, a soul-sucking tax collector, high-tech AIs, a spacefaring civilization looking for a new home, and assorted time-travelers round out the collection, which is well worth the investment of time it takes to absorb and think about these stories.
2LyndaInOregon
Oops! That's obviously "Writers of the Future!
I can edit the body of the review, but is there a way to edit the title of the post to get rid of that?
I can edit the body of the review, but is there a way to edit the title of the post to get rid of that?
3lilithcat
>2 LyndaInOregon:
Unfortunately, no. There's a short window (I think 10 minutes?), but beyond that you have to ask the group admin or staff to change it.
Unfortunately, no. There's a short window (I think 10 minutes?), but beyond that you have to ask the group admin or staff to change it.
4AbigailAdams26
>2 LyndaInOregon: I have fixed it.
5LyndaInOregon
>4 AbigailAdams26: I thank you, and the "writers of the fugure" thank you!
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