“L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 42” Named Best Anthology by NYC Big Book Award
“L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 42” Named Best Anthology by NYC Big Book Award
“L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 42” wins NYC Big Book Award for Best Anthology, showcasing 12 new SF&F stories and illustrations.
LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, September 15, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The NYC Big Book Award has named “L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 42” the winner in the Anthology category. The competition, judged by experts from various sectors of the book industry — including publishers, writers, editors, designers, booksellers, librarians, and professional copywriters — evaluates entries based on overall excellence.
“L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 42” is a bestselling and influential anthology featuring 12 original stories and illustrations by emerging speculative fiction talent, selected by a distinguished panel of industry professionals.
Entries this year were received from the United States as well as Australia, Canada, China, Dubai, England, Estonia, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, New Zealand, Scotland, Singapore, South Korea, Sweden, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom.
Participants ranged from first-time independent writers to established authors, and from small to large presses.
This year’s publishers included Beacon Press, Berrett-Koehler, Casemate, Edinburgh University Press, Forbes Books, Galaxy Press, Kiplinger Books, NYU Press, Palgrave Macmillan, Penguin Random House, Rizzoli, Routledge, University of California Press, University of Nebraska Press, Weaving Influence Press, and Wiley.
“We have an amazing list of authors from around the globe participating this year,” said awards sponsor Gabby Olczak. “I’m so excited to share these books with a worldwide readership!”
Winning stories in “L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 42” include:
– Cameron is dead. His lawyer insists it’s not the end of the world. Just sign here, and you’ll be loaded into a new body in no time …—“Form 14B: Application for Certification of Consciousness Transfer (Post-Mortem)” by Thomas K. Slee, illustrated by Art Ikuta
– Caring for a giant, cheese-loving dragon was never the plan, but a mild-mannered baker must find his courage—challenging the volatile king of the fairy underworld.—“Saffron and Marigolds” by Kathleen Powell, illustrated by Bafu
– When a surveillance architect discovers a street artist the algorithms can’t predict, small rebellions begin accumulating toward something the system is already too late to stop.—“Bloom Decay” by Elina Kumra, illustrated by Tray Streeter
– After waking at a crime scene with blood on his hands, a detective races to expose the body-hopping entity using him as a “shell”—before it uses him to strike again.—“Shell Game” by Zach Poulter, illustrated by Tracy Eire
– A reclusive Arkansas homesteader’s missing time and warped seasons lead her to a boy who shouldn’t exist.—“Canary” by Brenda Posey, illustrated by Roddy Taylor
– Tasked with faking the asteroid strike that smithereened the dinosaurs, a frazzled time-agent must risk paradox and punishment to save the last triceratops.—“The Triceratops Effect” by S.J. Stevenson, illustrated by Art Ikuta
– Seb has spent his career stopping time to save people from deadly disasters. But when a flawless rescue ends with inexplicable deaths, he risks everything to find out why.—“A Ready-Made Bubble of Light” by Thomas R. Eggenberger, illustrated by Allen Zhang
– Desperate to become visible, Nomsa follows a trend promising instant beauty—only to face the horrifying truth that her new, improved self may not leave room for the old one.—“Thickly” by Dorothy de Kok, illustrated by Tracy Eire
– When an unseen creature stalks his home, a man must protect his small dog from a supernatural predator determined to force its way inside—and claim a living host.—“Ghost Dog” by Mark McWaters, illustrated by Anna Malone
– A man who can step into pictures uses his gift to solve crimes, balancing horror-filled photos with sanctuary inside Monet’s Water Lilies—until one investigation turns personal.—“In Living Color” by Michael T. Kuester, illustrated by Nathan Deiwert
– When a clinical trial goes wrong, a woman is left stranded in virtual reality. The man who loves her must navigate corporate secrecy to keep their relationship alive.—“As Long as You Both Shall Live” by Mike Strickland, illustrated by Karah Richardson
– Across decades, a girl grows into a journalist, activist, and outlaw—with a lifelong devotion to return a captive dragon to the sky.—“A Girl and Her Dragon: A Life in Four Parts” by Joseph Sidari, illustrated by Josie Moore
Additional stories by established authors include:
– Lieutenant Carter bets everything on the courage of his little “space can” to save the fleet by storming the enemy’s heavy ship mid-battle.—“Space Can” by L. Ron Hubbard, illustrated by Haileigh Enriquez
– A pair of Antarctic researchers uncover an evolutionary detour that defies accepted science—evidence pointing to a dragon living in the Andes.—“Skinny-Shins” by Orson Scott Card, illustrated by Ciruelo Cabral
– When dragons materialize, drawn to a boy’s violin playing, their gentle presence feels like a comforting echo of the mother he’s lost.—“Dragon Visits” by Nina Kirki Hoffman, illustrated by April Solomon
“L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 42” is available globally in digital format, trade paperback, and digital audiobook wherever books are sold in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and South Africa.
L. Ron Hubbard established the Writers of the Future Contest in 1983 to provide a platform for new writers to gain recognition. The Illustrators of the Future Contest, launched five years later, offers similar opportunities for aspiring artists.
For more information on the Writers of the Future Contest, visit www.writersofthefuture.com.
To view the complete list of NYC Big Book Award winners and distinguished favorites, visit www.nycbigbookaward.com.
John Goodwin
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