Writers of the Futue

Immerse Yourself in the Writers of the Future! "This annual series offers 12 dazzling stories that push speculative fiction and fantasy into inventive and invigorating territories." -Library Journal Audio "Narrator Kirby Heyborne joins the Meskimen family-Jim, Tamra, and daughter Taylor-in energetically giving voice to a dozen new stories by the winners of the Writers of the Future contest. … A fine sampling of some of the best new voices in today's science fiction and fantasy." -AudioFile Magazine "Exceeded my expectations. Amazing." -OnLineBookClub.com Discover the next generation of science fiction and fantasy with twelve emerging authors and three powerhouse storytellers with unforgettable voices and world-class storytelling-narrated by Stefan Rudnicki, Kirby Heyborne, Taylor Meskimen, Tamra Meskimen, and Jim Meskimen. These unforgettable short stories deliver everything readers love-time travel, first contact, magical realism, monsters, fairy-tale twists, and pulse-pounding science fiction and fantasy-crafted to surprise, thrill, and keep you turning pages. Dive into a time-rescue gone wrong, a beauty treatment with a terrifying side effect, a detective battling a body-hopping killer, and a homesteader uncovering a truth that rewrites Earth itself. Explore whimsical, high-stakes fantasy as a baker braves the fairy underworld; confront supernatural horror in "Ghost Dog"; and experience the emotional and ethical tension of love trapped in virtual reality in "As Long as You Both Shall Live." Whether you're seeking the genre-bending innovation of "Bloom Decay," the emotional epic of "A Girl and Her Dragon," the humor and chaos of "The Triceratops Effect," or the visionary mystery of "Skinny-Shins," this volume delivers standout stories readers will recommend, review, and remember. Featuring original stories by Orson Scott Card and Nina Kiriki Hoffman. Perfect for fans of: Orson Scott Card, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, Blake Crouch, Brandon Sanderson, V. E. Schwab, Naomi Novik, Michael Crichton, Ted Chiang, Ken Liu, and Black Mirror. Includes: • 12 illustrated stories from emerging stars of speculative fiction in an accompanying PDF. • 3 bonus stories by bestselling authors. • 3 articles on the craft and business of writing and illustrating from top creators Selected from thousands of entries worldwide, Writers of the Future Volume 42 brings together a new generation of emerging authors and illustrators-your launchpad into the future of science fiction and fantasy.