Writers of the Future Volume 38 : Collection

Book review for : Writers of the Future Volume 38
Author : Various
Rating : 5 stars
Series : Writers of the Future anthologies

I think it gets better every time

Almost every year I read this collection, and there are always a few stories I really like, a few more I enjoy, and the rest I can appreciate what about that story got it placed in the contest. This year, I’ve enjoyed almost every single story. The one I didn’t enjoy was because it was super depressing. 

Here’s a list of my favorites and a tinsy bit about them. 

Favorites:

• Agatha’s Monster – traumas manifest as monsters and can be slain – creepy! I’d love to learn more about this world
• The Squid is My Brother – alien symbiotic – loved the setting, the story, and the way it was told
• Professor is a Thief (Hubbard) – a better way to transport mass – fun
• Lilt of a Lark – music has magic, and this bard sees himself as a hero – kind of confusing at first but a fun adventure 
• The Daddy Box (Herbert) – kid finds alien artifact – fun 
• The Island on the Lake – it’s their family’s responsibility to come to the island and see what’s shown in the pool – creepy. I liked it but didn’t feel like it resolved
• The Phantom Carnival – creatures kidnap children to eat their memories – kind of sad but well done
• The Last Dying Season – humanity tries to survive on a dying alien planet – the coolest
• The Greater Good – in a long term space voyage, they have a method of getting rid of bad memories (like a digital confessional) – cool, very interesting 
• For the Federation – bodyguard and politician try to protect their child on a hostile planet – bittersweet I guess
• Psychic Poker – a psychic is invited to a poker tournament with other psychics – fun

Lesser favorites:

• Magic Book of Accidental City Destruction – the book that can tell you anything (aka google) causes the city to destroy itself – not sure I followed the logic on that but I enjoyed reading it
• Gallows – time traveling tourists – fun but confusing as most time travel stories are
• The Mystical Farrago – humanoid creature captured for a carnival – nice story, I liked how well the creatures were fleshed out in the short amount of space

The anthology also includes some articles on writing and illustration. These are usually worth the read for developing your skill, and sometimes just because they are interesting. I’m not an illustrator but I really enjoyed the essay The Third Artist.

I definitely recommend this collection for any fantasy or sci-fi fan!

(Read as an epub on an iPad. It’s nicely formatted.)

Review also posted on Amazon.