American Book Fest Names L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 40 Best Fiction Anthology

L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 40 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.

The American Book Fest Best Book Award has named L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 40 the winner in the Fiction: Anthologies category. The competition is one of the world’s largest international book award programs for mainstream, indie, and self-published titles.

Jeffrey Keen, President and CEO of American Book Fest, said this year’s contest yielded thousands of entries from authors and publishers around the world, which were then narrowed down to the final results. Over 400 winners and finalists were announced across more than 100 categories. Awards were presented for titles published in 2020-2025. Keen stated, “Over our 23-year history, thousands of self-published and indie authors have leveraged the promotional power of their Best Book Award to increase online recognition, enhance their title’s credibility, and garner more attention in the crowded book-buying marketplace.”

The cover of L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 40 was painted by award-winning artist and Illustrator of the Future Contest judge Dan dos Santos, whose image was inspired by his earlier visit to the LaBrea Tar Pits in Los Angeles while attending an annual Writers of the Future Awards Gala. The book was edited by Writers of the Future Contest Coordinating Judge Jody Lynn Nye.
Winning stories include:

• “The Edge of Where My Light Is Cast” by Sky McKinnon, illustrated by Carina Zhang
• “Son, Spirit, Snake” by Jack Nash, illustrated by Pedro N.
• “Nonzero” by Tom Vandermolen, illustrated by Jennifer Mellen
• “The Imagalisk” by Galen Westlake, illustrated by Arthur Haywood
• “Life and Death and Love in the Bayou” by Stephannie Tallent, illustrated by Ashley Cassaday
• “Five Days Until Sunset” by Lance Robinson, illustrated by Steven Bentley
• “The Well Isn’t a Circle” by Rosalyn Robilliard, illustrated by Guelly Rivera
• “Da-ko-ta” by Amir Agoora, illustrated by Connor Chamberlain
• “Squiddy” by John Eric Schleicher, illustrated by Tyler Vail
• “Ashes to Ashes, Blood to Carbonfiber” by James Davies, illustrated by May Zheng
• “Summer of Thirty Years” by Lisa Silverthorne, illustrated by Gigi Hooper
• “Butter Side Down” by Kal M., illustrated by Selena Meraki

With additional stories and essays:

• “The Last Drop” by L. Ron Hubbard and L. Sprague de Camp, illustrated by Chris Arias
• “Halo” by Nancy Kress, illustrated by Lucas Durham
• “Shaman Dreams” by S.M. Stirling, inspired by Dan dos Santos’s cover art, “Starcatcher”
• “On Writing and Science Fiction” by L. Ron Hubbard
• “Forty Years of Writers of the Future” by Gregory Benford
• “It Seemed Like Just Yesterday” by Dean Wesley Smith

L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 40 is available 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 Best Book Award winners, visit www.americanbookfest.com/2025bbafullresults.html.