L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future 40 Cover Revealed

The cover reveal for L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 40 occurred Friday night in an online event with guests spanning the globe. Dan dos Santos, Illustrators of the Future judge and the cover artist, was on hand to release the cover art, Star Catcher, along with bestselling author S.M. Stirling, who wrote the cover story based on the illustration, Shaman Dreams. The book immediately hit #1 on three bestseller lists.

Well known for his colorful oil paintings, most often depicting strong women, Dan dos Santos’ work spans various genres, including novels, comics, film, and video games. He has worked for clients such as Disney, Universal Studios, UpperDeck, Hasbro, DC Comics, and many more. And he has been a judge in L. Ron Hubbard’s  Illustrators of the Future Contest since 2019.

About the cover painting, dos Santos stated, “When I was tasked to create the cover for the newest volume of L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future, I knew I wanted to create something not just fantastic that lived up to previous covers, but I wanted to create something which specifically spoke to the history of this wonderful book.” See the history of the covers and their artists at www.writersofthefuture.com/the-anthology.

“When artists Larry Elmore, Tom Wood (both cover artists for previous volumes) and I visited Los Angeles last year and took a trip to the La Brea Tarpits, I knew I had the inspiration I needed for my cover,” stated dos Santos. “For this piece, I envisioned a fictitious time in prehistoric LA, where the Chumash tribe, well known for their decorative face paint, live amongst an active tar pit. Here, a solo warrior ventures out into the dangerous terrain, where amidst an active meteor shower, she hunts for fallen stars,” he concluded.

When presented the painting to create a story with, S.M. Stirling stated, “Dan’s painting inspired me; the story sprang into my mind fully-formed.” Stirling has published over 40 novels, with five New York Times bestsellers. He has been a Writers of the Future Judge since 2021.

Attendees of the online event were quick to make known their excitement for the cover art.

“WOW! Amazing cover art! And very unique!” — CB

“Love the inspiration and the outcome.” — ST

“Absolutely stunning.” — CC

“Absolutely gorgeous! I went to the tar pits last year, too! Fossil nerd here.” — LR

“Fantastic cultural representation.” — AH

“Extraordinary.” — ED

“It’s Beautiful!! SSSOOOO GOOOD.” — GH

Preorder L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 40 and receive a unique digital bundle of extras at galaxypress.com/new-release/writers-of-the-future-volume-40/

L. Ron Hubbard initiated the Writers of the Future Writing Contest in 1983 to provide “a means for new and budding writers to have a chance for their creative efforts to be seen and acknowledged.” Based on its success, its sister contest, Illustrators of the Future, was created five years later to provide that same opportunity for aspiring artists.

The intensive mentoring process has proven very successful. The 559 winners and published finalists of the Writing Contest have published over 2,000 novels, and nearly 6,300 short stories, and their works have sold over 60 million copies. In addition, 16 winners have 41 New York Times bestselling books combined.

The 406 past winners of the Illustrating Contest have produced over 6,800 illustrations and 390 comic books, graced 700 books and albums with their art, and visually contributed to 68 TV shows and 40 major movies.

For more information about Writers and Illustrators of the Future, visit www.writersofthefuture.com.