L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 40 Wins International Book Awards Gold for Science Fiction and Fantasy

L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 40, published by Galaxy Press, won the 2025 International Book Awards Gold Medal in science fiction and fantasy, American Book Fest announced.

The 16th annual contest, one of the world’s largest for mainstream, indie, and self-published titles, received thousands of entries globally, said Jeffrey Keen, president and CEO of American Book Fest. Final results were announced June 6, 2025.

“We are proud of this recognition and especially thank our judges and winners,” said John Goodwin, president of Galaxy Press. He cited L. Ron Hubbard’s vision from the book’s first volume: “A culture is as rich and as capable of surviving as it has imaginative artists.”

The anthology features stories and illustrations by:

• “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 Wall 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

Additional content includes:

• “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’ cover art, Starcatcher
• Essays: “On Writing and Science Fiction” by L. Ron Hubbard, “Forty Years of Writers of the Future” by Gregory Benford, and “It Seemed Like Just Yesterday” by Dean Wesley Smith

The book is available as a digital edition, trade paperback, and digital audiobook in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Australia, and South Africa.

The Writers of the Future Contest, founded by L. Ron Hubbard in 1983, supports new writers. The Illustrators of the Future Contest, launched in 1988, offers similar opportunities for artists.

For more information on Writers of the Future, visit www.writersofthefuture.com.

Full results for the 16th Annual International Book Awards can be found at: http://internationalbookawards.com/2025awardannouncement.html.