New York City Big Book Award Names L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 41 Best Anthology

The NYC Big Book Award has named L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 41 the winner in the Anthology category. The competition, judged by experts from various sectors of the book industry—including publishers, writers, editors, designers, booksellers, librarians, and professional copywriters—evaluates entries based on overall excellence.

L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 41 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 NYC Big Book Award received submissions from around the world, including the United States, Australia, Canada, China, Dubai, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Scotland, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Participants ranged from journalists and established authors to small and large presses and first-time independent authors.

This year’s publishers included Berrett-Koehler, Brown Books Kids, Central Avenue/Simon & Schuster, Forbes Books, Galaxy Press, Muse Literary, New Harbinger Publications, New York University Press, Oxford University Press, Pegasus Books, She Writes Press, and University of Massachusetts Press.

“With so many quality publishers and authors participating this year, I’m eager to share these books with a global readership,” said Gabby Olczak, awards sponsor.

Winning stories in L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 41 include:

• “Kill Switch” by Robert F. Lowell, illustrated by Jordan Smajstrla (Grand Prize Illustrator): An obsolete police robot gets one last chance to avoid the scrapyard, discovering the thin line between justice and murder.
• “Blackbird Stone” by Ian Keith, illustrated by Marianna Mester: A door to eternity opens in a doctor’s office, forging a marriage of love between irreconcilable universes.
• “Storm Damage” by T. R. Naus, illustrated by Haileigh Enriquez: A scientist discovers time travel, but a brewing storm threatens to erase his legacy.
• “Karma Birds” by Lauren McGuire, illustrated by Breanda Petsch: As Claire and her sisters flee deadly birds, a stop for gas poses moral danger.
• “The Boy From Elsewhen” by Barlow Crassmont, illustrated by Daniel Montifar: In a tech-mandated world, one boy’s defiance sparks intrigue, envy, and a desire for forgotten freedoms.
• “Code L1” by Andrew Jackson, illustrated by HeatherAnne Lee: A survey team on an uncharted jungle world faces an impossible horror from beyond death.
• “ASCII” by Randyn C. J. Bartholomew (Grand Prize Writer), illustrated by Tremani Sutcliffe: A self-driving car faces a world-altering choice while giving a ride to a reclusive writer.
• “Slip Stone” by Sandra Skalski, illustrated by Haileigh Enriquez: Carlos Buela, lost in time and place, discovers a souvenir rock is to blame.
• “The Stench of Freedom” by Joel C. Scoberg, illustrated by John Barlow: In a lightning-powered city, a father uncovers the rotten truth of his society.
• “The Rune Witch” by Jefferson Snow, illustrated by David Hoffrichter: After a tragedy, the last member of a magical sisterhood faces a choice between forgiveness and vengeance.
• “Thirty Minutes or It’s a Paradox” by Patrick MacPhee, illustrated by Cam Collins: A pizza delivery guy juggles conspiracies, collapsing timelines, and cooling pizzas with his time-traveling future selves.
• “A World of Repetitions” by Seth Atwater Jr., illustrated by CL Fors: In a 34-hour time loop where memories persist, humanity struggles to forge a new normal.

Additional stories by established authors include:

• “Tough Old Man” by L. Ron Hubbard, illustrated by Dwayne Harris: A rookie constable on an alien outpost faces brutal training under the legendary Old Keno.
• “My Name Was Tom” by Tim Powers, illustrated by Gigi Hooper: A man searches for his wife on an endless ship amid strange, forgotten decks.
• “Under False Colours” by Sean Williams, inspired by Craig Elliott’s cover image, Creature of the Storm: A solitary observer unravels an ancient cycle of survival and identity when a ship emerges from a gas giant.

L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 41 is available globally 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 writersofthefuture.com. To view the complete list of NYC Big Book Award winners and distinguished favorites, visit www.nycbigbookaward.com.