Much has been said and written about prolific speculative fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard, particularly after the publication of his highly controversial book Dianetics and the founding of the Church of Scientology. Many of the accounts are unflattering, painting a picture of the author as a greedy opportunist who used his forays into alternative medicine and established religion as vehicles to promote his works and get rich. Because there are so many contradictory stories about the man and his contributions, the real truth may always be a matter of speculation.
Despite whatever conclusions one may draw concerning the character of its founder, the Writers of the Future contest that Hubbard started in 1983 has always been a valuable resource for new and upcoming science fiction and fantasy writers, ennabling many to get a foot passed the gate of an increasingly discouraging publishing world. The back of the promotional DVD for the contest proclaims: “For decades, the dreams of new writers and illustrators shattered against the reality of a publishing industry that couldn’t afford to take chances”. The contest offers, to those who submit, a forum for potential exposure through the Writers of the Future anthology published quarterly by Galaxy Press.
This enticement is no hollow boast: over the years, the contest has placed more than 250 novels and 2,500 short stories on bookshelves throughout the world. L. Ron Hubbard’s literary agency, Author Services Inc., continued to sponsor it after the author’s death in 1986.
Those who are still wary of entering into a contest that was founded by such a controversial figure will doubtless be reassured by its fair and straighforward terms. There is no entry fee, and authors retain full rights to the work that they submit. All types of science fiction, fantasy and dark fantasy are welcome. The content must be prose of up to 17,000 words.
Entries must not have been previously published in any professional media (the rules stipulate that “professional publication” means sales of 5,000 or more). In addition, contributing authors must not have professionally published a novel, more than one novelette, or more than three short stories in any medium.
Perhaps the most impressive and prestigious aspect of this contest is its roster of judges (all of them career writers in their own rights), which includes such luminaries as Kevin J. Anderson, Algis Budrys, Orson Scott Card, Brian Herbert, and Anne McCaffrey.
The Writers of the Future contest chooses winners throughout the year during four quarters: October, January, April, and July. Contestants are allowed only one entry per quarter, and the deadline is always the first of the month. Those who are working in painting and other graphic arts mediums have a reason to rejoice, also: a separate contest opened up to illustrators in 1988, and has been judged by such masters in the field as Frank Frazetta. The Writers ofthe Future anthology combines the stories of its winning authors with artwork created by its winning illustrators.
