Writers of the Future Vol. 35 edited by David Farland

Writers of the Future Vol. 35, edited by David Farland, is an anthology of Sci-Fi and Fantasy short stories by up-and-coming new authors. In total there are twelve stories chosen from an international writing contest conducted on a quarterly schedule. Therefore, the top 3 stories from each quarter is what appears in the volume.  In addition, this volume contains short stories from established, well-known writers and advice for new writers and illustrators.

The book also contains illustrations for each short story. The illustrations are chosen in the same way as the short stories and I felt were a nice bonus to the book. I also liked that each story was prefaced by a short introduction to both the writer and illustrator. I enjoyed learning about these debut authors and illustrators in the industry.

In an effort at brevity I am going to touch on only two of my favorite stories in this collection. The first story I want to talk about is Release From Service by Rustin Lovewell, illustrated by Emerson Rabbitt. In this Fantasy story, a young man must choose between what he has been trained for most of his life and what he knows is right even though the choice will cost him his life.

What I liked about the story was the character development. I prefer character driven stories over plot driven and this story is a perfect example of how a good author does not need a hundred plus pages to give the reader a character that is relatable. It also helped that the plot was spot on. This story I would rate as five stars.  

The next story I want to talk about is a Sci-Fi story, Super-Duper Moon Girl and the Amazing Moon Dawdler written by Wulf Moon and illustrated by Alice Wang. This story actually made me cry. It is about a young girl living on the moon with her parents. She is the sole surviving student of a school bombing that left her unable to breathe on her own. She has an AI unit in the shape of a dog who breathes for her and is her protector. Yet, some times protectors are too good at what they do. This is also a five-star story. Same as the previous story, I loved the character and felt a real connection.

There are other stories that I feel rated five stars or close and some I would give a four too. There was only one I was not crazy about and that was Yellow Submarine. I felt the plot was not very inventive. Yet, the prose was good. I would rate that one as three stars.

As a whole, I was surprised at the quality of the writing and illustrations. There was a big variety in this collection and the stories were, for the most part, first-rate. Therefore, it made me want to read the next story and the next, until the end, which came a bit too quickly for me. I am left with the quandary of how to rate the book overall. As a whole, I would rate this collection as 4 stars, maybe even pushing 4.5.

I highly recommend this anthology to lovers of Sci-Fi and Fantasy. There is something to love in every story and the illustrations were fabulous. I am excited to see what the future holders for these new authors and illustrators and once you read this collection I suspect you will be too.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.