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Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Writers Of the Future, Volume 31 : A Review



BOOK TITLE: Writers of the Future : Volume 31
ISBN: 978-1619863224
AUTHOR: Multiple authors
GENRE: Science Fiction
NUMBER OF PAGES: 498
FORMAT: Digital
SERIES / STANDALONE: Standalone
REVIEW BY: Dhivya Balaji
HOW I GOT THIS BOOK: I was give a digital copy of this book for review during its release.
SUMMARY:
          The future is here…the future is now!  Orson Scott Card, Kevin J. Anderson and Larry Niven have seen the future. Now, you can, too.
          A constellation of the brightest lights in the Science Fiction and Fantasy firmament have judged these authors to be the best, the brightest, the truest emerging stars in the field.
          From Alien Invasion to Alternate History, from Cyberpunk to Comic Fantasy to Post-Apocalyptic Worlds, these are the winning writers who have mastered every version and vision of sci-fi and fantasy.
          Don’t be left behind. Get a read on what’s next.
          “The Writers of the Future contest looks for people with the best imaginations who can see through the possibilities of the strangest and best ideas and tell stories that intrigue us and involve us.” —ORSON SCOTT CARD
          Celebrate the 31st anniversary of the Writers of the Future contest and the 26th anniversary of the Illustrators of the Future contest.
#WofF31
REVIEW:
          Some books come to your seeking a review, and you feel like giving honest comments and sometimes caustic remarks about the writing in the book. Then there are these other books that make you star crossed just be looking at them. Even with the most critical of eyes, you cannot find and point out any faults. The mere knowledge of what the book is about and the sheer star power it has backing it up will create a sense of awe in reading. ‘Writers of the Future: Volume 31’ belongs to the latter category.
          While I started reading the book, my first thought was sadness that I had missed previous volumes of this great book. Having always been a fan of science fiction, I jumped up at the chance to review this book. But I had to read and grasp every story slowly and due to the huge size of the volume, it took me more than my usual time to complete. But every second of the time I spent reading this book is worth it. It even gave me a foolish expectation that I could, in fact, write and submit my own entry for a place in this prestigious anthology – and keep trying until I succeed, maybe in a few years down the lane, when I am sure this contest will still be going strong.
          From basic science fiction stories to stories belonging to the fantasy genre, this book has a variety of stories to interest every type of Sci-fi lover. Before reading this book I had no idea that science fiction can be written in these many ways. Half Past by Samantha Murray sent a deeper meaning to me. I had a few issues with some stories that lacked an ending. I also wanted some stories to explain better – I had to go through them more than once. But overall, it is a very intriguing anthology of stories – each one has something of value to offer.
          There is absolutely nothing to criticise about the writing. These are winners of a competition among multiple entries. The language is crisp and even though some stories are long and seem dreary, the overall effect after reading this anthology is a strange sense of satisfaction of having read a great book. I am thankful for having had an opportunity to read this book, and I hope I will be able to read other volumes of the same.
VERDICT: Prepare to leave the present as you know it, and get to know how diverse science fiction can be.
RATING: 4.5/5
EDITIONS AVAILABLE: Digital and Paperback
PRICE: $0.99 for Kindle, $10.93 for paperback


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