The Writers of the Future and Illustrators of the Future Contests are international in scope with yearly winners selected from around the world who are then published in the annual Writers of the Future anthology. Each volume contains the best new science fiction and fantasy short stories from up-and-coming writers and every story is illustrated by budding new artists. Established in 1983 by L. Ron Hubbard expressly for the aspiring writer, Writers of the Future has become the most respected and significant forum for new talent in all aspects of speculative fiction. The elite character of the contest is evident from the roster of judges: Kevin J. Anderson, Doug Beason, Gregory Benford, Orson Scott Card, Brian Herbert, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, Eric Kotani, Anne McCaffrey, Rebecca Moesta, Larry Niven, Frederik Pohl, Jerry Pournelle, Tim Powers, Robert J. Sawyer, Robert Silverberg, K.D. Wentworth, Sean Williams and Dave Wolverton.
