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I’ve always wanted to read a Writers of the Future anthology, but never had the chance until one of Flash Me Magazine’s past contributor’s Tony Pi, emailed us about doing a review. His story, “The Stone Cipher,” was the second place winner of the 2006 First Quarter Contest. As such, his story is in the most recent anthology. His bio is published at the end of this review, as well as a few links, since he’s the one who gave us this opportunity.
The anthology has a wide variety of stories, some I liked more than others, but all well written and imaginative. The beauty of having such a wide range of stories in one book is that there is something for everyone. Whether you’re an avid science fiction reader or like me, you prefer a good, solid fantasy story, it’s in here. There are also three articles inside, an introduction, a list of the winners and their rankings, and contest guidelines.
If you write or illustrate science fiction or fantasy, you should seriously consider following this contest and buying this anthology. If you’re new to the publishing world, you should ready your submissions, because the Writers of the Future contest is an ongoing project, looking for the best new writers and illustrators.
Now to delve into the stories…
“Primetime” by Douglas Texter
Journalism enters a whole new dimension when the past ends up on primetime television.
 This was by far my favorite story in this anthology. I loved every minute of it.
“The Sun God at Dawn, Rising from a Lotus Blossom” by Andrea Kail
Tutankhamen exchanges letters with Abraham Lincoln in an attempt to understand his new life.
 The story’s format, though interesting, limited the story’s scope for me.
“The Frozen Sky” by Jeff Carlson
Searching for life on Jupiter’s sixth moon leads to a series of dangerous encounters.
 This is a solid story, but the constant scene changes, flipping between the present and the past, bothered me.
“The Stone Cipher” by Tony Pi
Are the world’s statues counting down to the end of humanity or the beginning of enlightenment?
 This is well written with rich characters and a powerful story. I wanted to know more, but I understand why the author ended it where he did.
“Obsidian Shards” by Aliette de Bodard
A priest for the Dead gets thrown into a battle against a god’s incarnation.
This was a solid story with intrigue and depth of soul.
“Ripping Carovella” by Kim Zimring
An artistic mind is a coveted thing.
This story would captivate anyone, but its darkness especially touched this writer’s mind.
“Our Last Words” by Damon Kaswell
When a man volunteers to step outside of time, he witnesses a future he cannot change… and so much more.
This new twist on time travel is engaging and haunting.
“Saturn in G Minor” by Stephen Kotowych
Music and science mingle for a composer’s galactic masterpiece.
I like the idea of this story, but it started slowly and I anticipated the ending.
“By the Waters of the Ganga” by Stephen Gaskell
An alien transported into a human body must search his soul for sanity and salvation.
This is a story rich in culture, but the beginning didn’t seem to fit and the ending left me hanging.
“Pilgrimage” by Karl Bunker
An immortal being is thrown into a mortal life and is forever changed.
“Pilgrimage” proves mortality gives meaning to life.
“The Gas Drinkers” by Edward Sevcik
A chance encounter leads to salvation and new opportunities.
I’m not a fan of telling a story within a story.
“The Phlogiston Age” by Corey Brown
Plans go awry when a beautiful woman gets in the way.
It took me a while to get grounded in the story and it lacked the more ‘fantastic’ elements I was looking for.
“Mask Glass Magic” by John Burridge
When a young artist goes looking for a new job, she gets entangled in a world of magic.
This story was engaging, but the ending was a bit muddled for me.
-- Jennifer Dawson
Tony Pi’s story, “The Mirror King,” appeared in Flash Me Magazine’s ninth issue. Every year we email our contributors to see if they have any books they’d like us to review. He was the first author to ask if we would review an anthology, and we decided to do them on a case-by-case basis. We’re so glad we took him up on his offer.
His bio:
Dr. Tony Pi is a Canadian writer who holds a Ph.D. in Linguistics. He currently works in administration at the University of Toronto at the Cinema Studies Institute and Innis College, and loves the fact that he is surrounded by movies all the time. Aside from Writers of the Future XXIII, his novelette, "Metamorphoses in Amber" (which appeared in
Abyss & Apex #24), was a finalist in the "Best Short Form in English" category for the Prix Aurora Awards 2008. He is eligible for the John W. Campbell Best New Writer Award 2009.
His other work has appeared in Flash Me Magazine, On Spec and Tales of the Unanticipated, and further works will soon appear in the DAW anthology AGES OF WONDER (March 2009), the Flashing Swords, and the new e-zine Beneath Ceaseless Skies.
His website is at http://www.eyrie.org/~pi.
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