First Place Winner
Read my winning story in Writers of the Future v38
It’s game on, the fate of the universe is on the line—and you’re about to go all in.
Illustration by Tenzin Rangdol, Illustration of the Future Winner [Age 18]
High Praise from the Judges
"'Psychic Poker' may well be the standout story in the anthology. The concept was fun, cleverly executed, and flawlessly written." - David Farland
Coordinating Judge and Editor. Writers of the Future, Volume 38
Kevin J. Anderson
"Lazarus presents a dizzying, clever, and complex tale and he lands a very tricky ending."
Robert J. Sawyer
"Lazarus Black is a terrific writer with an irresistible narrative flare. A real winner — you can bet on it!"
Readers Review Psychic Poker
David H.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “'Psychic Poker' was a brain trip that ended perfectly!
And I loved the character voice!" (Goodreads and Amazon)
Cat G.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "'Psychic Poker' by Lazarus Black is a remarkable modern gambler story with a very clever twist ending that kept me wanting more." (Goodreads and Amazon)
Tim E.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Clever and slick writing make Psychic Poker a smooth easy read while unpredictable but believable events make for an entertaining and hugely enjoyable story. Shame it was so short." (Goodreads)
Ayezu T. O.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ "LESSONS LEARNT FROM ['PSYCHIC POKER']: The need to know the emergency number of ones environment even though you have never had an emergency. (Goodreads)
Volume 38 Reviews
—Kevin J. Anderson (co-author of the Dune sagas)
“Some of the most excellent speculative fiction that you can find. They’re cutting edge.”
—Nnedi Okorafor
“These are the people who are going to be creating trends.”
—Brandon Sanderson
“Writers of the Future, as a contest and as a book, remains the flagship of short fiction.”
—Orson Scott Card
“The best new stories by new writers, anywhere.”
—Larry Niven
“See the best of the best culled for you, curated and selected in a single volume every year.”
—Robert J. Sawyer
“An absolute wealth of imagination, adventure, excitement, stimulation and joy, every possible human emotion.”
—Sean Williams
“A very generous legacy from L. Ron Hubbard a fine, fine fiction writer for the writers of the future.”
—Anne McCaffrey
“Writers of the Future is a terrific program for new writers, and goodness knows, there are few enough of those. It has my heartiest support and unqualified recommendation.”
—Terry Brooks
“The Writers of the Future Contest has not only provided a place where new writers could break into print for the first time but it also has a record of nurturing and discovering writers who have gone on to make their mark in the science fiction field. Long may it continue!”
—Neil Gaiman
“It all started when I won the Writers of the Future Contest. Without them, I can honestly say I would not be where I am today.”
—Patrick Rothfuss
“The Illustrators of the Future is an amazing compass for what the art industry holds in store for all of us.”
—Dan dos Santos
“The best-selling SF anthology series of all time.”
—Locus Magazine
“Writers of the Future collection is exciting and engrossing, with stories that range across the spectrum of SF and fantasy. Tried-and-true space opera and epic fantasy, these stories explore new mysteries and ideas.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Verdict: Speculative fiction fans will welcome this showcase of new talent.”
—Library Journal, Starred Review
“Writers of the Future Vol 38 is a literary smorgasbord where each new story comes with a feeling of excitement and mystery. With so many short stories one might imagine it easy to put down between breaks, but instead it's a binge read. Just one more, you think, and the next thing you know the entire book is gone! I truly enjoyed it. As each story comes up you never quite know what you're going to get, and it’s so delightful finding out. The illustrations alone make Writers of the Future Vol. 38 worth every single penny and minute spent!”
—The International Review of Books, (Gold Badge of Achievement)
“This anthology includes last year’s WotF winners, which is reflected by the overall high quality of the stories. This anthology contains thirteen original stories that are described as powerful, unpredictable, nicely crafted, appealing story with many twists, has an engaging balance, one successfully re-invents time travel stories, and another pulls the reader in from the mystery’s opening and zips along until the shadowy end.”
—Tangent Online