So far, I’ve read eleven of the original short stories in Writers of the Future Vol. 37, which releases today. Not a single one of my fellow winners has failed to make me feel something important: a sense of loss, a surge of hope, memory or melancholy, humor, horror, or healing. Often, it’s all of those at once.
I hope you end up reading this book. Not just because I’m in it, or because many of these new authors will soon be popping up on the shelves of your local bookstores. I hope you read it because it’s genuinely good, with beautiful art and meaningful stories. We’ve all had a hard couple years. The judges know that. For this volume, they selected a collage of tales that speak to the endurance of ordinary people, the kindness hidden in even the worst of us, and the unlikely talent we have for lifting one another up.
If you’re looking for some hope, I think you’ll find it in this book. You can purchase it through Amazon, or find it at your local bookstore. Regardless of whether you decide that this is for you, I hope you find ways of taking care of yourself these days, especially as we head into the winter months (here in the Midwest, at least). Stay hopeful, friends!
Luke Wildman 