With 19 New York Times bestsellers and more than 350 million copies of his works in circulation, L. Ron Hubbard is among the most enduring and widely read authors of our time. As a leading light of American Pulp Fiction through the 1930s and '40s, he is further among the most influential authors of the modern age. Indeed, from Ray Bradbury to Stephen King, there is scarcely a master of imaginative tales who has not paid tribute to L. Ron Hubbard.
Then too, of course, there is all L. Ron Hubbard represents as the Founder of Dianetics and Scientology and thus the only major religion born in the 20th century.
As a published Finalist at the inaugural Writers of the Future ceremonies in 1985, Dean Wesley Smith was the first person ever to receive a WotF Award, accepting his framed certificate from judges Dr. Gregory Benford, Roger Zelazny, Robert Silverberg and Algis Budrys. Smith has published far over a hundred novels in forty years, and hundreds and hundreds of short stories across many genres. He has over eight million copies of his books in print and has been published in nine different countries. He has written many original novels in science fiction, fantasy, mystery, thriller and romance, as well as books for television, movies, games and comics. He is also known for writing quality work very quickly and has written a large number of novels as a ghostwriter or under house names.
With his wife (and fellow WotF judge) Kristine Kathryn Rusch, he wrote The Tenth Planet trilogy and The 10th Kingdom. Smith has also written books and comics for all three major comic book companies, Marvel, DC and Dark Horse. Smith is an avid poker player and a former golf pro. With Rusch, he was also cofounder and publisher of Pulphouse Publishing (which earned them a World Fantasy Award), before editing for VB Tech Journal, then for Pocket Books.
At the moment he produces novels in four major series, including the time travel Thunder Mountain novels set in the old west, the galaxy-spanning Seeders Universe series, the urban fantasy Ghost of a Chance series, and the superhero series starring Poke
Kevin J. Anderson is the author of more than 140 books, fifty-six of which have appeared on national or international bestseller lists. He has over twenty-three million copies in print in thirty languages. He has been nominated for the Nebula, Hugo, Shamus, Bram Stoker, and New York Times Notable Book. He has won many awards, including the Scribe, Lifeboat to the Stars, SFX Reader?s Choice, IAMTW Grandmaster and Colorado Book Award.
Anderson coauthored fifteen books in the Dune saga with fellow WotF judge Brian Herbert, and eight high-tech thrillers with WotF judge Dr. Doug Beason. Anderson?s epic Saga of Seven Suns and his Terra Incognita fantasy trilogy (including two crossover rock CDs) are his most ambitious works. He has written numerous novels based on The X-Files, Batman and Superman and Star Wars (particularly the Young Jedi Knights series with his wife, Rebecca Moesta, who is also a WotF judge). He has edited ten anthologies (three of which are the bestselling SF anthologies of all time).
Living in Colorado, Anderson is an avid hiker and mountain climber; he has scaled all fifty-four of the state?s peaks higher than 14,000 feet and has walked the entire Colorado Trail (more than 500 miles). As a new author, he was an early WotF contestant, entering many times before he became a professional author in his own right, and thus ineligible for further submissions. He became a guest instructor in 1993 and a judge in 1995.
Steven ?S.M.? Stirling is a writer by trade, born in France but Canadian by origin and American by naturalization, living in New Mexico. His hobbies are mostly related to the craft of writing. He loves history, anthropology, and archaeology, as well as interest in the sciences.
Steven has published over 40 novels, at least 5 of which are New York Times bestsellers and he has won awards including the Dragon Award for his novel, Black Chamber.
Steven has been a Writers of the Future Judge since 2021.
Lazarus Chernik is an experienced Creative Director, Brand Manager, and award-winning Designer with over twenty years of experience. His clients have included everyone from Fortune 100 giants to small businesses in need of reaching that next level.
Using expert skills in all manner of print and online media, he has headed the creative departments for numerous agencies and corporations, including a Top 15 national advertising agency, a national retail chain, a national web development firm, a catalog retailer, and a retail goods manufacturer.
He has been an instructor of design software and skills in corporate training environments and continuing education facilities.
Lazarus Chernik has been an Illustrators of the Future judge since 2016.
Kristine Kathryn Rusch is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author and award-winning mystery, romance, science fiction and fantasy writer. She has written many novels under various names, including Kristine Grayson for romance and Kris Nelscott for mystery. Her novels have made the bestseller lists?even in London?and have been published in fourteen countries and thirteen different languages. She is married to, and has often collaborated with, fellow WotF judge Dean Wesley Smith.
She and Kevin J. Anderson first met in a college creative writing class as young aspiring writers and have kept in touch ever since (when they found they learned more from each other than from the minimally published professor). They both entered the Contest many times, but neither placed in a quarter before becoming professional writers. Now, Rusch?s awards range from the Ellery Queen Readers Choice Award, to the Hugo Award and the John W. Campbell Award. She was nominated for the Hugo, the Shamus and the Anthony Award all in the same year (2009). She is the only person in the history of science fiction to have won a Hugo Award for editing and a Hugo Award for fiction. Her short work has been reprinted in thirteen Year?s Best collections (one story, ?G-Men,? appeared in both the best mystery and best SF collection, the first story ever to do so).
Under her own name, Rusch?s novels include the Fey series, the Retrieval Artist series, Hitler?s Angel, The White Mists of Power, Alien Influence
Jody Lynn Nye lists her main career activity as ?spoiling cats.? When not engaged upon this worthy occupation, she writes fantasy and science fiction books and short stories.
Since 1987 she has published over 40 books and more than 120 short stories. Among the novels Nye has written are her epic fantasy series The Dreamland, beginning with Waking In Dreamland, five contemporary humorous fantasies, Mythology 101, Mythology Abroad, Higher Mythology (the three collected by Meisha Merlin Publishing as Applied Mythology), Advanced Mythology, The Magic Touch, and three medical science fiction novels, Taylor?s Ark, Medicine Show and The Lady and the Tiger. Strong Arm Tactics is a humorous military science fiction novel, the first of The Wolfe Pack series. Nye wrote The Dragonlover?s Guide to Pern, a non-fiction-style guide to the world of internationally bestselling author Anne McCaffrey?s popular world. She also collaborated with Anne McCaffrey on four science fiction novels, The Death of Sleep, Crisis On Doona, Treaty At Doona and The Ship Who Won, and wrote a solo sequel to The Ship Who Won entitled The Ship Errant. Nye coauthored the Visual Guide to Xanth with bestselling fantasy author Piers Anthony, and edited an anthology of humorous stories about mothers in science fiction, fantasy, myth and legend, entitled Don?t Forget Your Spacesuit, Dear! She wrote eight books with the late Robert Lynn Asprin, License Invoked, a contemporary fantasy set in New Orleans, and seven set in
Tom Wood is a fantasy art illustrator who is among the best-selling poster artists in the US and Canada. The ?Tom Wood Fantasy Art? brand has sold millions of products since 2005. Tom?s creations of dragons and medieval, death-defying warriors have become iconic images of fantasy culture across America, Europe, and Asia. In addition as a commercial artist, Tom?s clients have included well-known companies: Warner Brothers, Disney, NBA, NFL, MLS, Reebok, Gatorade, and the NCAA.
His formal education began at the University of Arkansas (Fayetteville), where he was accepted on a full academic scholarship. His first professional work was in the screen-printing industry, art directing many sports designs. His early career launched and grew during the desktop revolution of the 1990s, where he quickly mastered his digital skills to become an art director and illustrator. This propelled his extensive freelance career that he maintains today, with his company Meridian Design Works Corp and Tom Wood Fantasy Art.
Tom?s painstaking attention to detail is the hallmark of his life-like images?images that do not simply tell a story, they transport one to entirely new fantastical realms. His compassion and enthusiasm for the visual arts make him sought after as a speaker. He spends much of his time outside the studio mentoring students, as well as appearing at comic cons across the country.
Tom has been an Illustrators of the Future judge since 2021.
