Author Stephen H. Clayborough brings to life over thirty interesting stories across over 300 pages in The Reindeer’s Heart and other Short Stories.  The author has the benefit of a very active imagination as well as an assortment of Scandinavian folktales that get a reimagination here.  It is apparent that Clayborough has an appreciation for the old stories, yet he brings new emotion and cleverness to them, and also fills his tales with a fair share of irreverence when the situation calls for it.  Some of the stories are funny, some of them will send a chill up your spine, but each of them is handled with the utmost care, and nothing feels out of place.

This is a collection of short stories written over many years. Some are longer, some are shorter, but I’ve always held myself to Poe’s ideal that a story should be read in ‘one go’. There’s science fiction and fantasy, historical fantasy and bits of myth. There’s a lot of variation in here, so I’ll just offer some glimpses: A chemistry teacher meets Anubis, a pair of astronauts get eaten by a white dwarf, though they later re-emerge and create an ecosystem out of crab dip. Characters live, die, fight, make love and soldiers eat pizza. Little girls meet sea-monsters, and we visit Norway quite a lot and occasionally Sweden. Old Shitbeak the vampire hasn’t got any friends, and Heming the bear-hunter has to escape his gruesome fiancé. And as for the reindeer’s heart- it has it’s own story, as has the glass eye, the Buttercat, the last of the Patagonian giant Eagles and Boris the Brave, the cowardly lion-tamer. Enjoy.

It’s an eclectic bunch of stories, for certain, but they will stick with readers long after they’ve finished them.  Feeling in a way like gothic fairytales, there’s a certain vein in which Clayborough develops his shorts, and they all feel as though they could be loosely connected.  By the end of the tales, fans will also realize that they might have learned a few things about an unfamiliar culture that they weren’t aware of before.  If you’ve been searching for a special sort of anthology that drips with style and has a wonderful flow, you need look no further.  Check out The Reindeer’s Heart and other Short Stories, by Stephen H Clayborough, on Amazon today!

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The Writers of the Future series, posthumously presented by L. Ron Hubbard, is a collection of the incredible speculative fiction by the best and brightest of our time.  Earning praise from the likes of Brandon Sanderson, Terry Brooks, and Larry Niven, these stories are the perfect ones to cozy up to, whether you’re a fan of science fiction or fantasy, as there’s enough of both here to leave readers, and indeed, even other writers, pleasantly content and excited for more.  The series has a new release each year, and I chose to immerse myself in L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 37, because the stories therein have a spark of brightness, hope, and wonder shining through.

The Sci-Fi and Fantasy of Tomorrow Selected by Masters of Today

26 Award-winning Authors and Illustrators

Get ready to get carried away … to places no one has ever gone before.

Turn the page … from dark fantasy to dystopian nightmare, from magical realism to military science, from paranormal urban fantasy to post-apocalyptic power trips … and beyond.

Take flight on a starship powered by a godlike being, willing to go to any length to know what it is to be human. Delve into the psyche of a scientist who must choose between ambition and compassion while compelled to participate in a secret and sadistic government project. Get lost in the chilling Museum of Modern Warfare, where one woman is about to discover life-changing secrets. Experience the stories that challenge our sense of self—and our sense of the world. And that’s just the beginning of your journey.…

Discover the mesmerizing power of these new stories, thought-provoking new ideas, brilliant new horizons, and astounding new writers and illustrators—the chosen ones, selected by today’s bestselling science fiction and fantasy authors and artists.

There are countless releases in this series, each an anthology of magnificent stories and beautiful artwork, and they have tips and ideas for writers and worldbuilders as well.  Best of all, the series is on sale through the end of the month, so you can get a tremendous amount of value if you move quickly.  I loved this set, and my favorite of the bunch was Half Breed, by Brittany Rainsdon.  I’m excited for you to find your own favorite as well!  Check out L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 37 on Amazon today!

A little more information about the Writers of the Future…

The Writers of the Future is an international writing contest for new authors of science fiction, fantasy and horror.  It is a short story competition.

There are couple of things that make this an amazing opportunity for new authors AND for readers looking for hot new authors to follow.

The Writers of the Future writing contest was started by New York Times bestselling author L. Ron Hubbard to provide “a means for new and budding writers to have a chance for their creative efforts to be seen and acknowledged.” He is well-known for his epic sci-fi novel Battlefield Earth which I featured recently.

The Illustrators of the Future was created five years later for the aspiring artist. The winning stories are illustrated by these winners.

The contests are free to enter and the judging is done blind, making an even playing field for all who enter (gender, race, and age do not affect the judging). Also, winners retain the rights to their work so they can re-sell it after the publication of the book.

The winners are paid professional rates for their work and they win cash bonuses of $500-$1000 depending on their placement. AND, at the end of the year, they are flown to Hollywood for an exclusive week-long work shop and a black-tie awards ceremony where their receive a trophy. One of the authors and artists are awarded the Golden Pen and Golden Brush awards long with an additional $5,000.

The judges are amazing authors and artists, including Brandon Sanderson, Orson Scott Card, Kevin J. Anderson, Nnedi Okorafor, Larry Niven, Jody Lynn Nye, Katherine Kurtz, Dean Wesley Smith, Robert J. Sawyer, Todd McCaffrey, and many others.

There have been over 500 past winners and published finalists of the Writing Contest that have gone to publish over 1,800 novels and nearly 6,200 short stories and 33 New York Times bestsellers. Their works have sold over 60 million copies with new releases each year.

The 370 Illustrator Contest winners have produced over 6,000 illustrations, 360 comic books, 624 book and album covers, and contributed to 68 TV shows and 40 major movies.

Several notable winners and finalists include Brandon Sanderson, Nnedi Okorafor, Sean Williams, Patrick Rothfuss, Jo Beverly, Eric Flint and many many more.

So, if you are a writer, I suggest you check it out and submit a short story.

If you are a reader… what better to find the hot new talent than a contest where the judges have already selected the best of the best?!

I suggest picking up one of all the books.

Here are the quick links to the new book and resources:

Writers of Future Volume 38 Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09VXXCP5T

Writers of the Future Kindle Collection: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XXCD2DQ

Writing Contest Rules  https://www.writersofthefuture.com/contest-rules-writers/

Enter the Writing Contest https://www.writersofthefuture.com/enter-writer-contest/

Free Writing Workshop https://www.writersofthefuture.com/writing-workshop/

Writing Podcast: https://www.writersofthefuture.com/podcast/

Contest Judges: https://www.writersofthefuture.com/writer-judges/

List of Writers of the Future & L. Ron Hubbard books https://galaxypress.com/l-ron-hubbard-books/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WotFContest/

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