Where do the Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Come From?

HOLLYWOOD, Calif., Nov. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Ever wondered where all those science fiction and fantasy stories come from?

A 25-year survey of entries to the global L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest shows that California, New York, Texas and Florida top the list for total entries respectively.

The contest, now in its 26th year, recognizes new and upcoming writers of speculative fiction.

In making the announcement, K.D. Wentworth, Writers of the Future Contest coordinating judge said, "It makes sense that states that are the most related to the space program or high-tech industry would have the most interest in science fiction and fantasy."

TOP TEN STATES IN VOLUME OF WRITERS ENTERING THE CONTEST

1. California (leads the pack by double than #2)
2. New York
3. Texas
4. Florida
5. Illinois
6. Pennsylvania
7. Ohio
8. Washington
9. Michigan
10. New Jersey
    

The judges of the contest, famous genre writers themselves, are primarily scientists or Techno related, but it is not a given. Dr. Jerry Pournelle (The Mote in God's Eye), Eric Kotani (The Island Worlds) and Doug Beason (Ignition) all work or have worked at NASA or the space program in some capacity. Dr. Gregory Benford (Timescape) teaches science at UC Irvine, and Kevin J. Anderson was at Livermore Laboratories before writing became his full time job. They all write science fiction.

You do not have to be a rocket scientist however, to write good science fiction.

Wentworth (Black-on-Black) herself was a school teacher with a BA in English Liberal Arts, Dave Farland (The Runelords) was a prison security guard. Both are New York Times bestselling or award winning science fiction writers.

"The single most critical component in becoming a science fiction writer is you have to love to learn about the way the world works," Wentworth also said recently at a writers conference in which she was a guest speaker.

The Writers of the Future Contest began in 1984 and attracts entries worldwide in science fiction and fantasy. Twelve quarterly winners receive prize monies and, along with selected finalists, are published in an annual anthology, L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future (Galaxy Press).

Founded by multiple New York Times' best-selling author L. Ron Hubbard, the merit-based Writers of the Future Contest was begun to discover and encourage talented beginning writers of science fiction and fantasy.

Wentworth recommends that prospective writers visit www.writersofthefuture.com for more information on how to enter the contest.