L. Ron Hubbard Achievement Awards Go to Top Writers, Illustrators of the Future

		L. RON HUBBARD ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS Winners of the L. Ron Hubbard Writers and Illustrators of the Future Contest see their stories and art in print for the very first time at the gala awards ceremony at Author Services Inc. in Hollywood. The 17th edition of L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future, the best selling speculative fiction anthology, is a collection of the winning stories and illustrations judged by some of the top names in the field. The winners received prize money and an all-expense-paid week in Hollywood attending workshops to help launch their careers. Over the last 17 years this contest has boosted 150 new writers and the Hubbard Gold Award has become one of the three most prestigious awards in the genre. (PRNewsFoto)[AF] HOLLYWOOD, CA USA

HOLLYWOOD, Calif., Aug. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Winners of the internationally acclaimed Writers and Illustrators of the Future Contests for new and aspiring writers and illustrators of science fiction and fantasy -- from throughout the United States and Canada and countries ranging from England and Australia to Bulgaria and the Ukraine -- have been honored here at the 17th annual L. Ron Hubbard Achievement Awards. (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20010814/LATUFNS2 ) Ten New York Times and national bestselling authors, stars of film and television, and leading figures in the fields of science and space technology, speculative fiction, and art and entertainment were among the famed participants and guests at the ceremonies. Twenty-four contest winners -- 17 writers and 7 illustrators -- received awards during the event at the L. Ron Hubbard Gallery in Hollywood. The contests for the best new creative talent in the field of science fiction, fantasy and horror are the largest and most successful merit competitions of their kind in the world, with cash prizes totaling nearly $30,000. The event also honored noted science fiction author and editor Algis Budrys with this year's coveted L. Ron Hubbard Lifetime Achievement Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Arts. Mr. Budrys is the Founding Coordinating Judge of the Contest and editor of its award-winning annual anthology. Headlining the list of presenter notables were Academy Award nominee and Golden Globe Award winner Karen Black ("Five Easy Pieces," "Nashville," "The Great Gatsby"), Babylon 5 star Patricia Tallman, Marisol Nichols (Resurrection Blvd.), Denice Duff (The Young and the Restless), Justin Whalin ("Dungeons and Dragons"), Emmy and Golden Globe-winning composer Mark Isham, producer Robert Katz ("Selena," "Gettysburg," "Introducing Dorothy Dandridge"), Dr. Robert Jastrow, author, physicist and director of the Mt. Wilson Observatory, and Stephan Nagiewicz, executive director of the famed Explorers Club. The marquee roster of bestselling authors participating in the Hubbard Achievement Awards ceremonies -- all among the foremost writers in the field of speculative fiction and all judges of the Writers of the Future Contest -- included Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle, Tim Powers, Frederik Pohl, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, K.D. Wentworth, Dr. Doug Beason, White House consultant to the President's Science Advisor in the Bush and Clinton administrations and Dr. Yoji Kondo, leading astrophysicist and recipient of the NASA Medal for Exceptional Scientific Achievement. Top-ranking artists and Illustrators of the Future Contest judges participating included Vincent Di Fate, Ron and Val Lakey-Lindahn, Judith Holman and 1991 Illustrator Grand Prize winner Sergey Poyarkov. The culmination of his life-long commitment to helping other writers, L. Ron Hubbard established the Writers of the Future Contest in 1983 to provide "a means for new and budding writers to have a chance for their creative efforts to be seen and acknowledged." The companion Illustrators of the Future Contest was inaugurated in 1988 to do for beginning artists in the field of speculative fiction what the earlier contest had done for writers. Capping the ceremonies was the awarding of the Hubbard Gold Award Grand Prizes -- including $4,000 in cash -- to the top winners in each contest. Receiving the grand prize for the 2000 "Story of the Year" was Meredith Simmons of Wilson, North Carolina. The "Illustrator of the Year" prize went to Andy B. Clarkson of Columbus, Ohio. The event also was highlighted by the release of "L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future - Vol. XVII" (Bridge Publications), the yearly original anthology of never-before published winning stories and accompanying illustrations, and the premiere international showcase for the best new writers and illustrators of speculative fiction. Winners of the Writers of the Future Contest, alone, have collectively gone on to publish more than 250 novels -- including New York Times and international bestsellers -- and to sell over 2,000 short stories in the field of science fiction and fantasy as well as other major genres. During his own international bestselling, 55-year career as a professional writer, L. Ron Hubbard published over 250 works of fiction in genres ranging from adventure, western and mystery to science fiction and fantasy. His 15 New York Times and world-wide fiction bestsellers include his science fiction epic "Battlefield Earth," voted the #1 science fiction novel of the 20th century by the American Book Readers Association and one of the top three English language novels of the 20th century by the Modern Library Readers Poll.