TOP TEN Captains in Science Fiction: Commanders of the Final Frontier

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Science fiction has gifted us with some of the most iconic captains ever to helm starships, spacecraft, or even entire space colonies. These leaders are more than just skilled pilots—they are tacticians, diplomats, and charismatic figures who guide their crews through the darkest of voids and the toughest of challenges. Here, we celebrate some of the best captains in science fiction, the ones who made us believe in their vision and follow them into the great unknown.

1. Captain Jean-Luc Picard

(Star Trek: The Next Generation)

A figure synonymous with wisdom, diplomacy, and moral integrity, Jean-Luc Picard (played by Patrick Stewart) stands as one of the most revered captains in sci-fi history. As captain of the USS Enterprise-D, Picard balanced the role of explorer, protector, and negotiator, often preferring to solve conflicts through intellect and dialogue rather than violence. His famous phrase, "Make it so," underscores his calm authority. Picard’s style is measured and cerebral, making him a compelling figure of command.

Curious about the years before Picard grew into his role as a legendary commander? Check out The Lost Era: The Buried Age here on Amazon.

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2. Captain Malcolm Reynolds

(Firefly)

Malcolm “Mal” Reynolds (played by Nathan Fillion) from Firefly and the movie Serenity is a vastly different type of captain. A grizzled war veteran turned smuggler, Mal is the embodiment of the rogue anti-hero. He leads the crew of the Serenity spaceship, a ragtag band of misfits, through a hostile universe dominated by the totalitarian Alliance. Mal’s charm comes from his deep sense of loyalty to his crew and from his moral code, even if it doesn’t always align with society's rules. Tough, gritty, and often hilarious, Mal is the sci-fi equivalent of a Western outlaw captain.

Dive into this universe and read more about Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds in Big Damn Hero: The First Firefly here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

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3. Captain James T. Kirk

(Star Trek: The Original Series)

Captain Kirk (played by William Shatner) is often seen as the template for the quintessential space hero. Daring, bold, and more than willing to leap into action, Kirk epitomized the frontier mentality of Star Trek in its earliest days. With his intuitive decision-making and penchant for adventure, Kirk was often at the heart of dangerous missions and interstellar diplomacy. His leadership style often blended charm, quick thinking, and a healthy dose of swagger, making him a favorite among classic sci-fi fans.

Want to learn more about Captain Kirk? Check out The Autobiography of James T. Kirk available here on Amazon.

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4. Admiral William Adama

(Battlestar Galactica)

William Adama (played by Edward James Olmos) is the no-nonsense military leader of the Battlestar Galactica. As a commander tasked with protecting the last remnants of humanity from the relentless Cylons, Adama is a captain defined by his intense sense of duty. He is a master strategist and an unwavering leader, yet he is also a deeply emotional character who struggles with the weight of responsibility. His paternal care for his crew and his complex relationship with his son, Lee, added rich layers to his portrayal. Adama's strong moral compass and dedication make him one of the most memorable military captains in sci-fi.

Ready for an epic binge? Check out Edward James Olmos' performance of this iconic Admiral in season one of Battlestar Galactica here on Amazon Prime.

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5. Captain Kathryn Janeway

(Star Trek: Voyager)

Captain Janeway (played by Kate Mulgrew) was the first woman to lead a Star Trek series as the captain of the USS Voyager. Stranded in the distant Delta Quadrant, Janeway had to guide her crew home through uncharted territory and face new, often hostile alien species. She balanced compassion with firmness, making difficult decisions in a desperate situation while holding true to the Federation’s values. Janeway’s intellect, bravery, and resourcefulness proved that she was every bit the leader her predecessors were, cementing her status as one of the best captains in the genre.

Discover the fascinating life story of Captain Kathryn Janeway in Mosaic (Star Trek: Voyager) here on Amazon.

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6. Captain Han Solo

(Star Wars)

While not a traditional military captain, Han Solo (played by Harrison Ford) earned his reputation as one of the most beloved space captains in sci-fi. As the captain of the Millennium Falcon, Solo combined the swashbuckling charm of a pirate with the grit of a seasoned fighter. Though often motivated by profit, Han ultimately became a hero in the Rebel Alliance, using his smuggling skills to help take down the Empire. His transition from a selfish rogue to a leader who would risk everything for his friends and the greater good adds depth to his character, making him one of the most iconic captains in popular culture.

Read more about Han Solo in Honor Among Thieves: Star Wars Legends available here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

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7. Captain Kara "Starbuck" Thrace

(Battlestar Galactica)

While Kara Thrace, known as “Starbuck” (played by Katee Sackhoff), might not start off as a traditional captain in Battlestar Galactica, she quickly rises to prominence as one of the most capable and complex characters in the series. A hot-headed, rebellious pilot with unmatched skills, Starbuck’s journey from pilot to leader is filled with personal and external conflicts. Her fierce independence and struggle with authority eventually shape her into a formidable captain figure. Starbuck is compelling because she embodies both chaos and strength, making her leadership dynamic and unpredictable.

Watch Kara Thrace's rise to captain in season two of Battlestar Galactica here on Amazon Prime.

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8. Captain Lando Calrissian

(Star Wars)

Lando Calrissian (played by Billy Dee Williams) is the charismatic former smuggler turned Rebel Alliance general. While not initially a full-fledged captain in the sense of leading a starship, his role as the captain of the Millennium Falcon during the Battle of Endor places him in this category. Lando’s smooth charm, strategic thinking, and ability to command a diverse team in critical situations make him one of the most endearing and memorable captains in the Star Wars saga.

Read more about Captain Lando Calrissian in The Lando Calrissian Adventures here on Amazon.

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9. Captain Benjamin Sisko

(Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)

Captain Benjamin Sisko (played by Avery Brooks) stands out as one of the most complex captains in Star Trek. Unlike others, he commands the space station Deep Space Nine, dealing with political intrigue and the Dominion War, where he often faces tough moral choices. His dual role as both a military leader and the spiritual Emissary to the Prophets adds depth, blending duty and faith. Sisko’s strength, sense of responsibility to his crew, and personal bond with his son Jake make him a uniquely powerful and multifaceted leader.

Read more about this celebrated captain in The Autobiography of Benjamin Sisko here on Amazon.

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10. Captain John Sheridan

(Babylon 5)

Captain John Sheridan (played by Bruce Boxleitner) from Babylon 5 is one of the most influential and inspiring leaders in sci-fi television. As the commander of the space station Babylon 5, Sheridan is at the center of intergalactic diplomacy and war. He is a skilled strategist, guiding his station through the tumultuous Shadow War and the Earth Alliance Civil War, balancing military leadership with diplomacy and rebellion when necessary. Sheridan’s courage, sense of justice, and willingness to sacrifice for the greater good define his command, making him a beloved figure among his crew and allies. His leadership played a key role in uniting disparate races and bringing peace to a fractured galaxy.

Watch Babylon 5 here on Amazon Prime.

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In science fiction, the role of a captain is about far more than steering a ship through the stars. These leaders are responsible for the lives of their crew and for navigating moral, political, and existential dilemmas. Whether it’s Picard’s diplomacy, Kirk’s daring, or Mal’s rebellious spirit, each of these captains brings something unique to the table, embodying leadership in ways that resonate far beyond the boundaries of their fictional worlds.

Who’s your favorite captain? Let the debate begin!

Join the conversation in the DSF Reader Group on Facebook.

DANIEL ARENSON

DANIEL ARENSON

Daniel Arenson is a bookworm, proud geek, and USA Today bestselling author of fantasy and science fiction. His novels have sold over a million copies. He's written over sixty novels in multiple series.

Celebrate Spooky Season With These Scary Sci-Fi Horror Books!

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Turn the lights down if you dare... Just in time for spooky season, these sci-fi picks are guaranteed to give a scare! 

As the nights grow longer and the shadows deepen, there is no better time to dive into the eerie intersection of horror and science fiction. 

In this chilling sub-genre, the terror doesn’t just lurk in haunted houses or dark forests — it extends into the vast unknowns of space, the hidden dimensions of reality, and the strange creatures born of scientific experiments gone wrong. 

Whether your a fan of classic, slow-building dread, or you prefer edge-of-your-seat, pulse-pounding thrills, this roundup of horror sci-fi books will have something to haunt your dreams!

Scroll down to discover some of the most terrifying tales blending science and suspense. 

P.S. Don’t forget to leave the lights on! 

The Stand by Stephen King

A patient escapes from a biological testing facility, unknowingly carrying a deadly weapon: a mutated strain of super-flu that will wipe out 99 percent of the world’s population within a few weeks. Those who remain are scared, bewildered, and in need of a leader. Two emerge—Mother Abagail, the benevolent 108-year-old woman who urges them to build a peaceful community in Boulder, Colorado; and Randall Flagg, the nefarious “Dark Man,” who delights in chaos and violence. As the dark man and the peaceful woman gather power, the survivors will have to choose between them—and ultimately decide the fate of all humanity.

Read The Stand  here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook

Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant 

The ocean is home to many myths,

But some are deadly. . .

Seven years ago the Atargatis set off on a voyage to the Mariana Trench to film a mockumentary bringing to life ancient sea creatures of legend. It was lost at sea with all hands. Some have called it a hoax; others have called it a tragedy.

Now a new crew has been assembled. But this time they're not out to entertain. Some seek to validate their life's work. Some seek the greatest hunt of all. Some seek the truth. But for the ambitious young scientist Victoria Stewart this is a voyage to uncover the fate of the sister she lost.

Whatever the truth may be, it will only be found below the waves.

But the secrets of the deep come with a price.

Read Into the Drowning Deep here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook

Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer

Area X has been cut off from the rest of the continent for decades. Nature has reclaimed the last vestiges of human civilization. The first expedition returned with reports of a pristine, Edenic landscape; the second expedition ended in mass suicide; the third expedition in a hail of gunfire as its members turned on one another. The members of the eleventh expedition returned as shadows of their former selves, and within weeks, all had died of cancer. In Annihilation, the first volume of Jeff VanderMeer's Southern Reach trilogy, we join the twelfth expedition.

Read Annihilation here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling

When Gyre Price lied her way into this expedition, she thought she’d be mapping mineral deposits, and that her biggest problems would be cave collapses and gear malfunctions. She also thought that the fat paycheck—enough to get her off-planet and on the trail of her mother—meant she’d get a skilled surface team, monitoring her suit and environment, keeping her safe. Keeping her sane.

Instead, she got Em.

Em sees nothing wrong with controlling Gyre’s body with drugs or withholding critical information to “ensure the smooth operation” of her expedition. Em knows all about Gyre’s falsified credentials, and has no qualms using them as a leash—and a lash. And Em has secrets, too . . .

As Gyre descends, little inconsistencies—missing supplies, unexpected changes in the route, and, worst of all, shifts in Em’s motivations—drive her out of her depths. Lost and disoriented, Gyre finds her sense of control giving way to paranoia and anger. On her own in this mysterious, deadly place, surrounded by darkness and the unknown, Gyre must overcome more than just the dangerous terrain and the Tunneler which calls underground its home if she wants to make it out alive—she must confront the ghosts in her own head.

But how come she can’t shake the feeling she’s being followed?

Read The Luminous Dead here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

Greatest Hits (Herald Classics) by Harlan Ellison

As one of the great writers of speculative fiction of the twentieth century, Harlan Ellison shaped the science fiction, fantasy, and horror genres.  This inventive and provocative collection of his best-known and most-acclaimed stories is a perfect treasury for old Ellison fans as well as readers discovering this zany, polyphonic writer for the first time.

Featuring these stories and many more: 
  • “‘Repent, Harlequin,’ Said the Ticktockman” — Hugo Award winner
  • “I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream” — Bram Stoker Award winner
  • “Mefisto in Onyx” — Bram Stoker Award winner
  • “Jeffty Is Five” — British Fantasy Award winner
  • “Shatterday” — Twilight Zone episode
  • “The Whimper of Whipped Dogs” — Edgar Allan Poe Award winner
  • “Paladin of the Lost Hour” — Hugo Award winner, Twilight Zone episode

 Grab Greatest Hits here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

Cursed Bunny by Bora Chung Translated by Anton Hur 

From an author never before published in the United States, Cursed Bunny is unique and imaginative, blending horror, sci-fi, fairy tales, and speculative fiction into stories that defy categorization. By turns thought-provoking and stomach-turning, here monsters take the shapes of furry woodland creatures and danger lurks in unexpected corners of everyday apartment buildings. But in this unforgettable collection, translated by the acclaimed Anton Hur, Chung’s absurd, haunting universe could be our own.
 
“The Head” follows a woman haunted by her own bodily waste. “The Embodiment” takes us into a dystopian gynecology office where a pregnant woman is told that she must find a father for her baby or face horrific consequences. Another story follows a young monster, forced into underground fight rings without knowing his own power. The titular fable centers on a cursed lamp in the shape of a rabbit, fit for a child’s bedroom but for its sinister capabilities.
 
No two stories are alike, and readers will be torn whether to race through them or savor Chung’s wit and frenetic energy on every page. Cursed Bunny is a book that screams to be read late into the night and passed on to the nearest set of hands the very next day. 

“Like the work of Carmen Maria Machado and Aoko Matsuda, Chung’s stories are so wonderfully, blisteringly strange and powerful that it's almost impossible to put Cursed Bunny down.” ―Kelly Link, bestselling author of Get In Trouble

Get your copy of Cursed Bunny here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

Blood Music by Greg Bear

This Hugo and Nebula Award finalist follows present-day events in which the fears concerning the nuclear annihilation of the world subsided after the Cold War and the fear of chemical warfare spilled over into the empty void it left behind. An amazing breakthrough in genetic engineering made by Vergil Ulam is considered too dangerous for further research, but rather than destroy his work, he injects himself with his creation and walks out of his lab, unaware of just how his actions will change the world. Author Greg Bear’s treatment of the traditional tale of scientific hubris is both suspenseful and a compelling portrait of a new intelligence emerging amongst us, irrevocably changing our world. 

Grab Blood Music  here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

Blindsight by Peter Watts 

Two months since the stars fell...

Two months of silence, while a world held its breath.

Now some half-derelict space probe, sparking fitfully past Neptune's orbit, hears a whisper from the edge of the solar system: a faint signal sweeping the cosmos like a lighthouse beam. Whatever's out there isn't talking to us. It's talking to some distant star, perhaps. Or perhaps to something closer, something en route.

So who do you send to force introductions with unknown and unknowable alien intellect that doesn't wish to be met?

You send a linguist with multiple personalities, her brain surgically partitioned into separate, sentient processing cores. You send a biologist so radically interfaced with machinery that he sees x-rays and tastes ultrasound. You send a pacifist warrior in the faint hope she won't be needed. You send a monster to command them all, an extinct hominid predator once called vampire, recalled from the grave with the voodoo of recombinant genetics and the blood of sociopaths. And you send a synthesist—an informational topologist with half his mind gone—as an interface between here and there.

Pray they can be trusted with the fate of a world. They may be more alien than the thing they've been sent to find.

Dive into Blindsight here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read
 
The original 1818 text of Frankenstein preserves the hard-hitting and politically-charged aspects of Shelley’s original writing, as well as her unflinching wit and strong female voice. This edition also emphasizes Shelley’s relationship with her mother—trailblazing feminist Mary Wollstonecraft, who penned A Vindication of the Rights of Woman—and demonstrates her commitment to carrying forward her mother’s ideals, placing her in the context of a feminist legacy rather than the sole female in the company of male poets, including Percy Shelley and Lord Byron.
 
This edition includes a new introduction and suggestions for further reading by National Book Critics Circle award-winner and Shelley expert Charlotte Gordon, literary excerpts and reviews selected by Gordon, and a chronology and essay by preeminent Shelley scholar Charles E. Robinson.

Get your copy of Frankenstein here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

The Girl With All the Gifts by M.R. Carey

Melanie is a very special girl. Dr Caldwell calls her "our little genius."
Every morning, Melanie waits in her cell to be collected for class. When they come for her, Sergeant keeps his gun pointing at her while two of his people strap her into the wheelchair. She thinks they don't like her. She jokes that she won't bite, but they don't laugh.

The Girl With All the Gifts is a groundbreaking thriller, emotionally charged and gripping from beginning to end.

Start reading The Girl With All the Gifts here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

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I Am Legend by Richard Matheson

Winner of the Bram Stoker Lifetime Achievement Award for best vampire novel of the century: the genre-defining classic of horror sci-fi that inspired three films.
 
The population of the entire world has been obliterated by a pandemic of vampire bacteria. Yet somehow, Robert Neville survived. He must now struggle to make sense of what happened and learn to protect himself against the vampires who hunt him nightly.
 
As months of scavenging and hiding turn to years marked by depression and alcoholism, Robert spends his days hunting his tormentors and researching the cause of their affliction. But the more he discovers about the vampires around him, the more he sees the unsettling truth of who is—and who is not—a monster.

Grab I Am Legend here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

Thrum by Meg Smitherman

Ami awakes from years in stasis to find she’s at the edges of deep space, and the only surviving member of her crew. Utterly alone and unable to contact Earth, she sends out a distress beacon, not expecting a response. When she gets one from a being who calls himself Dorian, she’s welcomed onto his ship as he offers his assistance in any way he can. But nothing on Dorian’s ship is as it seems. And as Ami tries to navigate the maze of hallways and first contact with this alien being, a deep hum begins to resonate, haunting her, as if the ship itself is whispering to her.

Grab Thrum here on Amazon. 

Exoskeleton by Shane Stadler 

A man is convicted of a horrible crime and submits to a one-year experimental corrections program rather than serve a 25-year prison sentence. He soon learns that he has made a terrible mistake … Just as he is on the verge of losing all hope for survival, something unexpected occurs that transforms him into something that transcends human limitations.

Exoskeleton is equal parts sci-fi, psycho-horror, and supernatural-thriller.

Grab Exoskeleton here on Amazon. 

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Carrion Comfort by Dan Simmons 

Embraced by giants such as Stephen King and Dean R. Koontz, Dan Simmons's Carrion Comfort was originally published by Warner Books in 1989, and remains a classic of dark fantasy and horror.

"One of the three greatest horror novels of the 20th century. Simple as that." --Stephen King

THE PAST... Caught behind the lines of Hitler's Final Solution, Saul Laski is one of the multitudes destined to die in the notorious Chelmno extermination camp. Until he rises to meet his fate and finds himself face to face with an evil far older, and far greater, than the Nazi's themselves…

THE PRESENT... Compelled by the encounter to survive at all costs, so begins a journey that for Saul will span decades and cross continents, plunging into the darkest corners of 20th century history to reveal a secret society of beings who may often exist behind the world's most horrible and violent events. Killing from a distance, and by darkly manipulative proxy, they are people with the psychic ability to 'use' humans: read their minds, subjugate them to their wills, experience through their senses, feed off their emotions, force them to acts of unspeakable aggression. Each year, three of the most powerful of this hidden order meet to discuss their ongoing campaign of induced bloodshed and deliberate destruction.

But this reunion, something will go terribly wrong. Saul's quest is about to reach its elusive object, drawing hunter and hunted alike into a struggle that will plumb the depths of mankind's attraction to violence, and determine the future of the world itself…

Get your copy of Carrion Comfort here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

Sphere by Michael Crichton

From the author of Jurassic Park, Timeline, and Congo comes a psychological thriller about a group of scientists who investigate a spaceship discovered on the ocean floor.

In the middle of the South Pacific, a thousand feet below the surface, a huge vessel is unearthed. Rushed to the scene is a team of American scientists who descend together into the depths to investigate the astonishing discovery. What they find defies their imaginations and mocks their attempts at logical explanation. It is a spaceship, but apparently it is undamaged by its fall from the sky. And, most startling, it appears to be at least three hundred years old, containing a terrifying and destructive force that must be controlled at all costs.

Grab Sphere here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.


Which of these horror sci-fi books are you brave enough to tackle next? Are there any spine-chilling reads that we missed in this roundup? Let us know in the comments below or head over to the Discover Sci-Fi Facebook group to share your favorite terrifying tales! 

*All book-related copy in this post was pulled from Amazon, Goodreads & Wikipedia, unless otherwise credited.

Five Books Aspiring Authors Should Read

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I’ve been writing a long time. The most important tool that any writer can have is to be widely read. Not only will you pick up useful tips on the craft itself, but you will see what is out there in your particular genre. Seeing the way that writers handle plot twists, character development, and world building will help you to make decisions about which way you want your own work to go. Writing inspires more than just readers. It gives guidance to the next generation of writers on what is possible to achieve. I’ve enjoyed these books, and found so much in them that gave me ideas to continue with my own work. I hope that you will enjoy them, too.

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King

There are a million books out there on writing, but none of them can really teach you how to be a writer. King’s book is really a story of his own writing journey. He outlines the parts of writing, and makes you think about why you are using certain elements. Not enough people understand writing as a day job, and that’s the first thing King covers. Through the first part of the book, you’ll feel as if you spent an afternoon with a good friend regaling you with stories of his childhood. Then, he gets down to business and offers solid writing advice. So much of it will stick with you long after you put the book down, and some of it will bubble up in your mind while you are writing. He’s known as one of the best in the business for good reason. (By the way, he recommends Strunck and White’s The Elements of Style as a staple for your reference bookshelf, and so do I.)

Read On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft  here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

Nine Tomorrows by Isaac Asimov

This was the first book I read that made me know I was reading science fiction. The concluding story, “The Ugly Little Boy,” is such an important story in science fiction that another great writer, Robert Silverberg, expanded it into a novel in 1991. Asimov had a gift for placing his ideas into the reader’s mind without seeming to pass through the printed word. As a stylist, it’s hard to beat him. He is still (as far as I know) the most prolific writer in the speculative fiction genre, ranging from science fiction books and short stories, young adult books, mysteries (both science fiction and mainstream), epics (The Foundation series in particular), non-fiction books and articles about every branch of science in existence in his lifetime, and joke collections. But I’ve always remembered how awestruck I felt when I read Nine Tomorrows.

Read Nine Tomorrows here on Amazon.

The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin

Part of Ms. Le Guin’s Hainish universe, The Left Hand of Darkness explores a culture in which gender doesn’t matter. The people of Gethen only exhibit sexual characteristics once a month, but are otherwise androgynous. Published in 1969, this book was groundbreaking literature, making readers consider how behavioral expectations are so often based upon gender stereotypes. Le Guin wrote a good deal about the psychology and sociology of her worlds more than the technology, but is also responsible for having invented the ansible, a device which allowed real-time communication across galactic distances.

Read The Left Hand of Darkness here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

Like what you're reading?

If you're enjoying this list of fall sci-fi releases, why not join the DSF community for more awesome content? You'll get to be notified whenever a top 10 list or any other articles of interest go up on our site. It's free to sign up and you'll also get recommendations for new releases and discounted ebooks from our expert editorial team, from bestsellers to hidden gems.

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

This is the newest novel in my list, but I include it instead of Mr. Weir’s more famous book, The Martian, because it is more multi-layered in its approach to character and story development. It takes reveal after reveal for the reader to understand the main character, Ryland Grace, and his situation. Throughout the book, Weir loads a ton of science onto the reader. It feels overwhelming while you read it, but all of it is necessary to understand the crisis Grace left Earth to solve, how Grace survived, and how he sets about dealing with the problems that he faces – and you do understand it when you need to. Like in The Martian, he adds touches of humor on top of the harrowing circumstances. It has four successive “endings,” each of which a lesser writer might have used as the conclusion to their story, but only adds to the satisfaction of reading it. If you plan to write hard science fiction, read this to see how a master informs his reader without losing them in the process.

Grab Project Hail Mary here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

The Tough Guide to Fantasyland: The Essential Guide to Fantasy Travel by Diana Wynne Jones

And I don’t want to forget fantasy fans and aspiring writers thereof. This book made me laugh sheepishly all the way through. It appears to be a gazetteer for traveling through the world of fantasy literature – all fantasy books are set in the same place, don’t you know? – but it’s a useful writing guide as well. It makes shameless fun of the tropes that have become common in those books. Nearly all writers will find something in here that they have added to their epics without thinking about it (i.e. stew.) Laughter makes it easy to absorb and accept the faults in our writing. This book had been unavailable for a long while, but it’s back in a new edition. I advise you to check it out.

Grab The Tough Guide to Fantasyland here on Amazon.

Bonus reads: L. Ron Hubbard Presents the Writers of the Future

I have been the coordinating judge of the Writers of the Future Contest since 2022, and I am very proud of the anthologies the contest has produced. In each of these books, you will find excellent stories by twelve writers who may not be famous yet, but deserve to be. The contest has been running for over forty years now, and has given their first major publication to a number of notable authors, including the last man in my job, fantasy writer David Farland, as well as Patrick Rothfuss, Nnedi Okorafor, Eric Flint, K.D. Wentworth, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, Susan Kroupa, and Dean Wesley Smith. These are the best of the best of thousands of entries, featuring space exploration, fantasy epics, romance, humor, dystopia, artificial intelligence, and first contact stories. Pick up any one of the forty volumes, and I am sure you will find plenty to enjoy.

Grab Writers of the Future here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

JODY LYNN NYE

Jody Lynn Nye lists her main career activity as ‘spoiling cats.’ When not engaged upon this worthy occupation, she writes fantasy and science fiction, most of it in a humorous bent. Since 1987 she has published over 50 books and more than 200 short stories. She has also written with notables in the industry, including Anne McCaffrey and Robert Asprin. Jody teaches writing seminars at SF conventions, including the two-day intensive workshop at Dragon Con, and is Coordinating Judge for the Writers of the Future Contest.