This month we’re celebrating National Literacy Month, not as a slogan, but as a habit: read, listen, think, share. Sometimes we turn the pages; sometimes we let a great voice or voices do the honors. Either way, literacy is how we keep our imaginations and conversations in shape.
Inside: a haunting theatrical reading of L. Ron Hubbard’s “The Devil’s Rescue,” another look into The Flying Dutchman legend, and two sharp blogs on screen time eroding connection and on the survival instincts that power dystopian fiction—both written by Writers of the Future Volume 41 winners. You’ll also catch translation news for Battlefield Earth, and weigh in on two current frontiers: mankind’s hunt for life in space and the real-world debate over brain implants.
Plus a puzzle, a caption challenge, and our staff pick of the month. However you practice literacy, thanks for reading with us.
I’d love to hear your thoughts, feedback, or ideas for future issues.
Adrift at sea, a sailor is offered salvation at a terrible cost
by Captain Vanderbeck aboard the fabled Flying Dutchman. Watch this haunting tale in a riveting 50-minute theatrical reading, or read the story and let your own imagination chart the course.
BLOGS
THE FLYING DUTCHMAN: “THE DEVIL’S RESCUE”
The legend of
theFlying Dutchman has haunted sailors for centuries, inspiring opera, film, and stories of a ship doomed to roam forever. Trace the ghost ship’s origins, cultural effects, and L. Ron Hubbard’s chilling tale
“The Devil’s Rescue,” where survival collides with damnation on the storm-tossed seas.
Read More>>
HOW SMARTPHONES AND SCREEN TIME ARE DESTROYING HUMAN CONNECTION
Smartphones are replacing conversation with screen time, eroding human connection. Guest blogger Barlow Crassmont shares observations from China, linking them to his Writers of the Future story “The Boy from Elsewhen,”
a cautionary glimpse of a future where books and dialogue vanish. Read More>>
SURVIVAL INSTINCTS AT THE HEART OF DYSTOPIAN FICTION
Guest blogger Lauren McGuire examines survival instincts in dystopian fiction—especially for women navigating motherhood, choice, and control. From
The Handmaid’s Tale to her story “Karma Birds” in
Writers of the Future Vol. 41, she shows how the genre doubles as both warning and training ground.
Read More>>
ALL THINGS BATTLEFIELD EARTH AND MISSION EARTH
Battlefield Earth in Brazilian Portuguese!
Order the two-volume large trade paperback edition in Brazilian Portuguese directly from Galaxy Press! The Battlefield Earth translations continue. Dutch and Greek are scheduled for release later this year.
Will the James Webb Telescope Lead Us to Aliens?
The telescope may have found a molecule produced only by life on exoplanet K2-18b, alongside other biosignatures. While the data is tentative, it could mark a tipping point in the search for extraterrestrial life. Read the article
here.
Brain Chips: Fiction or Future?
In Battlefield Earth, the Psychlos ruled through chips implanted in their brains. Now, real-world headlines reflect that nightmare: Neuralink’s first patient, Noland Arbaugh, controls devices with his mind through a brain implant. A marvel to some, a chilling warning to others.
NEWS IN BRIEF
Dragon Con 2025
Galaxy Press once again convinced superheroes, dragons and mere mortals at
Dragon Con that the best adventures are still to be found in books ... and a few donut holes. Next quest: FanX Salt Lake (Sept 25–27) · Frankfurt Book Fair (Oct 15–19)
· Las Vegas Cowboy Christmas (Dec 4–13).
How a Dream Became an Award-Winning Tale to be Published in 2026
When Mike Strickland wrote 5,000 words in a single day, just before the contest deadline, he never imagined the story would win Writers of the Future. Now, his tale will be published in the 2026 anthology. Read his journey here.
The Making of an Audiobook
Before pen met paper, stories were spoken. That tradition lives on in
Writers of the Future Volume 41. In Podcast Episode #325, the narrators share how they gave voice to the award-winning tales—and why storytelling still casts its spell. Listen
here.
FOR YOUR ENTERTAINMENT
YOUR JIGSAW PUZZLE & CAPTION PROMPT Piece by Piece
Aliens & Literacy
Lord Browl, the massive tree-like emissary from
Battlefield Earth, is deep in the stacks reading
A Tree Grows on Earth by Roof Arsebogger. Click
here to begin the puzzle.
Stuck? Use the preview feature for a helpful nudge.
What is running through Browl’s mind? Send a short, clever family-friendly caption and we’ll feature our favorites next month (with your initials for credit).
