September 2021 - Gary David Gillen

Introduction

Murder by Other Means by John Scalzi is about Tony Valdez, who is a legal professional murderer. In the future, people who are murdered come back to life in the place where they find most comforting. People who commit suicide and have natural deaths stay dead. 99.99% of all Murder victims return to life naked but alive. So, murderers can keep people from dying an eternal death. Times are tough for dispatchers because legitimate jobs are scarce. Tony needs money, and he takes a shady deal that goes wrong. They implicate Tony in a robbery scheme and people are dying without being murdered. Will Tony discover the criminal’s plans before they kill him by other means?

Summary

Murder by Other Means by John Scalzi is the second book of the Dispatcher series. In the first book, The Dispatcher, someone has kidnapped one of Tony’s colleagues, another dispatcher. Tony must rescue him, or his colleague may be killed and stay dead. Tony searches for him even though Tony faces his eternal death.

They set this novella in Chicago like the previous novella. Tony lost his role with the Chicago PD and needs money, so he takes a risky job. Mr. Peng is from China and wants a quick way home. Tony can provide that for him. He got the job from Lloyd Barnes, a Chicago lawyer. The translator is Mister Chen. Tony performs the dispatch.

Tony is at the bank and becomes involved in a robbery scheme in which he becomes implicated. People die in unusual ways. Tony has to unravel the mystery or he will be the next person to die and not come back.

Recommendation

Murder by Other Means by John Scalzi was originally only released as an Audible audiobook in 2020. I read the hardback novella published by Subterranean Press in 2021. The book is 191 pages long. This, the second story of the Dispatcher series, explores another ramification of the murder mechanism that rules this world. How would you murder someone without murdering them? The solution made sense. It was an enjoyable thriller.

Links

Murder by Other Means by John Scalzi is Book #2 of the Dispatcher Series

This is the link to The Dispatcher’s Goodreads page.

John Scalzi read the first chapter in his work in progress, the Dispatcher 2, at the science fiction conference ConFusion in Detroit on January 19, 2019. This is a link to my recap of the conference and John Scalzi’s reading.

The Dispatcher by John Scalzi is a police procedural set in the future where murder victims return to life. Dispatchers commit legalized murder. Will Dispatcher Tony Valdez look for his kidnapped friend even though Tony may face his eternal death?

Writing Progress Report September 2021.

This is my Writing Progress Report September 2021.

On August 21, 2021, I took a hike in Liberty Park, Twinsburg, Ohio. This picture is of one of the ledges found at the park.

Writing Progress from August 2021.

I wrote three blog posts for garydavidgillen.com including my writing progress report for August 2021, linked below.

Writing Progress Report August 2021

In August 2021, I submitted Chapter 13 of my novel titled Cuba Liberto to the Novel Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio, library.

In August 2021, I submitted my story Are you Worthy to the Introductory Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio, library.

I completed the first draft of my novel Assassin in New Marl City in July 2018, totaling 99,981 words and 36 chapters. Completed pre-second draft (30 chapters long) in December 2018 at 89,072 words. Finished the second draft edits in December 2019 to complete the second draft edit. I started writing a new chapter 1 in February 2020 and finished it in April 2020. The third draft will have 32 Chapters, and I finished the third draft edits on Chapter 3 in July 2020.

Writing Progress from August 2021 Continued

I made five posts on my Goodreads account in August 2021.

In the past, I submitted the stories; Four Humors, Space Station Sunyata, and Grognard to magazines.

The seven Flash Fiction Stories I have submitted in 2020 were Space-Dog Confession, Sleeping Sickness, Caliburnus, and Popular Mechanics Re-brewed, Wormhole Generator, Runs with Scissors, and Principled Rogue to magazines.

Magazine submissions for 2021 are 4 unique stories submitted 4 times, with 0 accepted, 0 pending, and 4 rejections.

Events from August 2021.

No events to report this month.

Writing Goals for September 2021.

I plan to write four blog posts for garydavidgillen.com including my Writing Progress Report for September 2021.

The title of the novel I am working on is Cuba Liberto. The first draft of the piece was a screenplay. My plan for the rewrite is 26 Chapters. I plan to complete writing Chapter 14 in September 2021 and submit it to the Novel Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio, library.

In September 2021, I plan to submit a story to the Introductory Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio, library.

In September 2021, I plan to submit my story, Game Dome, to the Wednesday Fiction Writing Workshop at SouthEuclid/Lyndhurst, Ohio library. The story will be critiqued in October 2021.

I plan to submit a story to the critters workshop in September 2021.

In October 2021, I plan to split Chapter 1 of Assassin in New Marl City into two chapters. I plan to work on these chapters and then submit both chapters to the SEL Wednesday Writing Workshop in February 2022.

I plan to work on third draft edits for Assassin in New Marl City using comments from the Novel Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio. In October 2021, I plan to complete third draft edits for renumbered Chapters 3 and 4.

Submit the stories Space-Dog Confession, Four Humors, Space Station Sunyata, Grognard, LARP Film noir, Sleeping Sickness, Popular Mechanics Re-brewed, and Caliburnus. to other short fiction magazines.

Polish and submit the stories White Bracer, Mage Squad, I Shall Not Return, Prisoner of Tarnal, and Kay-Eye for submission to short fiction magazines.

Writing Goals for September 2021 continued.

In September 2021, I plan to make five posts on my Goodreads account.

Put the novel Assassin in New Marl City into the writing program, Scrivener.

Buy an e-book cover for Assassin in New Marl City from Fiveer.

Planned Events for September 2021.

This is the next event I would like to attend.

They scheduled Washington Capclave as an in-person event for October 1 to October 3, 2021. The Washington Science Fiction Association holds the conference at the Hilton in Rockville, Maryland. I would like to attend the conference.

https://www.capclave.org/capclave/capclave21/