February 2025 - Gary David Gillen

Confusion Detroit 2023 Conference Recap

Introduction

I attended the Confusion Detroit 2023 Conference at 21111 Haggerty Road Novi, Michigan at the Sheraton Detroit Novi from January 20, 2023, to January 22, 2023. Other Confusion Detroit I also attended were in 2019, 2020, (2021 was canceled due to COVID-19), 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025. The Ann Arbor Science Fiction Association Sponsored the conference. I attended the opening ceremonies, the guests of honor dessert reception, two panels, and three author readings. This year’s theme was Avatar: The Legend of Confusion celebrating the animated version of the Avatar TV show.

This is a link to the ConFusion website.

http://confusionsf.org/

The Ann Arbor Science Fiction Association sponsors Detroit ConFusion.

This is my badge for ConFusion Detroit 2023.

Summary

ConFusion Detroit 2023 Conference Recap

[insert summary here]

Recommendation – Conclusion

[insert recommendation here.]

Links

This is my post about ConFusion Detroit 2025 Conference from January 24 to 26, 2025. The theme was Monumental ConFusion for the 50^th time they held the event. My stars of the con were John Scalzi and Marie Vibbert.

ConFusion Detroit 2025 Conference

This is my post about the SF conference ConFusion in Detroit, Michigan from January 19 to 21, 2024. The theme was the Labyrinth of ConFusion. My star of the con was Author John Scalzi.

ConFusion Detroit 2024 Conference Recap

In January 2023, I attended the SF conference ConFusion in Detroit, Michigan. I finally completed the post here. It took awhile to find my notes on the conference.

Links Continued

I attended the SF conference ConFusion in Detroit, Michigan from January 21 to 23, 2022. The theme was Rising ConFusion. My stars of the con were Guest of Honor author Jim C. Hines and Science Guest of Honor Dr. Jordan Steckloff.

ConFusion Detroit 2022 Conference Recap

I attended the SF conference ConFusion in Detroit, Michigan from January 16 to 19, 2020. I attended four panels, two readings, and one interview. The theme of the con was How to Train Your ConFusion, based on the movie, How to Train Your Dragon. My star of the con was John Scalzi. He gave an excellent reading of Chapter Two of his upcoming book named The Last Emperox. My other highlights were Kameron Hurley’s interview and the lecture on Edible Insects and Human Evolution. I’ll be back next year.

Conference Recap ConFusion Detroit 2020

I attended the SF conference ConFusion in Detroit, Michigan from January 18 to 20, 2019. The theme of the con was Storming the ConFusion, so they chose the areas with names related to the movie The Princess Bride. I had a great drive to Detroit just before the snowstorm came. My star of the con was John Scalzi. He gave an excellent reading and was engaging in the panel I attended. My other highlights were Ada Palmer’s interview and watching The Princess Bride at the Con. I’ll be back next year.

Conference Recap ConFusion Detroit 2019

Betrayal in Winter by Daniel Abraham

Betrayal in Winter by Daniel Abraham (Book #2 of The Long Price Quartet)

Introduction

Betrayal in Winter by Daniel Abraham is the second book in the Long Price Quartet. The cities of Khaiem were part of a great Empire having great magic. Their Empire and their magic have receded, so the Empire of Galt plots to overthrow them. The Khai Machi, the leader of the city of Machi, is dying. When he dies his sons must fight each other to the death until one rules as the next Khai Machi. The Khai’s youngest son, Otah was exiled and presumed dead. Otah wants to still be hidden, but history intervenes, and he must try to survive A Betrayal in Winter or die like his father.

Summary

[Insert Summary Here]

Recommendation

Betrayal in Winter by Daniel Abraham is a great second book in a series of a different kind of fantasy. The plot is slow, there’s not much action, and characters maneuver through political and business maneuvering. There is an Asian/formal feel through the characters use of poses and their choice of honorifics. Some of the characters from the first novel appear in this novel, but the clear protagonist is Otah. The ending worked well.

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page of A Betrayal in Winter by Daniel Abraham

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/811161.A_Betrayal_in_Winter

In A Shadow in Summer by Daniel Abraham, the poet-magician Heshai must keep control of the magical creature Seedless, or the Summer Cities will fall to the Empire of Galt.

Shadow in Summer by Daniel Abraham

This is the link to my review of Persepolis Rising by James S.A. Corey. (Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck write together as James S. A. Corey in this Science Fiction series called The Expanse.)

Persepolis Rising by James S.A. Corey

Writing Progress Report February 2025

This is my Writing Progress Report February 2025.

This was the art wall at the Confusion Detroit conference which I attended from January 23, 2025, to January 26, 2025. Beware Cathulu!

Writing Progress from January 2025.

I wrote four blog posts for my website, garydavidgillen.com. One of the posts was my writing progress report for January 2025, which I linked below.

Writing Progress Report January 2025

In January 2025, I presented the short story named Bear and His Boy to the Advanced Fiction Writing Workshop on a Zoom call.

Writing Progress from January 2025 Continued

I made five posts on my Goodreads account in January 2025.

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

The seven Flash Fiction Stories I sent out in 2020 and 2021 were Space-Dog Confession, Sleeping Sickness, Caliburnus, Popular Mechanics Re-brewed, Wormhole Generator, Runs with Scissors, and Principled Rogue.

Magazine submissions for 2021 were 4 unique stories submitted 4 times, with 0 accepted, 0 pending, and 4 rejections. No submissions for 2022. None for 2023. None for 2024.

Events from January 2025.

I attended the ConFusion conference in Novi, Michigan, from January 23, 2025, to January 26, 2025. The Ann Arbor Science Fiction Association Sponsors ConFusion.

Monumental ConFusion

The con theme this year is Monumental, since this is the 50^th Confusion.

Writing Goals for February 2025.

In February 2025, I plan to write four blog posts for garydavidgillen.com including my Writing Progress Report for February 2025.

I plan to work on a story for the Advanced Fiction Writing Workshop on a Zoom call in February 2025.

Eventually, I plan to work on third draft edits for Assassin in New Marl City using comments from the Novel Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio. I plan to split Chapter 1 into two chapters and add a scene to the new chapter 1.

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

In February 2025, I plan to make five posts on my Goodreads account.

Planned Events for February 2025.

The next conference I plan to attend is the Cleveland Concoction, from March 7, 2025, to March 9, 2025. They will hold the conference at the Bertram Inn and Conference Center at 600 North Aurora Road, Aurora, Ohio.

This is a link to the Cleveland Concoction website.

http://www.clevelandconcoction.org/

Another event I plan to attend is the Western Reserve Writers Conference at the South Euclid-Lyndhurst branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library in Lyndhurst, Ohio on March 22, 2025.

This is a link to the Cuyahoga County Library website.

https://www.cuyahogalibrary.org

Gathering Storm by Robert Jordan

Gathering Storm by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson, Book Twelve of the Wheel of Time series.

Introduction

Gathering Storm by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson is the twelfth book of The Wheel of Time series. The novel follows five main plot arcs. Rand, Mat, Perrin, Egwene, and Gawyn. All five characters face hard choices and must grow so they can complete the challenges they encounter. Will the forces of Light be destroyed by the Gathering Storm?

Summary – Prologue

The prologue has six point-of-view characters, and each point of view sets up a plot arc.

Renald is a farmer in the Borderlands. He and his neighbors feel a storm coming between the forces of the Dark and the Light and must decide what to do about it.

Falendre must deliver a message from Rand to the Daughter of the Nine Moons about having a meeting to discuss a truce.

Seanchan Banner-General Tylee Khirgan’s forces are ambushed by hundreds of Trollocs only a day’s march from Ebou Dar.

Graendal is summoned by Moridin to discuss what she should do about Rand in Arad Doman.

Rodel Ituralde springs his trap on the Seanchan forces in Arad Doman.

Masema tries to regroup his forces after his defeat in Malden. Faile has something to say about that.

Summary–Main Plot Arcs

Gathering Storm by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson has five main arcs.

Rand continues to pursue his truce with the Seanchan so they can both focus on defeating the forces of the Dark One rather than each other. He also hunts for Graendal.

Mat continues his journey with the Band to escape into Andor. He also searches for the woman he learns is looking for him.

Perrin marched the refugees from the defeat of the Shaido at Malden to safety in the Two Rivers.

Egwene continues her rebellion from within the Tower.

Gawyn learns that Egwene is captured inside the White Tower and wants to rescue her.

Summary–Best Chapters

[Insert Best Chapters here]

Recommendation

[Insert Recommendation here]

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page of Gathering Storm by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1166599.The_Gathering_Storm

Review of Knife of Dreams by Robert Jordan. Rand, Mat, Perrin, Elayne, and Egwene get closer to their goals in this novel.

Knife of Dreams by Robert Jordan

Review of Crossroads of Twilight by Robert Jordan. Rand, Mat, Perrin, and Egwene get closer to their goals in this novel.

Crossroads of Twilight by Robert Jordan

Winters Heart by Robert Jordan has some brilliant scenes but misses conclusions to the plot arcs explored

Winters Heart by Robert Jordan

Review of Path of Daggers by Robert Jordan. When Rand fights the Seanchan, will they defeat him, or will he win across the Path of Daggers?

Path of Daggers by Robert Jordan

This is the link to my review of Crown of Swords by Robert Jordan. When Rand forces the hand of one of the Forsaken, will the Forsaken defeat him or will he earn a Crown of Swords?

Crown of Swords by Robert Jordan

This is the link to my review of Lord of Chaos by Robert Jordan, Book Six of the Wheel of Time. Chaos reigns in the Westlands. They push Rand to the edge of insanity. Will he survive the box?

Lord of Chaos by Robert Jordan

This is the link to my review of Fires of Heaven by Robert Jordan, Book Five of the Wheel of Time.

Fires of Heaven by Robert Jordan

This is the link to my review of Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan, Book Four of the Wheel of Time.

Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan

This is the link to my review of Dragon Reborn by Robert Jordan, Book three of the Wheel of Time.

Dragon Reborn by Robert Jordan

This is the link to my review of Great Hunt by Robert Jordan, Book Two of the Wheel of Time.

Great Hunt by Robert Jordan

This is the link to my review of Eye of the World by Robert Jordan, Book One of the Wheel of Time.

The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan