Wind and Truth by Brandon Sanderson, Book #5 of the Stormlight Archive.
Introduction
Wind and Truth by Brandon Sanderson is Book #5 of the Stormlight Archive. The featured character of this novel is Szeth, the Assassin in White, containing various flashbacks to give context to his actions that set off the plot of the series. Szeth goes to Shinovar with Kaladin on an important mission. The novel has six more viewpoint character groups in different locations and on different important missions. The book wraps up the main arcs for the first five novel sequence of the archive.
Summary
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Recommendation
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Links
This is the link to the Goodreads page of Wind and Truth by Brandon Sanderson.
My review of Lost Metal by Brandon Sanderson. Wax and Wayne must foil a plot started by the terrorist group called the Set to destroy their home and people.
My review of Dawnshard by Brandon Sanderson. In book 3.5 of the Stormlight Archive, Rysn and Lopen must uncover the secrets of the lost island of Akinah, or it will doom Roshar.
My review of Arcanum Unbounded by Brandon Sanderson, a collection with nine stories that are part of the cosmere universe. An overarching plot, which he calls the cosmere, interrelates many of the author’s works. He set the stories of the cosmere on a group of worlds that are connected through magical means. He set six stories in the worlds of his published novels, and three stories are about worlds that have not had a novel-length story treatment. All the stories in this collection are excellent.
I attended the Confluence Pittsburgh 2025 Conference from July 25 to 27, 2025 They held the conference at 1160 Thorn Run Road Coraopolis, PA in the Sheraton Pittsburgh Airport Hotel. I also attended the conference in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, and 2024. COVID-19 changed the conference to a virtual con named C’monfluence in 2020 which I viewed online. The Parsec organization of Pittsburgh runs this literary science fiction, fantasy, and horror conference. The events included panels, readings, interviews, writing workshops, and filk concerts. I attended the opening ceremonies, five panels, two readings, and a concert.
They held the Confluence SF Conference Pittsburgh at the Sheraton Pittsburgh Airport.
Confluence SF Conference Pittsburgh 2025 Program Guide Cover
Picture of my badge from Confluence SF Conference Pittsburgh 2025
Confluence Pittsburgh 2025 Conference Recap
Summary
Friday, July 25th at 7 PM
Opening Ceremonies
Conchair Kevin Hayes thanked the people for coming to the con and then he gave a gift bag to Cat Rambo, the Guest of Honor Writer.
Charles Oberndorf talked about the writing workshops offered during the con.
Christine Benner-Dixon talked about the short story writing contest.
Randy Hoffman talked about the musical guests featured for the con.
Then the audience sang “Three Days Away from the Rat Race.”
They held the ceremonies in Ballroom 1 with 35 attendees.
Saturday, July 26th at 11 AM
To the Solar System and the Stars: Future Space Drives with Robert Lohman and Geoffrey Landis
Science comes first. Rockets push against themselves, getting mass to speed by throwing mass out.
There are two types of propulsion needed, surface to orbit and orbit to elsewhere.
Ion drives and plasma drives need electricity to operate.
Solar power can get you to the asteroid belt, you can use laser beam from satellites to go beyond.
Fusion has been always 20 years in the future. SF literature wants fusion to work.
To get around the problem, SF authors use wormholes and warp drive.
Maybe the best possible way to the stars is star sails.
They held the panel in the Commonwealth East Room with 27 attendees.
Saturday, July 26th at 12 PM
The New Space Opera with Rich Horton, Marie Vibbert, Cat Rambo, and Larry Ivkovich
Space opera features high stakes grand adventure with action and spectacle. An example from the past are the stories in the Galactic Empires anthology, edited by Brian Aldiss.
Other examples are The Centauri Device, The Culture series by Ian M. Banks, and the Lensmen book by E. E. Smith.
Recommended novels are Secret of Sinharat by Leigh Brackett, Alistair Reynolds Revelation Space series, Space Opera by Cat Valente, and The Star Virus by Barrington Baily.
They held the panel in the Commonwealth West Room with 28 attendees.
Saturday, July 26th at 1 PM
It was 50 years ago today: The Science Fiction of 1975 with Rich Horton, Charles Oberndorf, Greg Feeley, Geoffrey Landis, and Mary Turzillo
There were many interesting novels published in 1975.
Venus on the Half-Shell by Phillip Jose Farmer
The Deep by John Crowley
Hello Summer, Goodbye by Michael Coney
Child of all Ages by P. J. Plauger
Four novels from 1975 were considered important at the time.
Shockwave Rider by John Brunner as a precursor to the Cyber Punk movement in SF.
The Forever War by Joe Haldeman as a response to Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein and as using the Vietnam War as a metaphor.
The Female Man by Joanna Russ as a feminist exposition.
Dhalgren by Samual Delaney as an exploration of race, gender, and sexuality.
A trend that was still going strong in 1975 was the publishing of short story anthologies. Orbit, New Dimensions, and Universe were some of those printed in 1975.
They held the panel in the Commonwealth West Room with 20 attendees.
Saturday, July 26th at 2 PM
Reading by Marie Vibbert
She read Chapters 21 and 1 from her latest novel Andrei and the Hellcats (Galactic Hellcats #2)
An unpublished Flash Fiction titled, “At the Library of Peace.”
A poem from her notebook titled, “My Bio.”
They held the reading in the Solstice Room with 11 attendees.
Saturday, July 26th at 3 PM
Guest of Honor Talk with Cat Rambo
They decided not to read their SWFA speech, instead reading their We Live in Interesting Times Speech from off their phone.
After the speech, they had a short Q and A session.
Interesting information from the Q and A was they like Hope Punk, their favorite food is Mac Cheese, and they find volunteering rewarding.
They held the talk in Ballroom 1 with 57 attendees.
Saturday, July 26th at 5 PM
Concert with WASD.
Normally, the band has four members but most of them couldn’t make the con, but the guitar player was there. He played all the guitar parts live with recorded backing music. The band plays metal renditions of classic PC game soundtracks. They play selected screenshots from the games on a screen behind them.
He played ten selections in the concert. My favorite three tracks where from 1983 Space Quest III (Sierra Online Games), 1998 Balder’s Gate (Bioware Games), and 1990 Secret of Monkey Island (Lucasfilms Games).
They held the concert in Ballroom 1 with 18 attendees.
Sunday, July 27th at 11 AM
A Titan Sample Return Mission with Geoffrey Landis
He talked about a proposed mission to Titan with the possibility of a sample return to Earth. Phase I of the idea was to send a submarine to cruise the Kraken Mare. Phase II used a copter to raise the launch vehicle for the return mission.
They held the lecture in the Commonwealth West Room with 22 attendees.
Sunday, July 27th at 12 PM
Reading by Cat Rambo
They read Chapter 1 from their work in progress titled, “The Pragmatic Necromancer.”
It is a novel in the Dungeons and Dragons model.
They held the reading in the Solstice Room with 7 attendees.
Recommendation – Conclusion
Confluence Pittsburgh 2025 Conference Recap from July 25 to 27, 2025, at the Sheraton Hotel. I attended 9 presentations.
I’m glad I attended the Confluence SF Conference Pittsburgh 2025. My stars of the con were Cat Rambo and Marie Vibbert. Cat Rambo had a great Guest of Honor interview, a powerful reading, and was insightful and memorable in the panel of hers that I attended. Marie Vibbert had an interesting reading and was engaging in the panel I watched. I attended the opening ceremonies, five panels, two readings, and a concert. My other highlights were the 50 years ago panel and the concert performed by WASD. I also attended the conference in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, and 2024. I hope to attend Confluence in 2026.
Links
Confluence Pittsburgh 2024 Conference Recap from July 26 to 28, 2024, at the Sheraton Hotel. I also attended Confluence in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, and 2023. I attended 2 panels, 1 reading, and a concert.
Recap for the Confluence SF Conference in Pittsburgh on July 30, 2022, at the Sheraton. I also attended Confluence in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020. I attended 3 panels, two readings, an improv comedy show, a concert, and the guest of honor presentation
Recap for the Confluence SF Conference Pittsburgh held virtually from 10-02-20 to 10-04-20. I attended the opening ceremony, five panels, three readings, one presentation, the guest of honor presentation, and the conference breakdown.
Recap for the Confluence SF Conference Pittsburgh on July 27 & 28, 20, at the Sheraton Pittsburgh Airport Hotel. I also attended Confluence in ‘16, ‘17, and ‘18. I attended five panels, two fiction writing workshops, and the guest of honor presentation
They held the Confluence Conference from July 27, 2018, to July 29, 2018, at the Sheraton Pittsburgh Airport Hotel. I attended two lectures, two panels, one fiction writing seminar, one author reading, and the guest of honor presentation.
They held the Confluence Conference from August 4 to August 6, 2017, at the Sheraton Pittsburgh Airport Hotel. I attended seven panels, one writing workshop, one author reading, and the guest of honor presentation.
Recap for the Confluence SF Conference on July 30 and July 31, 2016, at the Sheraton Pittsburgh Airport Hotel. I attended 15 panels and the U.S.S. Improvise improv sketch comedy routine.
Diplomatic Immunity by Lois McMaster Bujold, Book #13 of the Vorkosigan saga.
Introduction
Diplomatic Immunity by Lois McMaster Bujold is the thirteenth novel of the Vorkosigan saga. Miles and Ekaterine are racing back from their honeymoon to witness the birth of their children, but a mystery brews for Lord Auditor Miles Vorkosigan. An issue arises in Quaddiespace involving Komarr, Cetaganda, and the triumphant return of Bel Thorne. Will Miles solve the mystery before an environmental disaster is released in the universe.
Summary
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Recommendation
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Links
This is the link to the Goodreads page of Diplomatic Immunity by Lois McMaster Bujold.
In A Civil Campaign by Lois McMaster Bujold, Miles’s latest mission is his most difficult yet. He’s in love and wants to court the next Lady Vorkosigan, but everyone conspires against him, including her.
In Memory by Lois McMaster Bujold, death will not stop Miles Vorkosigan, but his boss Simon Illyan has an illness that might end Miles’s career. Can Miles figure out what happened to Illyan and what he should do about it before it’s too late?
In Ethan of Athos by Lois McMaster Bujold, Dr. Ethan Urquhart must discover what happened to unusable ovarian samples. Will Ethan go off the planet, risk being corrupted, and solve the mystery of the unusable samples, or will he doom Athos by doing nothing?
In Cetaganda by Lois McMaster Bujold, they send Miles Vorkosigan and his cousin Ivan to Cetaganda on a diplomatic mission. Miles becomes involved in a complex mystery. Will Miles foil the plot to destroy Cetaganda and save his home planet of Barrayar?
In The Vor Game by Lois McMaster Bujold, they accused Miles Vorkosigan of treason. Will Miles play The Vor Game well enough to escape the treason charges made against him and secure the assignment he desires?
In Warriors Apprentice (Book #2 of the Vorkosigan Saga) by Lois McMaster Bujold, Miles Vorkosigan gets involved in another planet’s war. Can he escape the mischief he started?
In Barrayar (Book#7 of the Vorkosigan saga) by Lois McMaster Bujold, Lady Cordelia Vorkosigan faces an assassination and the birth of her son. Will she survive the regency and give birth to her son?
In Shards of Honor (Book#1 of the Vorkosigan saga) by Lois McMaster Bujold, Barrayaran Captain Aral Vorkosigan takes Betan Commander Cordelia Naismith as a prisoner. They take a hike in the jungle. What happens when they fall in love?
In Falling Free (Book #4 of the Vorkosigan saga) by Lois McMaster Bujold, space engineer Leo Graf must decide between retiring or risking his life protecting his students. The novel is a fun, self-contained space opera romp.
I attended the Confluence Conference, held near Pittsburgh, PA, from July 25, 2025, to July 27, 2025. They had the conference at the Sheraton Pittsburgh Airport Hotel in Coraopolis, PA.
Writing Progress from July 2025.
I wrote four blog posts for my website, garydavidgillen.com. Including my writing progress report for July 2025, which I linked below.
In July 2025, I presented the short story named Erebus Project to the Advanced Fiction Writing Workshop on a Zoom call.
I made five posts on my Goodreads account in July 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 July 2025.
I attended the Confluence Conference, held near Pittsburgh, PA, from July 25, 2025, to July 27, 2025. They had the conference at the Sheraton Pittsburgh Airport Hotel in Coraopolis, PA. I attended the Confluence in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, (2021 was cancelled due to COVID), 2022, 2023, and 2024.
In August 2025, I plan to write four blog posts for garydavidgillen.com, including my Writing Progress Report for August 2025.
I plan to work on a story for the Advanced Fiction Writing Workshop on a Zoom call in August 2025.
Eventually, I plan to work on the 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 August 2025, I plan to make five posts on my Goodreads account.
Planned Events for August 2025.
The next conference I plan to attend is the Capclave Conference, held near Wahington D. C. from September 19, 2025, to September 21, 2025. They will have the conference at the Rockville Hilton in Rockville, MD. I attended the Capclave in 2016. Looking forward to going again.
