July 2026 - Gary David Gillen

Radiant Star by Ann Leckie

Radiant Star by Ann Leckie, Book #6 of the Imperial Radch series.

Introduction

Radiant Star by Ann Leckie is the sixth book in the Imperial Radch series, but features characters that were not in any of the previous novels. This novel has ten important POV characters. They live in a city beneath the ice. The most important religious object in the city is the Temporal Location of the Radiant Star. The Radchaai take over the city and install a governor. Will the Radiant Star ever arrive and save the city’s people from their oppressors?

Summary

[Insert Summary Here]

Recommendation

[Insert Recommendation Here]

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page of Radiant Star by Ann Leckie

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/241087257-radiant-star

In Translation State by Ann Leckie, three characters will interact later in the story. Enea’s Granmaman dies, and that changes her life forever. Reet feels different from everyone else and must understand his nature to fulfill his destiny. They raised Qven for a purpose that he doesn’t know. What will happen when these three characters meet?

Translation State by Ann Leckie

In Provenance by Ann Leckie, Ingray frees a prisoner to obtain information about a priceless artifact. She needs the artifact to earn prestige in her clan. Ingray’s family adopted her, but did not favor her. If she doesn’t earn the prestige she needs, she faces expulsion from her clan.

Provenance by Ann Leckie

In Ancillary Mercy by Ann Leckie, Breq risks losing the Athoek system to the Lord of the Radch’s rival. Will Breq navigate this complicated diplomatic situation?

Ancillary Mercy by Ann Leckie

In Ancillary Sword by Ann Leckie, Breq is on a mission for the Lord of the Radch in the Athoek system. Breq must discover why Athoek colonists are disappearing. Breq risks losing the system to the Lord’s rival to solve the mystery. This is a link to my review.

Ancillary Sword by Ann Leckie

In Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie, Breq plans her revenge on the Lord of the Radch. Her plans are in jeopardy when Breq befriends the disgraced former Captain Seivarden Vendaai. Will Breq carry out her goals, or will the powerful Lord defeat her? This is a link to my review.

Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie

Translation State by Ann Leckie

Translation State by Ann Leckie, Book #5 of the Imperial Radch series.

Introduction

Translation State by Ann Leckie is the fifth book in the Imperial Radch series, but features characters that were not in any of the previous novels. This novel has three characters who will interact later in the story. Enea’s Granmaman dies, and that changes her life forever. Reet feels different from everyone else and must understand his nature to fulfill his destiny. They raised Qven for a purpose that he doesn’t know. What will happen when these three characters meet?

Summary

Enea lives in the Saeniss Polity.

Reet lives in Rurusk Station.

Qven lives in the Teaching Center at an unknown place.

Recommendation

[Insert Recommendation Here]

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page of Translation State by Ann Leckie

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62979034-translation-state

In Ann Leckie’s Provenance, Ingray frees a prisoner to obtain information about a priceless artifact. She needs the artifact to earn prestige in her clan. Ingray’s family adopted her but did not favor her. If she doesn’t earn the prestige she needs, she faces expulsion from her clan.

Provenance by Ann Leckie

In Ancillary Mercy by Ann Leckie, Breq risks losing the Athoek system to the Lord of the Radch’s rival. Will Breq navigate this complicated diplomatic situation?

Ancillary Mercy by Ann Leckie

Ancillary Sword by Ann Leckie

https://www.garydavidgillen.com/ancillary-justice-by-ann-leckie/

Platform Decay by Martha Wells

Platform Decay by Martha Wells, Murderbot Diaries Book 8.

Introduction

Platform Decay by Martha Wells is a short novel in the Murderbot Diaries series. The author set this story after the previous story, System Collapse. The protagonist of the series is a SecUnit (Security Unit), a part-organic and part-mechanical cyborg, or as it calls itself, a Murderbot. In the series, Murderbot is a Security Consultant to Dr. Mensah on Preservation Station. This story is about Murderbot’s rescue mission for part of Dr. Mensah’s extended family. Can Murderbot save its loved ones from an evil corporation?

Summary

Murderbot and its friend, SecUnit Three infiltrate the cargo bay on a planetary torus. Three creates a distraction so Murderbot can go to the rendezvous for a rescue mission. At the rendezvous are Mensah’s partner Farai, Mensah’s mother Naja, and Mensah’s daughter Sofi. They meet Supervisor Leonide who offers to help secure their escape if they do something important for her.

Murderbot must go through trials and tribulations to conduct the mission. Supervisor Leonide’s condition complicates the mission. They must battle the hostile corporate people from the Barris-Estranza Corporation.

Murderbot had a mental health module installed that is based on what they use to help augmented humans. The health module checks Murderbot’s mental state, and it has snarky comments on the observations. Murderbot also checks treat assessments as it goes. The threat assessments help it remember its goals.

Recommendation

Platform Decay by Martha Wells continues the story begun in System Collapse. Reading System Collapse first would help the reader to understand the relationships between the characters at the beginning of this story but it isn’t necessary to follow the plot of this novel since it is a straightforward rescue mission. The story comes to a satisfactory conclusion, but Murderbot will no doubt be challenged by Barris-Estranza again in the next episode of the Murderbot Diaries.

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page for Platform Decay by Martha Wells.

Platform Decay (The Murderbot Diaries, #8) by Martha Wells | Goodreads

System Collapse by Martha Wells is the seventh story in the Murderbot Diaries series. This story starts with the Preservation group investigating a planet. Part of Murderbot’s memories are redacted. Murderbot must find out why its memories are compromised to save the humans living on the planet.

System Collapse by Martha Wells

Book Review of Fugitive Telemetry, the sixth book in the Murderbot series by Martha Wells. It is another great story. This time, Murderbot must solve a murder at the Preservation Station. This complicated case takes Murderbot’s special talents to solve.

Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells

Book Review of Network Effect by Martha Wells, Book 5 of The Murderbot Diaries, a novel. The series protagonist is a SecUnit (Security Unit), a cyborg, or as it calls itself, Murderbot. Murderbot must solve a complex mystery or risk the deaths of its human clients.

Network Effect by Martha Wells

This is a link to my review of All Systems Red by Martha Wells, Book 1 of The Murderbot Diaries.

All Systems Red by Martha Wells

Book Review of The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells, a series of four novellas. SecUnit calls herself Murderbot. She feels a sense of companionship toward her human employers. What lengths will she go to protect them?

Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells

Writing Progress Report July 2026

This is my Writing Progress Report July 2026.

On June 28, 2026, we went to Slovenska Pristava for Slovenian Day, where there was great food and music.

Writing Progress from June 2026.

I wrote four blog posts for my website, garydavidgillen.com. Including my writing progress report for June 2026, which I linked below.

Writing Progress Report June 2026

In June 2026, I presented the revised Chapter 3 of my expanded short story named Chemithurgy to the Advanced Fiction Writing Workshop on a Zoom call.

I wrote short stories in January, February, and March. Last year I completed the novelette version of Chemithurgy. I plan to expand the story to novella length in 2026 and 2027.

I made five posts on my Goodreads account in June 2026.

Events from June 2026.

I did not attend an event in June 2026.

Writing Goals for July 2026.

In July 2026, I plan to write five blog posts for garydavidgillen.com, including my Writing Progress Report for July 2026.

I plan to work on Chapter 4 of the revised and expanded story, Chemithurgy, for the Advanced Fiction Writing Workshop via Zoom in July 2026.

In July 2026, I plan to make five posts on my Goodreads account.

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 sent 4 times, with 0 accepted, 0 pending, and 4 rejections. I had no submissions for 2022, 2023, 2024, or 2025.

I plan to send short stories in 2026.

Planned Events for July 2026.

The next conference I plan to attend is the Confluence Conference, held near Pittsburgh, PA, from July 24, 2026, to July 26, 2026. They will have the conference at the Sheraton Pittsburgh Airport Hotel in Coraopolis, PA. I attended the Confluence conference in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, (2021 was cancelled due to COVID), 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025.

Program Schedule & Information

https://fancyclopedia.org/wiki/Confluence_2026

System Collapse by Martha Wells

System Collapse by Martha Wells, Murderbot Diaries Book 7.

Introduction

System Collapse by Martha Wells is a short novel in the Murderbot Diaries Series. The author set this story right after the novel, Network Effect. The protagonist of the diaries is a SecUnit (Security Unit), a part-organic and part-mechanical cyborg, or as it calls itself,, a Murderbot. In the series, Murderbot is a Security Consultant to Dr. Mensah on Preservation Station. This story starts with the Preservation group investigating a planet. Part of Murderbot’s memories are redacted. Murderbot must discover why its memories are compromised to save the humans living on the planet.

Summary

In System Collapse by Martha Wells, Murderbot reviews the files on what had happened to it in the last 48 hours. Murderbot goes down to the planet to rescue Iris and Tarik from ART’s group from a hostile ag-bot. Mesah, Seth, Martyn, ART, and Murderbot decided to send Murderbot to the surface because of [redacted]. Someone redacted Murderbot’s memories, and that is a problem.

They were on the planet investigating what happened to the colonists who lived there. Iris had activated the ag-bot, and Murderbot came to save them. Murderbot saves them but discovers a new threat. A Barris-Estranza explorer ship has landed and is seeking to take over the planet for the corporation’s needs.

What is Murderbot going to do about its missing memories and the intentions of Barris-Estranza corporation?

Recommendation

System Collapse by Martha Wells continues the story begun in Network Effect. They published Fugitive Telemetry after Network Effect but it is set before that novel. Reading Network Effect first would help the reader to understand the relationships between the characters at the beginning of this story. The story has a satisfactory conclusion, but it’s clear that Murderbot will be challenged by Barris-Estranza again in the next episode of the Murderbot Dairies.

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page for System Collapse by Martha Wells.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/65211701-system-collapse

Book Review of Fugitive Telemetry, the sixth book in the Murderbot series by Martha Wells. It is another great story. This time Murderbot must solve a murder at the Preservation Station. This complicated case takes Murderbot’s special talents to solve.

Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells

Book Review of Network Effect by Martha Wells, Book 5 of The Murderbot Diaries, a novel. The diaries protagonist is a SecUnit (Security Unit), a cyborg, or as it calls itself Murderbot. Murderbot must solve a complex mystery or risk the deaths of its human clients.

Network Effect by Martha Wells

This is a link to my review of All Systems Red by Martha Wells, Book 1 of The Murderbot Diaries.

All Systems Red by Martha Wells

Book Review of Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells, a series of four novellas. SecUnit calls herself Murderbot. She has feelings of companionship for her human employers. What lengths will she go for to protect them?

Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells

The Player of Games by Iain M Banks

The Player of Games by Iain M Banks, Book #2 of The Culture series.

Introduction

In The Player of Games by Iain M Banks, Gurgeh is a Master of Games who gets the chance to play the ultimate game of skill. Jernau Morat Gurgeh is a citizen of the Culture. The Culture provides for all their citizens’ needs. Superior AI minds rule the citizens. Gurgeh could remain in his chosen click, but he has the need to do something risky and intriguing. Will Gurgeh be tempted to go on an adventure or will he contimue as he has been?

Summary

Gurgeh is an accomplished game player. He specializes in any kind of board game but is an expert on most other games. At the beginning of the story, he is playing an outdoor wargame with his friend Yay. Gurgeh has been down lately because he has no challenges and Yay thought the war game might cheer him up. It doesn’t.

In the Culture, the citizens have no comfort wants. Gurgeh is a part time lecturer at the university, and he writes papers about his game philosophy. Citizens change their sexes and partners often. Gurgeh had always wanted a relationship with Yay, but the time was never right.

Drones are AI units who are sentient beings and do as they please. Chamlis is an old drone who is good friends with Yay and Gurgeh. Chamlis recognizes Gurgeh’s restlessness at not having a gaming challenge. The drone suggests that Gurgeh takes a job from Contact. Contact is a civilian foreign intelligence service responsible for watching other civilizations and looking for ways to expand the influence of the Culture onto other civilizations. Gurgeh tells Chamlis to have Contact get in touch with him.

Loash, a drone from Contact, comes to see Gurgeh. It tells him of an intriguing opportunity to use his gaming skills to help Contact. Gurgeh thinks about it. The drone Mawhrin-Skel is important in his decision making.

Recommendation

The Player of Games by Iain M Banks is a great book. I think the promise of Consider Phlebas, book one of the Culture series, was realized in this novel. The story is intentionally slow because describing game play is not dynamic story telling. What impressed me the most was to feel the change in Gurgeh throughout the book. He starts the story as an unlikeable narcissist. He wanted an adventure that challenged himself, but his journey changed him deeply and I felt that. I have read the Use of Weapons, the third book in the series, and it’s even better than this one. I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the novels in the series.

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page of The Player of Games by Iain M Banks.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19819475-the-player-of-games

In Consider Phlebas by Iain M. Banks, Horza is caught in the middle of a war. The Culture is a human-dominated group fighting the Idirans. Horza is from a human-derived group, the Changelings. The Changelings and the Idirans are allies. The Culture and the Idirans both want a fugitive advanced computer mind capable of tipping the balance of the war. Will Horza find the mind before the others and save his people?

Consider Phlebas by Iain M Banks

In Use of Weapons by Iain M. Banks, Cheradinine Zakalwe is an operative of the Culture’s Special Circumstances group. The Culture is a human-dominated alliance that tries to advance its position in the galaxy. Diziet Sma is Zakalwe’s handler who sends him on dangerous missions. Will Zakalwe accept a final impossible mission from her, or will he quit The Culture forever?

Use of Weapons by Iain M Banks