Category: Events

It’s time to kick-off another week of storytelling in Voice by the staff and volunteers at the Seanchai Library. As always, all times SLT, and events are held at the Library’s Second Life home at Bradley University, unless otherwise indicated.

Sunday, January 29th 18:00: How to Cheat a Dragon’s Curse

Reluctant hero Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III must rescue his best friend, Fishlegs, from the deadly disease Vorpentitis. The only cure is rare and almost impossible to find…a potato. But where will Hiccup find such a thing? He’ll have to dodge the terrible Sharkworms, battle Doomfangs, and outwit crazy Hooligans if he’s going to be a Hero. Again.

Caledonia reads volume 4 of How to Train Your Dragon, by Cressida Cowell at the Golden Horseshoe in Magicland Park.

Monday, January 30th 19:00: Lisa and David

Gyro Muggins reads Renowned psychiatrist Theodore Isaac Rubin’s book on the complex struggles of children with severe mental illness. Lisa and David are two troubled teens whose growing friendship breaks communication barriers.

Tuesday, January 31st 19:00: Of Mice and Men – Part 2

Caledonia Skytower, Shandon Loring, Corwyn Allen, Kayden Oconnell continue a reading of John Steinbeck’s classic 1937 novella at Seanchai’s Explore the World of John Steinbeck in Kitely (grid.kitely.com:8002:EXPLORESeanchai).

From January 20th through February 5th, Tacoma Little Theatre, Tacoma Washington State, presents Of Mice and Men directed by Niclas Olson. The production is being supported by Senchai Library as a part of their Explore the Arts series, hosted on Kitely, where a special World of John Steinbeck has been created and is open to exploration by virtual world users and to members of the audience attending performances of the play at Tacoma Little Theatre, where a PC has been set up to provide access to Explore the World of John Steinbeck.

Within the virtual space, visitors can explore more of Steinbeck’s life and work, and experience the history of the times about which he wrote. If they wish, they can also visit the other Explore environments established by Seanchai in support for Tacoma Little Theatre’s production.

Wednesday, February 1st 19:00: A Monstrous Regiment of Women – Part 2

Continues with Caledonia Skytower.

Thursday, February 2nd 19:00: Monster and Myth

Shandon Loring reads The  Hydra: A Winter’s Love Story, Part 1.

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Please check with the Seanchai Library SL’s blog for updates and for additions or changes to the week’s schedule.

The featured charity for January / February is Heifer International, working with communities to end world hunger and poverty and to care for the Earth.

It’s time to kick-off another week of storytelling in Voice by the staff and volunteers at the Seanchai Library. As always, all times SLT, and events are held at the Library’s Second Life home at Bradley University, unless otherwise indicated.

Monday, January 23rd 19:00: Desertion

Gyro Muggins reads Clifford D. Simak’s 1944 short story with a twist of transhumanism in the form of pantropy  – of which it is perhaps the earliest example.

Kent Fowler is the head of a human mission to Jupiter, a planet found to be inhabited by creatures called “lopers”, which have adopted to Jupter’s hostile environment. With the technology at their disposal, the human researchers are able to transform volunteers into “lopers”, so they might more readily explore Jupiter. But something has apparently gone wrong.

Of the first four transformees sent out from the research facility, none have returned. When one more also fails to return, concerns are raised that the transformation process may be flawed. Rather than risk anyone else, the head of the expedition opts to have himself changed into loper form, together with his dog, whom he hopes will keep him company.

Once transformed and “on” Jupiter, the Fowler discovers he has considerably greater ability than provided by his human form, as does his dog. The two are able to communicate telepathically, exchanging ideas and observations gathered during their time in human and canine form. Both feel their enhanced state leads them to a greater calling than that of the humans’ original mission…

Tuesday, January 24th 19:00: A Monstrous Regiment of Women – Part 2

Begins with Caledonia Skytower.

Wednesday, January 25th

14:00 – Explore the World of John Steinbeck in Kitely (grid.kitely.com:8002:EXPLORESeanchai)

From January 20th through February 5th, Tacoma Little Theatre, Tacoma Washington State, presents Of Mice and Men directed by Niclas Olson. Based on Steinbeck’s 1937 novella of the same name, the play will once again be supported by Senchai Library as a part of their Explore the Arts series, hosted on the Kitely OpenSim grid (grid.kitely.com:8002:EXPLORESeanchai), where a special World of John Steinbeck has been created.

On Wednesday, January 25th at 14:00 SLT / PDT, virtual world users are invited to join in with a Hypergrid Safari to Explore the World of John Steinbeck, led by Caledonia Skytower. The tour will feature all of the facilities built by Seanchai, and cover their work in supporting the Tacoma Little Theatre’s production of Of Mice and Men, and explain how the partnership between the theatre and Seanchai Library, through the use of virtual spaces, encourages attendees of the play to explore more of Steinbeck’s life and work, and experience the history of the times about which he wrote.

There will be a special article on The  World of John Steinbeck in this blog in the near future.

19:00: The Atrocity Archives

“Bob Howard is a low-level techie working for The Laundry, a super-secret government agency. While his colleagues are out saving the world, Bob’s under a desk restoring lost data. None of them receive any thanks for the jobs they do, but at least a techie doesn’t risk getting shot or eaten in the line of duty. Bob’s world is dull but safe, and that’s the way it should have stayed; but then he went and got Noticed.

“Now, Bob Howard is up to his neck in spycraft, alternative universes, dimension-hopping Nazis, Middle Eastern terrorists, damsels in distress, ancient Lovecraftian horror and the end of the world.

“Only one thing is certain: it will take more than control-alt-delete to sort this mess out…”

Join Corwyn Allen as he delves in The Atrocity Archives, the first volume of the Laundry Files, by Charles Stross.

Thursday, January 26th

19:00: An Evening with Hemingway, Tolstoy and Saki

With Shandon Loring.

21:00 Seanchai Late Night

With Finn Zeddmore.

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Please check with the Seanchai Library SL’s blog for updates and for additions or changes to the week’s schedule.

The featured charity for January / February is Heifer International, working with communities to end world hunger and poverty and to care for the Earth.

It’s time to kick-off another week of storytelling in Voice by the staff and volunteers at the Seanchai Library. As always, all times SLT, and events are held at the Library’s Second Life home at Bradley University, unless otherwise indicated.

Sunday, January 15th 13:30: Tea-Time at Baker Street – “Kinda!”: A Study In Emerald

Alluding to both the Sherlock Holmes canon and the Old Ones of the Cthulhu Mythos, this Hugo Award-winning short story by Neil Gaiman will delight fans of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, H. P. Lovecraft, and of course, Gaiman.

A Study in Emerald draws listeners in through carefully revealed details as a consulting detective and his narrator friend solve the mystery of a murdered German noble. But with its subtle allusions and surprise ending, this mystery hints that the real fun in solving this case lies in imagining all the details that Gaiman doesn’t reveal, and challenges listeners to be detectives themselves.

With Corwyn Allen, Kayden Oconnell, John Morland, and Caledonia Skytower.

Monday, January 16th 19:00: Our Fair City

Gyro Muggins delves into this short story by Robert Heinlein. In it, the master of science-fiction takes a turn into the remain of fantasy, complete with a touch of politics allegedly born out of the dirty tricks Heinlein witnessed in his failed 1938 attempt to gain election to the California State Assembly.

First published in Weird Tales in 1949, Our Fair City looks at corruption among cops and politicians within a small city, centred on an attempt by a newspaper columnist with a penchant for digging up the dirt on people and a parking lot attendant, to clean the place up. Their plan to do so?

Run the parking attendant’s pet Whirlwind (yes, whirlwind), “Kitten”, for office!

Tuesday, January 17th 19:00: How to Speak Dragonese (How To Train Your Dragon #3)

Climbing on to a Roman Dragon Rustling ship by mistake in your first ‘Boarding an Enemy Ship’ lesson is bad enough. But to then discover that Alvin the Treacherous is also on board proves to Hiccup he couldn’t have been more wrong, especially when he steals his copy of How to Speak Dragonese. Can Hiccup save the dragons and the day?

Caledonia Skytower reads the third How To Train Your Dragon book by Cressida Cowell.

Wednesday, January 18th 19:00: The Atrocity Archives

Bob Howard is a low-level techie working for The Laundry, a super-secret government agency. While his colleagues are out saving the world, Bob’s under a desk restoring lost data. None of them receive any thanks for the jobs they do, but at least a techie doesn’t risk getting shot or eaten in the line of duty. Bob’s world is dull but safe, and that’s the way it should have stayed; but then he went and got Noticed.

Now, Bob Howard is up to his neck in spycraft, alternative universes, dimension-hopping Nazis, Middle Eastern terrorists, damsels in distress, ancient Lovecraftian horror and the end of the world.

Only one thing is certain: it will take more than control-alt-delete to sort this mess out…

Join Corwyn Allen as he delves in The Atrocity Archives, the first volume of the Laundry Files, by Charles Stross.

Thursday, January 19th, 19:00: From the Shadows

Join Shandon Loring as he celebrates Edgar Allan Poe’s birthday.

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Please check with the Seanchai Library SL’s blog for updates and for additions or changes to the week’s schedule.

The featured charity for January / February is Heifer International, working with communities to end world hunger and poverty and to care for the Earth.

It’s time to kick-off another week of storytelling in Voice by the staff and volunteers at the Seanchai Library. As always, all times SLT, and events are held at the Library’s Second Life home at Bradley University, unless otherwise indicated.

Sunday, January 8th:

13:30: Tea-Time at Baker Street – “Kinda!”

A cosy event at the Seanchai Library fireside room.

18:00: Magicland Storytime

Caledonia Skytower presents Tales of Maui at the Golden Horseshoe.

Monday, January 9th 19:00: Flight of the Phoenix

Gyro Muggins continues Elleston Trevor’s gripping 1964 novel which spawned two films, the classic 1965 version starring James Stewart, Richard Attenborough, Hardy Krüger. Peter Finch and Ernest Borgnine, and the 2004 featuring Dennis Quaid, Giovanni Ribisi and Hugh Laurie

Twelve men survive the crash of their cargo plane when a blinding, unexpected sandstorm forced it from the sky in the middle of the Sahara. Stranded and alone and facing a slow, agonizing death under the unrelenting Libyan sun, only two of them have the skills to avert a terrible fate: the brilliant, obsessed engineer Stringer, and the tormented pilot Towns. Bitter enemies, they must now work together to build an impossible dream from the wreckage and fly it to freedom … if madness, rage, suspicion, and the merciless desert don’t destroy them first.

Tuesday, January 10th 19:00: How to Speak Dragonese (How To Train Your Dragon #3)

Climbing on to a Roman Dragon Rustling ship by mistake in your first ‘Boarding an Enemy Ship’ lesson is bad enough. But to then discover that Alvin the Treacherous is also on board proves to Hiccup he couldn’t have been more wrong, especially when he steals his copy of How to Speak Dragonese. Can Hiccup save the dragons and the day?

Caledonia Skytower reads the third How To Train Your Dragon book by Cressida Cowell.

Wednesday, January 11th 19:00: The Atrocity Archives

Bob Howard is a low-level techie working for The Laundry, a super-secret government agency. While his colleagues are out saving the world, Bob’s under a desk restoring lost data. None of them receive any thanks for the jobs they do, but at least a techie doesn’t risk getting shot or eaten in the line of duty. Bob’s world is dull but safe, and that’s the way it should have stayed; but then he went and got Noticed.

Now, Bob Howard is up to his neck in spycraft, alternative universes, dimension-hopping Nazis, Middle Eastern terrorists, damsels in distress, ancient Lovecraftian horror and the end of the world.

Only one thing is certain: it will take more than control-alt-delete to sort this mess out…

Join Corwyn Allen as he delves in The Atrocity Archives, the first volume of the Laundry Files, by Charles Stross.

Thursday, January 12th

19:00: The Minority Report

Shandon Loring continues an exploration of the world of Philip K. Dick. This time he brings us another short story turned into a blockbuster movie: The Minority Report.

The tale first appeared in 1956 in Fantastic Universe, and very much reflects Dick’s own concerns about the future direction of the world and the survival of free will within authoritarian states, however apparently benign.

John Anderton, the head of Precrime – an enforcement agency able to arrest suspects prior to them committing any acts of public harm, thanks to predictions made by three “Precogs” – finds himself accused of murdering a man he has never met.

Convinced there is a conspiracy against him, Anderton goes on the run, seeking the Minority Report that will clear his name. In doing so, he discovers that what is afoot is not so much a conspiracy as a series of interlinking alternate realities…

21:00 Seanchai Late Night

With Finn Zeddmore.

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Please check with the Seanchai Library SL’s blog for updates and for additions or changes to the week’s schedule.

The featured charity for January / February is Heifer International, working with communities to end world hunger and poverty and to care for the Earth.