Fantasy Faire 2020: previewing the LitFest

via Fantasy Faire

Note that SLurls provided in this article will not be available to the public until Fantasy Faire officially opens at noon SLT on Thursday, April 23rd, 2020.

On Thursday, April 23rd, Fantasy Faire will open for 2020, and will remain so through until  Sunday, May 10th, 2020, raising money for Relay for Life and the American Cancer Society’s global efforts to eradicate cancer. Throughout the entire course of the Faire, the Fairelands will once again be host to the Fantasy Faire Literary Festival (LitFest).

Centred on the desert sands of Drifts of Anamnesis, the Litfest is a special place where the magic of the spoken word will weave tales of wonder, relate stories of great adventure and daring; where talks by authors, discussions, creative writing sessions and performances will all take place. In addition, literary hawks and writers will be encouraged to join daily LitFest tours of the Fairelands and afterwards compose pieces related to their travels.

The full LitFest schedule is now available, but here are some preview highlights to whet appetites!

Guest Of Honour

Fran Wilde

The special guest for this year’s festival is American science fiction and fantasy writer and blogger. Fran Wilde.

Fran’s first novel, Updraft (2015), was nominated for the 2016 Nebula Award, and won the 2016 Andre Norton Award and the 2016 Compton Crook Award. Within it she established the first volume of her Bone Cycle, with two further works – Cloudbound (2016) and Horizon (2017), set within the same cycle. Her latest novel, Riverland, was published in 2019.

She has also published numerous short stories and poems, and here non-fiction work has appeared in publications such as The Washington PostThe New York Times, and Tor.com. She will be appearing at Fantasy Faire as follows:

  • Tuesday April 28th at 15:00 SLT, : in an interview with Saffia Widdershins.
  • Friday May 1st at 13:00 SLT, when she will be reading from her work.

LitFest highlights

  • Friday, April 24th – Saturday, May 9th, 08:00-09:00 SLT – NaPoWriMo Fantasy Writing Prompts: April is National Poetry Writing Month, and participating poets are asked to write a poem a day for the month of April – so why not do so in-world with like-minded poets?
  • Fiday April 24th – Saturday, May 9th* – Inksters Poetry Prompt: This group meets daily on weekdays throughout the year to compose poems based on a daily word prompt – so sharpen your pencils, and be prepared to get writing! During LitFest, they’ll meet in the Hall of Ras Tarshayn on Drifts of Anamnesis. (* except Sunday, May 3rd.)
  • Monday, April 27th, 10:00-11:00 SLT – The True Story of Scheherazade: celebrating the teller of the 1,001 Nights. In fact,there are many tellers of these Tales, and this session explores the genesis of the Tales, drawn from Arabia, Persia, India and China. There will also be tales of some of the fascinating history of translation (and translators – such as the fascinating Sir Richard Burton).
  • Wednesday, April 29th, 06:30-07:30 SLT – Readings from the Novel Writing Workshop: Wolfgang Glinka, Keykey Underwood, Singh Albatros and Adele/Jilly Kidd have been workshopping novels for seven years in Second Life and will share extracts from their works in progress, followed by a Q&A.
  • Friday May 1st, 10:00-11:00 SLT – Beyond the Seven Kingdoms: A World of Ice and Fire Special: In Real Life, Freyja Nemeth is the co-founder of Westeros.org and co-author of “The World of Ice and Fire”. She will be talking about how George RR Martin has constructed the cultures that are less inspired by Medieval Europe, such as Dorne and the many cultures of Essos.

LitFest Tours

The popular Fantasy Faire LitFest Tours will once again be taking place, leaving daily from the LitFest home base in the Drifts of Anamnesis to explore the Fairelands and seeking the stories they have to tell as well as their special secret places and details. Each tour will be guided and accompanied by music, as some of the Faire’s best loved DJs offer selections especially chosen for each of the regions visited. Stories can also be submitted for publication on the Fantasy Faire website, provided they are submitted within two days of each tour.

The Tours for 2020 depart daily at 17:00 SLT (unless otherwise indicated) from the Al-Ma’ala Gathering Place on the Drifts of Anamnesis, and the tour schedule is as follows:

Friday, April 24th
Elemaria
Saturday, April 25th
Autumnium
Sunday, April 26th
Lunafae
Monday, April 27th
Agra Adara
Tuesday, April 28th
 Lamented Fens
Wednesday, April 29th
Melusina’s Depths
Thursday, April 30th
Spirit Valley of Kuruk
Friday, May 1st
15:00: Heliodor
Saturday, May 2nd
Zodiac
Sunday, May 3rd
Mistakes Were Made!
Monday, May 4th
 Sirens Lore
Tuesday, May 5th
Auxentios’ Pass
Wednesday, May 6th
14:00: Ambigula; 17:00: Cassiopeia
Thursday, May 7th
Queensgarden
Friday, May 8th
 Isle of Shadows
Saturday, May 9th
 Fairelands Junction and Drifts of Anamnesis

Keep up with all the news and information on the LitFest and Fantasy Faire through the Fantasy Faire website.

Magic, mysteries, music and murder in Second Life

It’s time to highlight 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 home unless otherwise indicated. Note that the schedule below may be subject to change during the week, please refer to the Seanchai Library website for the latest information through the week.

Monday, April 20th 19:00: The Higher Space

Gyro Muggins reads Jamil Nasir’s 1996 novella that mixes science and magic.

Bob Wilson is a lawyer with a house in the suburbs, a beautiful wife, and a predictable life. Then he agrees to represent a neighbourhood couple in what looks like an open-and-shut custody case.

But no sooner do the Wilsons take in fourteen-year-old Diana Esterbrook than Bob must ask himself some troubling questions. Is Diana a computer genius or a dangerously disturbed adolescent? Why is his house being bugged? Who is the mysterious man in black? And what about Diana’s birth mother, a convicted kidnapper just released from prison?

Wilson’s quest for answers will lead him to an enigmatic private detective, a meek professor with dreams of immortality, and finally to the secrets of a discipline called Thaumatomathematics a strange blend of magic and science where death becomes the key to beatific ecstasy.

Tuesday, April 21st:

12:00 Noon: Russell Eponym, Live in the Glen

Music, poetry, and stories in a popular weekly session at Ceiluradh Glen.

19:00: The Dancing Mice & The Giant Of Flanders by Laura E. Goodin

A young mouse, Elisabeth, prepares her mask for a coming of age dance in which the young mice hope to choose their mates. A crooked old mouse uses magic to assist her, with dire consequences. with Corwyn Allen.

Wednesday, April 22nd, 19:00: A Nun in the Closet

What do two Benedictine nuns, a secretive man-on-the-run, a Tibetan monk, three hippies, members of the Mafia and children of migrant workers have in common? Why, A Nun in the Closet, of course.

When a cloistered monastic community of nuns inherit an old house with 150 acres in up-state New York courtesy of a mysterious benefactor, they are at a loss as to what to do. Sister John and Sister Hyacinthe are therefore dispatched to give the property the once-over and report back. A simple enough assignment, except neither Sister is entirely prepared to deal with all that they find.

From hippies on the lawn to suitcase stuffed with money sitting at the bottom of a well, disguised cocaine and a wounded man who has hidden himself in a closet to avoid Mafia hitmen, not to mention strange apparitions in the night, It might have been better had Sister John and Sister Hyacinthe remained cloistered in the abbey. 

But it is amazing what two nuns can achieve armed only with their faith and boundless energy – up to and including a shocking revelation or two about ghosts, gangsters – and murder.

Join Caledonia Skytower as she reads Dorothy Gilman’s 1986 mystery.

Thursday, April 23rd

19:00: Legions in Time

Shandon Loring reads Michael Swanwick’s short story. Also in Kitely – grid.kitely.com:8002:SEANCHAI).

21:00: Seanchai Late Night

Contemporary sci-fi fantasy from such on-line sources as Escape Pod, Light Speed, and Clarkeworld magazines. With Finn Zeddmore.

Fantasy Faire 2020: nominations for king, queen and chancellor

via Fantasy Faire

One of the fun elements introduced to Fantasy Faire in 2015 was the opportunity to nominate and then vote for the King and Queen of the Fairelands and their (strictly non-human) Chancellor. Nominations came from across all realms of fantasy, with the top five for the positions of king and queen (human or human-looking nominations only) and chancellor, went forward for a public vote-off during the course of the Faire.

The event has since become a staple of the Faire, and it is once again back for 2020, with nominations now open. It’s important to note that this has nothing to do with avatars or people per se, but is a fun election purely for characters from works of fantasy, with the “winners” announced at the end of the Faire.

Nominees can be from written fantasy, graphical novels, cartoons, films, television or radio series, and from genres such as fairy tales, high fantasy, magical stories, urban fantasy, vampire sagas or steampunk, etc. The only major requirements are that nominations for king and queen must be human (or human-type) characters, whilst nominations for chancellor are restricted to non-human (or non-human type) characters, and that the winners from the previous year are no eligible for re-election.

How It Works

  • Nominations are made between now and the end of Saturday, April 25th, 2020(23:59 SLT), using the form below.
  • The top five nominees for each role – king, queen and chancellor – will be selected for a final vote-off.
  • During the Faire, people will have the opportunity to vote for their favourites.
    • There is a fee payable for voting, but all money raised will go to Relay for Life.
  • The winners will be announced at the Fantasy Faire Live Auction on Sunday, May 3rd.

Past Winners

  • 2019: king: the Goblin King (Labyrinth – 2nd time); queen: Ser Brienne of Tarth (Game of Thrones); co-chancellors: Falkor, the Good Luck Dragon (Neverending Story and Kalessin of Earthsea (Earthsea novels). Not these are not eligible for nomination again in 2020
  • 2018: king: Gandalf; queen: Galadriel; chancellor: Totoro.
  • 2017: king: Serverus Snape (Harry Potter); queen: Leia Organa (Star Wars); chancellor: Rhiow (Book of Night With Moon).
  • 2016: king: The Goblin King; queen: October Daye; chancellor: The Last Unicorn.
  • 2015: king: Havelock Vetinari; queen: Granny Weatherwax; chancellor: Greebo the Cat.

Additional Links

Magic, music, murder and time travel in Second Life

It’s time to highlight 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 home unless otherwise indicated. Note that the schedule below may be subject to change during the week, please refer to the Seanchai Library website for the latest information through the week.

Monday, April 13th 19:00: The Higher Space

Gyro Muggins reads Jamil Nasir’s 1996 novella that mixes science and magic.

Bob Wilson is a lawyer with a house in the suburbs, a beautiful wife, and a predictable life. Then he agrees to represent a neighbourhood couple in what looks like an open-and-shut custody case.

But no sooner do the Wilsons take in fourteen-year-old Diana Esterbrook than Bob must ask himself some troubling questions. Is Diana a computer genius or a dangerously disturbed adolescent? Why is his house being bugged? Who is the mysterious man in black? And what about Diana’s birth mother, a convicted kidnapper just released from prison?

Wilson’s quest for answers will lead him to an enigmatic private detective, a meek professor with dreams of immortality, and finally to the secrets of a discipline called Thaumatomathematics a strange blend of magic and science where death becomes the key to beatific ecstasy.

Tuesday, April 14th:

12:00 Noon: Russell Eponym, Live in the Glen

Music, poetry, and stories in a popular weekly session that is finding a new home in Ceiluradh Glen as guest of Seanchai Library.

19:00: Selections from The Wind’s Twelve Quarters

Willow Widlfire reads selections from this collection of short stories by American writer Ursula K. Le Guin, which the author described as a “retrospective”. First published in 1975, it brought together 17 previously published stories, four of which were the germ of novels Le Guin would later write, two of which are represented here and which between them offer insights into the origins of her Earthsea realm.

First published in the January 1964 issue of Fantastic, the short story The Word of Unbinding first introduces the islands of Earthsea as they are each subdued by the dark wizard Voll. Seen through the eyes of another wizard, Festin, the story unfolds around his attempts to stop Voll, only to have his own not inconsiderable powers be rebuffed each time until finally, Festin realises the truth behind Voll power – and the way to undo it. A way that has a terrible price. 

The Rule of Names, published in Fantastic in April 1964, takes us back to Earthsea, and to the rural island of Sattins Island in a convoluted tale of magic, school teachers, secret names, superstitions, dragons, lost treasures and unexpected outcomes. It is centred on the arrival on Sattins Island of a stranger from the archipelago, bent upon mischief-making. His target is the island’s resident magician nicknamed Underhill, widely regarded as incompetent. The stranger believes Underhill holds the key to his being able to reclaim the dragon-stolen treasure of his ancestors. It turns out he is absolutely correct in Underhill being the key to the treasure’s loss, but not in the manner the stranger anticipated. 

Wednesday, April 15th, 19:00: A Nun in the Closet

What do two Benedictine nuns, a secretive man-on-the-run, a Tibetan monk, three hippies, members of the Mafia and children of migrant workers have in common? Why, A Nun in the Closet, of course.

When a cloistered monastic community of nuns inherit an old house with 150 acres in up-state New York courtesy of a mysterious benefactor, they are at a loss as to what to do. Sister John and Sister Hyacinthe are therefore dispatched to give the property the once-over and report back. A simple enough assignment, except neither Sister is entirely prepared to deal with all that they find.

From hippies on the lawn to suitcase stuffed with money sitting at the bottom of a well, disguised cocaine and a wounded man who has hidden himself in a closet to avoid Mafia hitmen, not to mention strange apparitions in the night, It might have been better had Sister John and Sister Hyacinthe remained cloistered in the abbey. 

But it is amazing what two nuns can achieve armed only with their faith and boundless energy – up to and including a shocking revelation or two about ghosts, gangsters – and murder.

Join Caledonia Skytower as she reads Dorothy Gilman’s 1986 mystery.

Thursday, April 16th 19:00: Welcome to the Company

Shandon Loring reads one of Kage Baker’s short stories set within her “Company” series of historical time travel science fiction novels and novellas that revolve around Dr. Zeus Inc., a 24th century corporate entity using technologies of time travel and immortality to exploit the past for commercial gain. Also in Kitely – grid.kitely.com:8002:SEANCHAI).

Rock Your Rack 2020: theme and designer registrations

via Rock Your Rack

Rock Your Rack, the annual fund-raiser organised by Models Giving Back (MGB) in aid of the National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF), will again take place between Saturday, October 3rd and Sunday, October 18th, 2020, inclusive.

Officially endorsed by the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Rock your Rack celebrates its eighth year of fund-raising in Second Life. Each year it brings together music, art and entertainment into a 14-day event that both raises for for, and awareness of the work carried out by, the National Breast Cancer Foundation. Activities at the event include:

  • Designer booths.
  • Fashion shows.
  • Live performers and DJs.
  • An art show.
  • Auctions and hunts.

The theme for this year’s event is Gardens of Hope, with the organisers planning to have different garden themes for each of the event areas.

Rock Your Rack 2018

Designer Registrations

At the start of April 2020, the event opened applications from designers wishing to participate in Rock Your Rack. These are available to any content designers and SL established businesses. Those interested in participating are asked to meet the following high-level requirements:

  • Provide an Exclusive item not for sale anywhere else during the time of the event and has never been previously sold or given away (designer keeps 100% of sales from this item).
  • Provide a Limited Edition item which can be a new design or a remake of an old favourite. 100% of proceeds from this item must go to Rock Your Rack for the National Breast Cancer Foundation, and the item must be marked as such and retired from sales after the event.
  • Provide one item of the designer’s choice for the event’s L$10 Hunt, which gives 100% of funds raised to the NBCF.
  • Sales of all other items can be offered at 100% of proceeds going to the designer, or can be set to give a percentage donation to Rock Your Rack, entirely at the designer’s discretion.

Prices for participation commence at L$2,000 for a basic package that includes a 50 LI allowance which can be used for vendors and decoration; the designer’s logo displayed on the booth and on the Rock Your Rack website, and a SLurl listing to the designer’s in-world store; event advertising on social media and with in-world groups alongside the Rock Your Rack website; and paid advertising through Seraphim and other outlets if approved by those outlets.

There are then a series of options and upgrades available at additional pricing which designers can opt to take advantage of in order to maximise their exposure in this event.

For a full run-down of the designer participant guidelines and rules plus pricing, please refer to the Rock Your Rack designer’s information page, and proceed to the registration form.

Rock Your Rack 2017

About Rock Your Rack and Models Giving Back

Rock Your Rack is the annual fundraiser started in October of 2012 by Jamee Sandalwood and the team at Models Giving Back. MGB is the grid leader in trusted charity events. Jamee takes care of everything from Designers, to bloggers, to musicians, to models. This way any confusion is avoided and no one has to wait to check with anyone else before things are getting done. Rock Your Rack provides full transparency: all of the event’s documentation from screenshot totals, to Lindex transactions, to donation receipts account for every penny that was earned and donated all being posted to the Rock Your Rack website. The event has also, in previous years, obtained formal approval from the NBCF – see the 2018 approval letter for 2018 as an example.

Models Giving Back is the professional team of elite models in Second Life who have dedicated themselves to supporting the efforts of verified RL charities. This team of models gives tirelessly to the events we are involved with always giving of their time and talents to promote those designers involved in our events. For more information on Models Giving Back an how you can become a part of the team, visit the Models Giving Back Facebook Page for information about casting dates and times.

Related Links

Previewing the Second Life Book Club

The Second Life Book Club studio, Book Club Island

First announced on Friday, March 27th, the Second Life Book Club launches on Wednesday, April 8th as part of efforts to broaden the appeal of Second Life and showcase what can be achieved with a virtual platform, as well as offering SL users a new and informative series focused on the world of literate – which is actually a popular subject among SLers thanks to the long-running work by the likes of Seanchai Library and others.

These are strange times indeed: With the current public health crisis sweeping across the globe, many of us are finding it more difficult to go out and physically do the things that comfort us and bring us joy. Socializing. Shopping. Dancing. We can’t wait to get out and explore in the physical world again – but, fortunately, you can do these things virtually right now in Second Life.

During this time of great anxiety, stress and social isolation, we’ve seen a spike in interest and activity in Second Life as people seek online outlets for comfort and social connections. Many are discovering for the first time how Second Life can bring people together for friendly conversations and fun social activities – such as live music performances, virtual nightclubs and deejay events and even book readings.

– From the Second Life blog post, March 27th, 2020

Hosted in-world at a new venue which uses one of the Lab’s turnkey solutions to help businesses and organisations make use of Second Life (in this case, the Conference Centre design), The Second Life Book Club is, in the words of the official press release (also a blog post) about it, an:

Initiative that enables authors to have real-time book readings, engage in meet-and-greets with their fans and promote their publications in front of a live audience within the Internet’s largest user-created virtual world [ which] will kick off with a multi-author panel that will discuss the new reality of writing and selling books in the age of COVID-19. The event will feature a live Q&A with best-selling authors Matt Ruff (“Lovecraft Country”), Ken Liu (“The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories”), SL Huang (the Cas Russell series) and CB Lee (the Sidekick Squad series).

– Linden Lab, Second Life Débuts Virtual Book Tours, April 7th, 2020

(l-to-r): Matt Ruff (© Lisa Gold); Ken Liu (© Lisa Tang Liu); SL Huang (©Chris Massa) and C.B. Lee (via Twitter) – the first SL Book Club guests

The Second Life Book Club is a monthly event produced jointly by Linden Lab and Draxtor Despres who also hosts episodes.

Shows will take place before a live Second Life audience, with the first edition taking place on 10:00 SLT on Wednesday April 8th, at the Second Life Book Club Island.  Audience space is limited, so if you are unable to secure a seat, it will be streamed live across all official Second Life social channels.

Further programmes and guests will be announced through the official Second Life blog.