Category: Events

Previewing the Second Life Book Club

Posted on by Inara Pey
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.

Announcing Le Cirque de la Nuit 2020 in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Idle Rogue Le Cirque de la Nuit

April is upon us, and with it comes a variety of events across Second Life, including Idle Rogue’s Le Cirque de Nuit. Now something of an annual tradition – the first presentation having been in 2014 – this hour-long programme features award-winning animated dance performances based around Erin Morgenstern’s novel, The Night Circus.

So you think you have seen Idle Rogue Productions annual steampunk circus in black and white, “Le Cirque de la Nuit”? Think again! No two editions of “Cirque” are exactly alike, and reservations for this year’s open Monday, April 6th at Noon for the limited six performances. Advanced Reservations are required.

– From the Idle Rogue press release for 2020’s Le Cirque de Nuit.

One of Idle Rogue’s most popular productions, Le Cirque de Nuit will for 2020 offer two rounds of shows over the weekends of Friday, April 10th through Sunday, April 12th and Friday, April 17th through Sunday, April 19th, with individual performances as follows (all times SLT):

  • Friday, April 10th, 22:00.
  • Saturday, April 11th, 19:00.
  • Sunday, April 12th, 15:00.
  • Friday, April 17th, 22:00.
  • Saturday, April 18th, 15:00.
  • Sunday, April 19th, 17:00.

Given their popularity, seats for all performances must be booked in advance. Reservations can be made by contacting Saturday Melody in-world on or after 15:00 SLT on Monday, April 6th. All seats per show will be offered first cone, first serve.

Bloggers wishing to preview the show should contact chryblnd Scribe in-world for information on the Preview performance that is planned for Wednesday, April 8th (time tba at the time this article was written).

Le Cirque de la Nuit: Dax Dover. Credit: Idle Rogue

Directed by Blaze DeVivre,the show might be described as “a steampunk circus in black and white”. It uses Morgenstern’s novel as a background  to present stories of magic, circus and illusion as dance entertainment within an environment created by Gloriana Maertens.

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazement. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.

– Cover copy of The Night Circus

This year, the show features an introductory act, narrated by the storytellers of  Seanchai Library, with all of the acts interspersed by displays of colourful fantastical art installations, including pieces by Bryn Oh, Cica Ghost, and equestrian designer H0ney Heart.

Note that should you book seats for a performance, guests attending the show are requested to:

  • Arrive no later than an hour prior to the stated start time of a performance. Music will be provided for entertainment.
  • Use an up-to-date viewer, with Advanced Lighting enabled so that the full effect of ambient and projected lighting can be seen.
  • Keep their complexity level low, and minimise their script load (including by removing HUDs ad well as worn scripted attachments) for the benefit of all the audience and the performers.
Le Cirque de la Nuit: Meegan Danitz. Credit: Idle Rogue

Further information can be obtained via e-mail to idlerogue-at-gmail.com.

Additional Links

Secrets, magic & science, poems, and games in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Seanchai Library

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.

Sunday, April 5th, 18:30: The Secret Garden

Caledonia Skytower continues this classic of children’s literature  by Frances Hodgson Burnett, first published in 1911, at the Golden Horseshoe in Magicland Park.

Orphaned after losing her parents in a cholera epidemic, young Mary Lennox returns to England from India, entering the care of her uncle Archibald Craven, whom she has never met.

Up until this point, Mary’s childhood had not been happy; her parents were selfish and self-seeking, regarding her as a burden over which they were not obliged to hold much responsibility. Not overly healthy herself, she is as a result  a temperamental, stubborn and unmistakably rude child – and her arrival at Misselthwaite Manor and the relative gloom of Yorkshire’s weather does little to improve her mein.

Her disposition also isn’t helped by her uncle, who is strict and uncompromising, leading to Mary despising him. But her uncle’s story is itself filled with tragedy, particularly the loss of his wife. As she learns more about her uncle’s past, so Mary learns about a walled garden Mrs. Craven once kept, separated from the rest of the grounds and which, since her passing has been kept locked by Mary’s uncle, the door leading to it kept locked, the key to it buried somewhere. 

Finding the missing key and the now hidden door, Mary enters the garden, and her passage into it starts her on a journey of friendship and discovery, one that leads her to the thing she never really knew: family.

Monday, April 6th 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 7th:

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: Words for Our Souls: Poetry in The Glen

Seanchai Staff share words for our time around the fire.

Wednesday, April 8th, 19:00: No Session

The library will be dark.

Thursday, April 9th:

19:00: What’s in a Username?

Shandon Loring returns to Game On: A Gamelit Anthology, this time to read Angel Leya’s short story, What’s in a Username?

While playing a hot new MMORG called Power, gamer girls Maddy and best friend Amber run into a guy on whom Maddy has an all encompassing crush. 

Given her inability to talk to any guy she likes without becoming a tongue-tied, fumbling wreck, Maddy determines the best way to make her feeling known is through her (albeit male) game avatar.

Things start to go awry, however, as Maddy realises Amber likely also has a crush on the object of her affections. As a result, both of their gaming suffers in their pursuit of the eye-catching player.

But what  no-one playing Power realises is that there is more at stake in the game than they could ever realise.

Also in Kitely – grid.kitely.com:8002:SEANCHAI).

21:00: Seanchai Late Night

Contemporary Sci-Fi-Fantasy with Finn Zeddmore featuring stories from sources including Escape Pod, Light Speed, and Clarkesworld on-line magazines.

MuseWeb: utilising Second Life in support of a global conference

Posted on by Inara Pey

MuseWeb 2020 in Second Life.

MuseWeb is a global organisation offering members a range of professional learning opportunities – plenary sessions, conference sessions, informal networking, debates, how-to sessions, lightning talks, etc., – together with multiple practical activities such as demonstrations, exhibitions, and so on, which can be applicable across a range of professional sectors and disciplines.

The organisation has, since 1997, held an annual conference in North America or Asia, featuring speakers, workshops, demonstrations, social events and more. Theses conferences have produced 1,350 papers and videos which are made available to MuseWeb members on-line, offering “an unparalleled resource” for museum workers, technologists, students and researchers that grows every year. Attendees at the conference / conference sessions include educators, curators, librarians, designers, senior staff (CEOs, CIOs, CTOs, CMOs, directors, etc.) of businesses an organisations, scholars, consultants, IT programmers and analysts, publishers and developers from museums, galleries, libraries, science centres, etc.

This year, the MuseWeb 2020 conference – MW20 – had been scheduled to take place in Los Angeles, California, between March 31st and April 4th, with the core programme of presentations and keynotes taking place between Thursday, April 2nd and Saturday, April 4th 2020.

However, due to the SARS-Cov-2 pandemic, the conference has shifted entirely on-line – and thanks to Linden Lab and Virtual Ability Inc, both of whom are acting as conference partners, the MuseWeb organisers are utilising Second Life for the social aspects of the conference, as well as several sessions.

MuseWeb 2020 Auditorium.

To achieve this, MuseWeb has been provisioned with a 4-region location in-world that is based on one of the seven turnkey region solutions Linden Lab has developed for businesses and conferences. The auditorium can cater for up to 350 avatars – although the core of the conference sessions are being presented on-line through Microsoft Teams – Microsoft being the conference’s global sponsor, with Google Arts and Culture also a notable sponsor – although I have been given to understand some sessions from Thursday through Saturday will also be shown in the in-world auditorium.

Aspects that have, and will, involve Second Life include:

  • In-world tours of Virtual Ability, Health Info Island and a range of SL museums, coordinated and hosted by Virtual Ability Inc.
  • “Linden Lunches” with representatives from the Lab, Virtual Ability, etc.
  • Closing plenary session.

The MuseWeb regions are publicly accessible to Second Life users, although sessions that are not relayed in-world require a log-in through the conference web pages. You can view the full schedule here, and the web pages include membership fees for interested professionals.

Dr Nettrice Gaskins: algorithmic art using Deep Dream, on display at MuseWeb 2020 in Second Life.

An important aspect of the conference’s in-world presence is an exhibition of art by Dr. Nettrice Gaskins, who is also presenting the conference’s keynote address alongside of Cory Doctorow.

Dr. Gaskins has taught multimedia, computational media, visual art, and advanced placement computer science principles, and has earned a BFA in Computer Graphics with Honours and an MFA in Art and Technology, and she received a doctorate in Digital Media from Georgia Tech in 2014. As an artist, she explore the use of technology in art, and the pieces offered for display at the MuseWeb auditorium is a unique exploration in using the Deep Dream neural network AI, a convolutional neural network to find and enhance patterns in images to produce over-processed, dream-like (almost hallucinogenic) finished images that are utterly startling in their complexity and depth.

Dr Nettrice Gaskins: algorithmic art using Deep Dream, on display at MuseWeb 2020 in Second Life.

Just how stunning these images are can be seen on the inner walls of the auditorium, where a total of 12 of her pieces are offered for appreciation – marking the first time Dr. Gaskins has exhibited in Second Life since 2010. Certainly, they make a visit a visit to the MuseWeb island.

More to the point, shifting the conference – apparently at short notice –  to leverage on-line communications and presentation means and o make use of Second Life to help maintain the more social aspects of such an event, potentially demonstrates the benefits of 3D and virtual environments to a global audience. Kudos to Linden Lab and Virtual Ability Inc., – who are also fielding greeters and conference assistance in–world, as well as helping with the facilities – for enabling the conference to have a presence in Second Life.

Adventures in strange worlds with Seanchai Library in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Seanchai Library

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, March 30th 19:00: The Ugly Little Boy

Gyro Muggins reads a tale that started life as a short story by Isaac Asimov, and was later expanded into a full length novel by Asimov writing in collaboration with Robert Silverberg.

A 21st century time travel experiment results in a Neanderthal boy being pulled from his time. The intention is to study the boy and understand how his kind lived. However because of the potential for time paradoxes, the boy must be kept in a within a stasis module, a place physically separated from modern time; but he must still be cared for. So the company behind the experiment hires a children’s nurse, Edith Fellowes, to look after him

Initially horrified by the child, Edith comes to forms a bond with him, discovering he is intelligent and capable of both learning and love. However, to Stasis – the company behind the experiment – the boy is little more than a commodity to be observed and with a story to be sold to the media. As such, he is only of value for as long as there is public interest in his story. When that fades, the company determines the child must be returned to his own time, his place to be taken by a subject from another era. But Edith knows that, thanks to all she has taught him, his own time is no longer a place he is equipped to survive within, and determines she must take action to protect him.

Tuesday, March 31st 19:00: Dream in the Sand

With Ktadhn Vesuvino.

Wednesday, April 1st, 19:00: The Phantom Tollbooth

Finn Zeddmore reads Norton Juster’s fantasy adventure for younger readers.

For Milo, everything is a bore and all activities little more than a waste of time. Then one day he arrives home in his usual state of disinterest, only to find a package waiting for him. He has no idea where it has come from or who might have sent it, but is clearly intended for him, given the label. Opening it, he discovers a small tollbooth and a map of “the Lands Beyond,” illustrating the Kingdom of Wisdom.

Reading the limited instructions – that warn him to have a destination from the map in mind – and thinking the package to be some kind of game, he sets the tollbooth up, decides Dictionopolis should be his destination, and propels the accompanying little car through the tollbooth.

Immediately he finds himself driving an actual car through a city that is clearly not his own. Here he discovers he must remain focused, lest his thoughts wander, and his journey wanders as well; a lesson he only discovers when he does daydream and finds himself in the Doldrums.

Also as he travels and meets new friends, so he also realises something else: life is far from boring or dull; it actually offers much to be discovered.

Thursday, April 2nd: Real Challenge

Shandon Loring reads USA Today’s best-selling author Anthea Sharp‘s 2019 short story set within her science fiction / fantasy Feyland series that has been described as “Ready Player One with faeries.”

Spark Jaxley may appear to have the life of a superstar gamer, but she’s actually among an elite group of guardians who carry a secret and a burden as they engage in an unseen confrontation unseen and unknown to the world at large. The Realm of Faerie exists, and its dark magic is desperate for a foothold in our mortal realm.

In Real Challenge, first published in 2019 as a part of the the anthology of gaming stories Game On: A Gamelit Anthology, Spark has made it to the gaming world championships, ready to give her all in a competition where the stakes are high  and the gaming fierce.

But sometimes the true challenge isn’t what you think; for Spark, it means her entire future is riding on the outcome – will she make the right choice?

Also in Kitely – grid.kitely.com:8002:SEANCHAI).

SL17B performer applications

Posted on by Inara Pey

via and © Linden Lab

On Friday, March 27th, 2020, Linden Lab opened applications for those wishing to perform at the upcoming 17th anniversary of Second Life.

SL17B will run from Friday, June 19th through until Friday, July 10th, with the core entertainments for the celebrations taking place between June 19th and Sunday, June 28th. This year the theme is road trips and vacations.

The official blog post announcing applications from performers reads in part:

Calling all performers! Second Life is seeking talent for our upcoming 17th annual Second Life birthday celebration (SL17B), held June 19-July 10. Get ready for a fun-filled week of live music and deejay performances, shopping exclusives, and amazing community exhibits.

One of the things that makes Second Life so vibrant and exciting is the wide range of Performers who share their talent with our Residents. Are you a DJ who can spin up a great party set? Maybe you’re a Live Musician who plays an instrument or sings! You might be one of the grid’s amazing Dance companies, or perhaps you’re a Particle Performer! Whatever your medium, we would love to hear from you.

Note that this call is not related to the SL Music Fest, which will take place over the opening days of SL17B, but is for those who wish to perform as a part of the event’s full week of activities and celebrations. As such, applications are open to DJs, live performers, dance troupes, particle performers, etc.

Those interested in providing their services should complete and submit the official performer application form no later than Monday, May 18th. Successful applicants will be contacted by SL17B Event Staff Leaders in de course.

SL17B Applications In Full

Follow the links below for:

Keep Up To Date and Early Access

Updates on SL17B preparations will be made via official blog posts and through the Second Life Birthday in-world group, membership of which will give members early access to the celebration regions.

Related Links