Category: Events

On Sunday, October 21st at 14:00 SLT, Fantasy Faire Radio and Seanchai Library will present Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, specially adapted for radio and live performance in six voices, in celebration of the 200th anniversary of the novel’s original publication.  The two-hour performance will take place live at this year’s iteration of “Haunted Holly Kai” high above the Blake Sea based Art Park, and will benefit Relay for Life.

In 1814 and at the age of 17, Mary Godwin, daughter of the  political philosopher William Godwin, began a relationship with poet Percy Bysshe Shelley. It was to become the subject of much gossip and scandal, Shelley already being married and Mary bearing him a daughter. However, their love endured, and in 1816, they were able to spend summer with Lord Byron near Geneva, Switzerland (with Mary already calling herself “Mrs. Shelley”, although she and Shelley were not married until later in the year following the death of Shelley’s first wife).

Thanks to the inclement weather, Mary, Shelley and Lord Byron entertained their little party by reading German ghost stories. This resulted into the three agreeing a challenge to each write a “ghost story”, but Mary found herself unable to determine a suitable theme until, on a later evening, the discussions turned to the nature of the principle of life, and she found herself wondering about the potential to re-animate a corpse. Her imagination sparked, over the coming days she wrote the first draft of a story that would grow into one of the most famous horror novels of all time: Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus, eventually published in 1818.

The novel received a positive reception when it first appeared – although it was also somewhat disregarded as a literally piece, being initially published anonymously (it was not until 1823 that Mary’s name was added to it). The initial reviews praised the novel as “very bold fiction”, while the then unknown author was praised for having, “the power of both conception and language”. It was only after Mary Shelley became the acknowledged author that the reviews became largely more negative – and in doing so, focused on the fact the author was a woman.

However, the novel proved itself more than durable, surviving the negativity, becoming an early subject for stage adaptation. The first of these, Presumption; or, the Fate of Frankenstein, opened in 1823. The novel then became a subject for film from 1910 onwards.

The most famous of these cinematic adaptations is perhaps the 1931 James Whale film, Frankenstein: The Man Who Made The Monster. Itself adapted from a stage play by Peggy Webling and loosely written around Shelley’s novel, the film starred Boris Karloff, in a role that transformed Shelley Creature into the Monster with bolts in its neck we all tend to visualise when thinking about the tale.

For the 200th anniversary of the novel’s publication, Seanchai Library and Fantasy Faire Radio will present a 2-hour adaptation of the original story, adapted by Caledonia Skytower and Da5id Abbot, who will be joined by the voice talents of Corwyn Allen, Zander Greene, Shandon Loring and Elrik Merlin.. The performance will take place in an outdoor amphitheatre and castle setting that features a mad scientist lab created by Stranger Nightfire.

Both the amphitheatre and castle will remain open to the public through until after Halloween, and will feature additional events will be staged to celebrate both the novel and its film adaptations.

To reach the event area, click the Frankenstein poster located on the wall at the Holly Kai Park Information Centre.

About Seanchai Library

Seanchai Library (Shawn-a-kee, which means “Storyteller” in Irish.) was founded in March of 2008 in Second Life. The program remains dedicated to promoting the power of stories to transform and inspire through live voice presentations: “We bring stories of all kinds to life, in Second Life and other virtual worlds.”  http://irelandslstory.blogspot.com/.

About Fantasy Faire Radio

Since 2014, Fantasy Faire Radio has been a special event station, sponsored by Radio Riel in its role as Media Partner in Fantasy Faire, the annual celebration of fantasy art, writing, design and creativity that raises money every year in the virtual world of Second Life for the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life, supporting cancer research, caregivers and cancer sufferers all over the world. In 2017, FFR began broadcasting 24/7, as a full‐time Internet radio service. Listeners can tune in by opening https://radioriel.org in their internet browser and choosing Fantasy Faire Radio in the left hand sidebar, by opening http://fantasy.radioriel.org in a network audio player.

SLurl Details

• Holly Kai Park Information Centre (Holly Kai Estates, rated: Moderate) – please use the TP poster in the centre

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 at Holly Kai Park, unless otherwise indicated.

Sunday, October 14th 15:00 Stories at the Park

Join us at Holly Kai Gallery as Caledonia Skytower reads stories inspired by pictures on display in the Art of Lu, an exhibition of the remarkable art of LuAnne Anatine in Second Life.

A professional illustrator and digital artist in the physical world, Lu Anne produces some of the most stunning art to be seen in Second Life, producing her art through a fascinating mix of traditional and digital mix of mediums. For example, she produces a base drawing or painting in graphite or water-colour, then scan the images into her computer where she paints them digitally using a Wacom Cintiq tablet and a number of programs.

Stories at the Park allows writers from across Second Life to visit the exhibitions at Holly Kai Gallery and then write 100-word stories (“drabbles”) or poems on one or more of the pictures that inspire them, and which are then presented at the event, either read by the writer or one of the Seanchai Library team. All stories are then published on the Holly Kai Park blog.

So, why not join us at Holly Kai Gallery for the latest Stories at the Park? Come early and see Lu Anne’s painting ahead of the event, or stay later and explore them after!

Monday, October 15th 19:00: The Infinitive of Go

Gyro Muggins reads John Brunner’s 1980 novel about matter teleportation and dimensional shifts.

Dr Justin Williams and his collaborator, Cinnamon Wright, develop a form of instantaneous teleportation in which the departure and arrival points appear “congruent” with one another, allowing objects to be instantly moved from one to the other in a transfer process termed “posting”.

The system works flawlessly with inanimate objects, and when a situation arises requiring an urgent diplomatic solution arises, Williams is called upon to transfer a courier from the USA to an embassy in a foreign location. But something goes wrong: on his arrival, the courier is armed – yet he carried no weapon on his departure – and further demands he be given a countersign by those at the embassy – when no such arrangement had been made. Believing the mission to be compromised, the courier shoot himself, and the package he is carrying self-destructs.

In order to prove he did not sabotage the system, Williams has himself posted – only to find that while he feels unchanged, the world around him has changed in the most subtle of ways. As time goes on, Williams – with the help of a doubly altered Wright – realises that the teleportation device is moving its subjects between parallel universes. It is also apparent that some of those arriving in the dimension in which he now exists have far more knowledge about what is going on.

The question is, is it the system that is causing people to move between universes, or ir it something more subtle?

Tuesday, October 16th 19:00: Ghost Stories from Home

With Caledonia Skytower.

Wednesday, October 17th, 19:00: The Jennifer Morgue

Corwyn Allen reads the second volume in the Laundry Files by Charles Stross.

Bob Howard is an IT expert and occasional field agent for the Laundry, the branch of Her Majesty’s Secret Service that deals with occult threats. In this second outing, Bob Howard finds himself dragged into the machinations and conspiracies of megalomaniac multi-billionaire Ellis Billington, The Black Chamber and The Laundry…

Dressed in a tuxedo (what else for a globe-trotting British Secret Agent?) and sent to the Caribbean, Bob must infiltrate Billington’s inner circle via his luxurious yacht. His mission? Prevent the Billington from violating a treaty that will bring down the wrath of an ancient underwater race upon humanity’s head.

Offering a wonderful pastiche on both the world of James Bond and a wonderful mimicking of Ian Fleming’s style of writing, Stross produces a novel that also evokes Lovecraftian overtones that is delightfully entertaining to read. In true Bond style, Bob is (reluctantly) partnered with an American agent – in this case a stunningly beautiful woman who also just happens to be a soul-sucking succubus from another dimension. Which, being the case, marks Bob’s mission somewhat differently to those of Bond: not only must he stop the bad guys and come through this at best shaken, he must totally avoid being stirred towards getting the girl…

Thursday, October 18th

19:00: Doorbells at Dusk

With Shandon Loring. Also presented in Kitelyhop://grid.kitely.com:8002/Seanchai/144/129/29.

21:00 Seanchai Late Night

Contemporary Sci-Fi with Finn Zeddmore.

 

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

The current charity is Feed a Smile.

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 at Holly Kai Park, unless otherwise indicated.

Sunday, October 7th

13:30: Tea-time at Baker Street

The third full-length novel written about Sherlock Holmes, The Hound of the Baskervilles is likely to be the one Holmesian story which – at least in outline – known to most, whether or not they have actually read any of Holmes’ adventures.

But how many of us know the story as it was originally written? Over the decades it has been adapted for film and television more than 20 times, starting as early as 1914/15 with the 4-part series, Der Hund von Baskerville, and continuing on through to Paul McGuigan’s The Hounds of Baskerville, featured in the BBC’s brilliant Sherlock series.

All of these adaptations have offered their own take on the tale. Some – such as McGuigan’s, have simply taken the title of the story and used it to weave a unique tale of their own; others have stayed true to the basics of the story whilst also adding their own twists and turns quite outside of Conan Doyle’s plot in order to keep their offering fresh and exciting to an audience.

So why not join Cale, David, Corwyn and Kayden as they read from the 1902 original, and discover just how Sir Arthur Conan Doyle unfolded this apparently supernatural tale of giant hounds and murder, and the pivotal role played by John Watson himself?

18:00: Magicland Storytime: Mary Poppins Comes Back

Pulled down from the clouds at the end of a kite string, Mary Poppins is back. In Mary’s care, the Banks children meet the King of the Castle and the Dirty Rascal, visit the upside-down world of Mr. Turvy and his bride, Miss Topsy, and spend a breathless afternoon above the park, dangling from a clutch of balloons.

Find out more with Caledonia Skytower at the The Golden Horseshoe.

Monday, October 8th 19:00: Murder is Bliss

Gyro Muggins reads the first volume in the Jasper Stone series by Ellen Anthony.

In the year 2179, police lieutenant Jasper Stone finds himself called upon to solve the high-profile murder of Elizabeth West. The case appears to revolve around a valuable house – and the leading suspect is West’s disabled son.

But then the son is murdered – and the evidence points towards West’s grand-daughter, Jewell. Only she appears to have a rock-solid alibi for West’s murder. So is there more than one crime, or will Jewell be the next victim?

The more he investigates, the more Stone finds himself entangled in a complicated web of motives and a situation involving not just murder, but drug smuggling and blackmail. And the more he investigates, the more he might just be protecting the woman behind it all.

Tuesday, October 9th 19:00: The House with a Clock in it’s Walls

Faerie Maven-Pralou reads the first in John Bellairs’ Lewis Barnavelt series, originally published in the 1970s.

In the mid-west United States in the 1950s, 11-year-old, orphaned Lewis Barnavelt arrives at the home of his Uncle Jonathan, who has been appointed his guardian. Overweight, shunned by other children, he finds himself in his uncle’s the ramshackle mansion where the ominous ticking of a clock can be heard coming from within the walls.

Lewis soon discovers his uncle is a witch, as is his eccentric neighbour, Mrs. Zimmerman – who is obsessed with the colour purple and anything with “Z” on it – are witches. Fortunately, they are witches of the “good” kind, and they are engaged in a literal race against time.

The ticking coming from within the mansion’s walls belongs to a doomsday clock, and if Uncle Jonathan, Mrs. Zimmerman – and now Lewis – must work out where the bewitched clock has been hidden by the warlocks who once owned the house.

Wednesday, October 10th, 19:00: A Haunting We Will Go

Caledonia Skytower reads selections from E.F. Benson’s ghost stories.

Thursday, October 11th 19:00: The Strange Stairs at the Aldebourne Estate

With Shandon Loring. Also presented in Kitelyhop://grid.kitely.com:8002/Seanchai/144/129/29.

 

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

The current charity is Feed a Smile.