Seanchai Library: Jan 29th – Feb 3rd, 2023 in Second Life

Seanchai Library

It’s time to highlight another week of storytelling in Voice by the staff and volunteers at the Seanchai Library – and this week previews the launch of a very special event.

As always, all times SLT, and events are held at the Library’s home in Nowhereville, 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, January 30th, 19:00: Lewis Padgett’s Open Secret

Lewis Padgett was the joint pseudonym of science fiction writing husband and wife Henry Kuttner and Catherine Lucille Moore (wrote wrote as C. L. Moore).

The name was formed by combining their mother’s maiden names, and was one of several pseudonyms the couple used (along with Lawrence O’Donnell and C. H. Liddell) – although they also worked together using their own names.  Together, they are regarded as influential in bringing about the Golden Age of Science Fiction when they wrote for Astounding Science during the second World War. They were said to be so close that one would be able to continue writing where the other one left off.

As Lewis Padgett, the couple were known for many humorous science fiction short stories published in the 1940s and 1950s. Open Secret was a short story written by the pair in 1943,

With Gyro Muggins.

Tuesday, January 31st, 19:00: Cold Clay

The second book in the Shady Hollow series, in which some long-buried secrets come to light, throwing suspicion on a beloved local denizen.

It’s autumn in Shady Hollow, and residents are looking forward to harvest feasts. But then a rabbit discovers a grisly crop: the bones of a moose.

Soon, the owner of Joe’s Mug is dragged out of the coffeeshop and questioned by the police about the night his wife walked out of his life–and Shady Hollow–forever. It seems like an open-and-shut case, but dogged reporter Vera Vixen doesn’t believe gentle Joe is a killer. She’ll do anything to prove his innocence. . .even if it means digging into secrets her neighbours would rather leave buried.

Faerie Maven-Pralou reads the second book in the Shady Hollow series by Juneau Black, in which some long-buried secrets come to light, throwing suspicion on a beloved local denizen.

Wednesday, February 1st, 19:00: Seanchai Flicks

Films, popcorn and fun at the Seanchai cinema space.

Thursday, February 2nd, 19:00: Selections from The Crystal Cave

Born into a time shortly after the Romans have departed Britain, now once again divided into a series of kingdoms, Myrddin Emrys, also known as Merlin, is the illegitimate son of a Welsh princess, who refuses to name his father. Small for his age and often abused or neglected, Merlin occasionally has clairvoyant visions which, together with his unknown parentage cause him to be referred to as “the son of a devil” and “bastard child”.

After being taught to harness his abilities by the hermit, Galapas, Merlin eventually find his way to Brittany, who teaches him to use his psychic powers as well as his earthly gifts, Merlin eventually finds his way to Brittany and the court of Ambrosius Aurelianus, where he joins the war leader’s plans to invade Britain and defeat Vortigern and his Saxon allies, and unify the nation as its High King.

Discovering he is Ambrosius’s son, Merlin returns to Britain and is captured by Vortigern, who believes the only way his new fortress can remain standing is through the sacrifice of the “child with no father” – Merlin. The latter, however, discerns the real reason the walls of Vortigern’s fortress keep collapsing and plays into the king’s superstitious nature, and commences his life as a king’s advisor, even whilst seeking to support Ambrosius in his goal. Thus begins the adventures of a young boy who will eventually become the advisor to Britain’s Once And Future King.

Seanchai Library: Jan 16th-20th, 2023 in Second Life

Seanchai Library

It’s time to highlight another week of storytelling in Voice by the staff and volunteers at the Seanchai Library – and this week previews the launch of a very special event.

As always, all times SLT, and events are held at the Library’s home in Nowhereville, 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, January 16th, 19:00: Fear Hound

In the slums of a city, a vagrant young man is drafted by a member of the city’s psi squad in a search for a trapped psychic radiating her fear to people for miles around.

With Gyro Muggins.

Tuesday, December 17th, 19:00: Cold Clay

It’s autumn in Shady Hollow, and residents are looking forward to harvest feasts. But then a rabbit discovers a grisly crop: the bones of a moose.

Soon, the owner of Joe’s Mug is dragged out of the coffeeshop and questioned by the police about the night his wife walked out of his life–and Shady Hollow–forever. It seems like an open-and-shut case, but dogged reporter Vera Vixen doesn’t believe gentle Joe is a killer. She’ll do anything to prove his innocence. . .even if it means digging into secrets her neighbours would rather leave buried.

Faerie Maven-Pralou reads the second book in the Shady Hollow series by Juneau Black, in which some long-buried secrets come to light, throwing suspicion on a beloved local denizen.

Wednesday, December 18th, 19:00: Seanchai Flicks

Films, popcorn and fun at the Seanchai cinema space.

Thursday, December 19th, 21:00: In Poe’s Shadow at the Castle Dracula Experience

With Shandon Loring.

Seanchai Library: Dec 12th-18th, 2022 in Second Life

Seanchai Library

It’s time to highlight another week of storytelling in Voice by the staff and volunteers at the Seanchai Library – and this week previews the launch of a very special event.

As always, all times SLT, and events are held at the Library’s home in Nowhereville, 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, December 12th, 19:00: Call Me Joe

How do you explore an utterly hostile, alien environment; a place so utterly different, humans cannot possibly survive, and which is awash with lifeforms which, even if a human could survive on the surface, would rip him or her apart on contact?

You send in artificial constructs – creatures as powerful and strong as any of the predators roaming that world – creatures controlled by the human mind using psionics.

One such creature is Joe. Incredibly strong, Joe is more than a match for predators on this hostile world; unfortunately, he is controlled by the bad-tempered, wheelchair-bound Ed Anglesey. A man less than popular with his colleagues aboard the space station orbiting this alien world – but a man nevertheless capable of operating the artificial life-forms they send down to the world below.

Equally unfortunately, Joe – like the other units Anglesey has controlled – keeps suffering small, but irritating malfunctions. But are these caused by the environment and the fights Joe faces, or are they something more subtle; such as a manifestation of Anglesey’s fears at being so exposed on this alien world, despite the power and capability inherent in Joe’s body?

Or could the answer be in something else entirely? That’s the task assigned to psionic expert Cornelius, brought to the station in order to discover what is happening. And what he finds come as quite the surprise.

First written in 1957, Poul Anderson’s short story-turned-novella offers what might now be regarded as a quaint view of Jupiter as a world, and (possibly) a nugget of an idea used 50-ish years later by a certain film director.

With Gyro Muggins.

Tuesday, December 13th, 19:00: Selections from Terry Pratchett’s The Hogfather

With Caledonia Skytower at the fireside.

Wednesday, December 14th, 19:00: Seanchai Flicks

Films, popcorn and fun at the Seanchai cinema space.

Thursday, December 15th, 21:00: Seanchai Late Night

Sci-fi / Fantasy with Finn Zeddmore.

At the Dickens Project

The Dickens Project 2022 Edition
  • Thursday, December 15th, 12:00 noon: Dickens CVL Tour – Virtual Worlds Education Roundtable at the Research Centre.
  • Friday, December 16th:
    • 17:00: A Misfit Christmas Show – presented by Misfit Dance and Performance Art SL.
    • 20:00: Fezziwig’s Ball performance by TerpsiCorps Artwerks – Evolution Dance.
  • Saturday, December 17th:
    • 12:00:
    • Fezziwig’s Ball performance by TerpsiCorps Artwerks – Evolution Dance.
    • 14:00: The Magic of The Musical: Christmas on The Musical Stage presented by Virtual Community Radio at The Opera House.
    • 19:00: Rockin’ Around the Dickens Project with DJ Iniry Vaher presented by Eclipse Club & Resort.
  • Sunday, December 18th, starting at 12:00 noon: The Big Read: A Christmas Carol presented by live in The Opera House.

Previewing The Dickens Project 2022 in Second Life

The Dickens Project, a seasonal celebration of the life, times and work of Charles Dickens with a focus on what is perhaps his most famous story, A Christmas Carol, officially opens to the public on Thursday, December 8th 2022s.

Now a tradition within Second Life – the first edition of the event was held in 2012 (and which itself grew out of a special presentation made in 2008), the Dickens Project offers a mix of reading, storytelling, music, events and activities, each year introducing something new to the mix to add a little more magic for visitors to enjoy – and 2022 is no exception.

Organised by Seanchai Library, The Dickens Project presents visitors with an immersive environment across two regions evocative of Victorian England in Dickens’ time and which is both home to settings from A Christmas Carol and stage upon which a range of events and activities take place throughout the Project’s month-long run, which concludes on January 3rd, 2023. However, this year’s event brings with it some changes.

This year we challenged a lot of assumptions about how we configured the land to tell the story, so Dickens Project fans will discover is a layout that is very different from past Projects, but still has narrative sense. It feels like a lot ‘more’, somehow, and yet will still have the friendly familiarity that many will expect.

Caledonia Skytower, Seanchai Library

The Dickens Project 2022 Edition

One of the key changes this year is the use of an Experience based teleport system and a skybound Landing Point.  The latter provides a map of the event’s two regions, information in events and requirements for visiting The Dickens Project (e.g. Victorian era costumes are not required, but if visitors wish to dress the part, they are welcome to do so).  This landing point also includes a series of teleport portals to different points within the setting – and this is where the Experience teleport system comes into play.

On walking through any of the portals for the first time, visitors to The Dickens Project 2022 visitors will be asked to accept the local Experience, allowing the portals to teleport them to their destination. Note that in keeping with the SL Experience system, acceptance only needs to be done once; thereafter all teleports through any portals will be seamless. This approach means that the regions themselves lack a common welcome area visitors to previous Dickens Project events might otherwise anticipate, but it also means visitors can have a greater freedom of exploration.

The Dickens Project 2022 Edition

Joining Seanchai Library in presenting the event this year are Virtual Community Radio, Innsmouth in SL and The Community Virtual Library, who will again provide research and information on Victorian life in the time of Dickens’ works. For 2022, the Project and its activities include:

  • Two scenic regions to explore and enjoy.
  • Live music, DJ sets, spoken word, dance events and performances.
  • Dozens of performers, presenters.
  • Educational and interpretive content featuring different aspects of Victorian life.
  • Horse rambler tour, and a hot air balloon ride.

In addition:

  • Four different dance companies – Idle Rogue Productions, TerpsiCorps Dance, Misfit Dance and Performance Art SL, and Virtuoso Dance – will present unique performances through the event.
  • Eclipse Club and Resort will contribute music sets in addition to a variety of independent DJs and musicians.
  • SL Hawks Aerobatic Team will return for a single performance of their popular “Ghost Flights of Christmas” air show in the skies above Dickens Harbour, this season with wing walkers.
The Dickens Project 2022 Edition

Of course, no edition of the The Dickens Project would be complete without Carol Week, featuring readings of A Christmas Carol. However, for 2022, things will be done a little differently. The week will begin with The Big Read on Sunday, December 18th at 12:00 noon SLT. This relay-style presentation involves a chorus of voices in a continuous reading of Dickens’ famous novella from the beginning to end. Following this, there will be daily readings of the story from December 19th, 2002 through to December 22nd, each day presenting a stave of A Christmas Carol within the various locations within the regions inspired by the story.

To keep up-to-date on the Project and its daily events, be sure to keep an eye on the Seanchai Library website and the Dickens Project calendar.

The Dickens Project 2022 Edition

About Seanchai Library

Seanchai Library (pronounced Shawn-a-kee, which means “Storyteller” in Irish Gaelic.) 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.”

In presenting The Dickens Project 2022 Edition, Seanchai Library acknowledge the support and sponsorship of Linden Lab and the particular support of Patch Linden and the Land Team.

Links and SLurls

Seanchai Library: Nov 28th-Dec 1st, 2022 in Second Life

Seanchai Library

It’s time to highlight another week of storytelling in Voice by the staff and volunteers at the Seanchai Library – and this week previews the launch of a very special event.

As always, all times SLT, and events are held at the Library’s home in Nowhereville, 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, November 28th, 19:00: Frek in the Grulloo Woods

Frek’s father left the planet in a big hurry after Gov (the government) peeped him with their rather invasive brain scrambling techniques. Ever since then, Frek and his family have been seen as kind of renegades and outsiders, not really proper company for the upstanding citizens.

But when Frek discovers that some alien intelligence is trying to get in touch with him, he decides to follow in his father’s footsteps; only the Gov have noted his connection with the alien force, and come after him.

With the help of a Grulloo, a second class citizen with a tail – and some new alien friends, Frek escapes the clutches of Gov and blasts off to sign a branecasting deal – branecasting being greatest technology craze sweeping the universe …

Gyro Muggins offers a reading based on the first two chapters of Rudy Rucker’s Frek and the Elixir.

Tuesday, November 29th, 19:00: Selections from Terry Pratchett’s The Hogfather

With Caledonia Skytower at the fireside.

Wednesday, November 30th, 19:00: Seanchai Flicks

Films, popcorn and fun at the Seanchai cinema space.

Thursday, December 1st, 21:00: Seanchai Late Night

Sci-fi / Fantasy with Finn Zeddmore.

Advanced Notice: The Dickens Project

The Dickens Project has officially announced an opening date of December 8th, 2022 and will run through until January 3rd, 2023. Old favourite guests and features will return along with an exciting new land configuration and new collaborators. Details to be published in due course!

Seanchai Library: shorts, movies and thanksgiving

Seanchai Library

It’s time to highlight another week of storytelling in Voice by the staff and volunteers at the Seanchai Library – and this week previews the launch of a very special event.

As always, all times SLT, and events are held at the Library’s home in Nowhereville, 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, November 21st, 19:00: Reality Check

In a bizarre future, It takes place in a bizarre future, the technological singularity has occurred. The world have now become a place of biological fabricators, eight-legged cows, talking dogs, microscopic surveillance bots, and mid-life genetic upgrades for humans.

Life is not easy for many in a world where everyone is subject to police and government surveillance, and married couple Joe and Maddie are trying to make their way on their a small farmstead, trying to remain as unnoticed as possible.

But one morning, they are forced to drive off a “farm” a mix of machine, Ai and human, that has decided it is going to fly to Jupiter – and to do so, it intends to use an mix of enzymes and tree sap which, when combined, have a habit of wiping out all life in the area. To prevent this, Joe sets out devising the means to destroy the farm without the police becoming aware of his intent.

At the same time Maggie withdraws into herself, and Joe believes he may have to use a back-up and recreate her through the fabricator. However, he, the farm and Maddie are about to come together in the most unexpected of ways.

Gyro Muggin’s reads the 2003 short story by Charlie Stross.

Tuesday, November 22nd, 19:00: Tales from Life: Lesser Known Stories from History that Read like Fiction

With Caledonia Skytower at the fireside.

Wednesday, November 23rd, 19:00: Seanchai Flicks

Films, popcorn and fun at the Seanchai cinema space.

Thursday, November 24th, 19:00: Alice’s Restaurant

A Seanchai Library Thanksgiving tradition with Shandon Loring.

As Thanksgiving arrives in the United States, Shandon Loring presents singer-songwriter Arlo Guthrie’s famous 1967 musical monologue, Alice’s Restaurant Massacree (also popularly known as Alice’s Restaurant, and the inspiration of the 1969 Arthur Penn film of that name, starring Guthrie himself).

Aside from the opening and closing chorus, the song is delivered as the spoken word accompanied by a ragtime guitar. The story is based on a true incident in Guthrie’s life when, in 1965, he (then 18) and a friend were arrested for illegally dumping garbage from Alice’s restaurant after discovering that the town dump was closed for the Thanksgiving holiday.

What follows is a complicated, ironic and amusing story told in a deadpan, satirical tone, which encompasses fines, blind judges, guide dogs, 27 8×10 copiously annotated glossy photos related to the littering, frustrated police officers, the Vietnam War draft and, ultimately, the inexplicable ways in which bureaucracy moves to foil itself, just when you’ve given up hope of foiling it yourself.

Don’t be late – the entire presentation is just 20 minutes in length!

Advanced Notice: The Dickens Project

The Dickens Project has officially announced an opening date of December 8th, 2022 and will run through until January 3rd, 2023. Old favourite guests and features will return along with an exciting new land configuration and new collaborators. Details to be published in due course!