Transcripts from Science Fiction Saturday, a regular event in Second Life. Hosted by the group Science Fiction Discussion each Saturday at 2.00 p.m. SL time.

Saturday, May 16, 2009

16 May 2009: Liberation Square

[14:19] Jago Constantine: Hey Zorden / You're the only one to show up today :) / hey :)
[14:24] Zorden Wingtips: hi jago
[14:25] Jago Constantine: Eddi couldn't make it, he's judging a fashion show / And noone else turned up :P
[14:25] Zorden Wingtips: i no i was just there checking that out
[14:25] Jago Constantine: oh cool / I gather it's a tough contest :P
[14:25] Zorden Wingtips: a olot of lag there
[14:26] Jago Constantine: I was there for 20 minutes before it started / it was pretty busy / have you read or seen any sci fi lately? / :)
[14:27] Zorden Wingtips: no
[14:27] Jago Constantine: Hey Kestra / Welcome to Science Fiction Saturday :)
[14:27] Kestra Akina: hello
[14:27] Zorden Wingtips: i want to c the new star trak movie
[14:27] Kestra Akina: Did the discussion ever happen?
[14:27] Jago Constantine: I saw it already, it was pretty good :) / Well, you two are the only ones to show today :P
[14:28] Kestra Akina: wow ... cushy chair
[14:28] Jago Constantine: watch out for squirrels :P
[14:28] Kestra Akina: I didn't see the movie / lol
[14:29] Jago Constantine: it's pretty good, just don't think about it too much lol
[14:29] Kestra Akina: Worth seeing ,huh?
[14:29] Jago Constantine: yeah I think so, even for a non-trek fan
[14:30] Zorden Wingtips: non fans like it more from what i hear
[14:30] Kestra Akina: ehhh i'm lagged
[14:31] Jago Constantine: have you read any sci fi lately, kestra?
[14:31] Kestra Akina: Well ... dunno what you had in mind to discuss but honestly i haven't kept up with reading adult SF in decades ... all i ever read now is Young Adult fantasy / as in vampires, fairies, etc.
[14:32] Zorden Wingtips: gtg bye guys
[14:32] Jago Constantine: Ok, I guess you've read the Twilight books then?
[14:32] Kestra Akina: i read all the major SF stuff for decades
[14:32] Jago Constantine: Ok, cya Zorden :)
[14:32] Kestra Akina: kinda got tired of it all
[14:32] Jago Constantine: Thanks for coming along!
[14:32] Kestra Akina: the YA stuff is fresh and interesting
[14:32] Jago Constantine: I read sci fi and fantasy, so I'm happy to talk about either
[14:33] Kestra Akina: i don't know if there is really great stuff coming out of the adult genre now / do you think there is?
[14:33] Jago Constantine: Well, I haven't read anything really great in sci fi for a few years / so maybe not
[14:34] Kestra Akina: hmmm ... i'd hate to think it's all been done, but it looks that way?
[14:35] Jago Constantine: Just looking at my bookcases now, I can't see anything unambiguously great / and recent
[14:35] Kestra Akina: have a good day
[14:35] Jago Constantine: You too :)
[14:35] Kestra Akina: i don't know ... anyway ... i'm gonna to scoot off ... talk to you another time

Saturday, May 9, 2009

9 May 2009: Liberation Square

[13:56] Andrea Fairlady: Hi...glad to be here.
[13:57] Jago Constantine: I'm glad too ... you're the only one so far :P
[13:58] Jago Constantine: Usually we meet in a different location in second life, but this week we're at my home
[13:58] Jago Constantine: Hey eddi babe!
[13:58] Jago Constantine: lol arabella :)
[13:58] Jago Constantine: andrea sorry
[13:59] Jago Constantine: it's a little laggy because there's a party next door I think
[14:00] Eddi Haskell: hi / it is laggy / but it should not have anything to do with that party
[14:00] Jago Constantine shouts: oops watch out for that drop andrea!
[14:00] Andrea Fairlady: Well I don't know where I went to ...lol.
[14:01] Jago Constantine: you fell down into the box below us
[14:01] Jago Constantine: I sent you a teleport request to bring you back up
[14:01] Jago Constantine: You can't fly this high up
[14:01] Andrea Fairlady: lol / I'm awful at this
[14:02] Jago Constantine: it's ok, you're new
[14:02] Andrea Fairlady: Where is the teleport
[14:02] Jago Constantine: do you see the teleport link in the corner of your screen?
[14:02] Andrea Fairlady: lol
[14:02] Jago Constantine: cool
[14:03] Jago Constantine: Come sit here eddi :_
[14:03] Phantom Republic is Online
[14:03] Jago Constantine: maybe try a chair andrea :P
[14:03] Eddi Haskell: this is very laggy now
[14:04] Jago Constantine: Hey tawney
[14:04] Tawney Ferryhill: hello jago, how are you?
[14:05] Jago Constantine: Great! Thanks for coming / Are you rezzing slowly Tawney?
[14:06] Eddi Haskell shouts: if you wear that flght feather you can fly up at this height
[14:07] Jago Constantine: there's nothing really in the windmill :P
[14:07] Jago Constantine: Hi, Freemason
[14:07] Eddi Haskell: if you want in a few mintues we can head over to the rain box for less lag
[14:07] Jago Constantine: No it's ok
[14:08] Jago Constantine: Hi, Bryce thanks for coming
[14:08] Bryce Galbraith: Hi Jago
[14:08] Jago Constantine: Well I guess we should start
[14:08] Freemason Magic: hello everyone
[14:08] Eddi Haskell: hi freemason
[14:08] Jago Constantine: For those who are new ... the way we do this is to go round the circle and talk about what we've read during the week
[14:09] Eddi Haskell: hiya bryce
[14:09] Jago Constantine: This week if anyone else has seen it, we might talk about Star Trek :P
[14:09] Freemason Magic: ive been continue developing cyberfreemasonry in SL
[14:09] Jago Constantine: But only if it won't spoil it for anyone
[14:10] Freemason Magic: one member of the group donated me a parcel
[14:10] Jago Constantine: Oh?
[14:10] Freemason Magic: with 500 prims to build a temple
[14:10] Eddi Haskell: if you want a house put up i own 40 / can put up 40 designs
[14:10] Jago Constantine: cool
[14:10] Andrea Fairlady: Iguess I should have practiced before coming back
[14:10] Jago Constantine: lol it's ok Andrea / Can you work the seats? Just right click and sit
[14:11] Andrea Fairlady: it keeps saying there's no where to sit
[14:12] Jago Constantine: This week I read an old book by Isaac Asimov - Pebble in the Sky
[14:12] Jago Constantine: Hmm ok, try the other seats maybe
[14:12] Jago Constantine: try a stool
[14:12] Bryce Galbraith: I remember Pebble in the Sky -- been a long while since I read it. Fun book :)
[14:12] Bryce Galbraith: To be honest I don't remember a lot of it now though. I'll have to give it a read again.
[14:13] Jago Constantine: Yeah. Basically it's part of the Foundation universe, but a long time before those novels
[14:13] Andrea Fairlady: did it again
[14:13] Jago Constantine: An archaeologist from the empire comes to earth, which is an irradiated backwater / he has a crazy theory that the human race originated here :P / try one of those chairs andrea / hmm I think we lost andrea / she's having quite a lot of trouble, even for a new user / Anyway, the Asimov book was pretty fun / the earthlings are plotting to take over the galaxy :P / So the archaeologist has to stop them
[14:16] Eddi Haskell: im the spouse and Im like having family visit so Im gonna chill out today
[14:17] Eddi Haskell: lol
[14:17] Jago Constantine: I don't like asimov's novels that much, but I liked this one
[14:17] Jago Constantine: lol ok eddi, I guess you haven't read anything this week :P
[14:17] Eddi Haskell: duh me as usual im bart simpson
[14:17] Bryce Galbraith: I'm pretty sure that's an earlier work for Asimov right? Do you find maybe the stuff he wrote earlier on is more interesting compared to later?
[14:18] Jago Constantine: Well I thought Foundation was pretty dull, apart from a few of the ideas :P
[14:18] Jago Constantine: This one is from 1950
[14:19] Eddi Haskell: my editor is coming she likes azimov
[14:19] Jago Constantine: Oh cool / Hey Sherrie
[14:19] Eddi Haskell: hey everyone this is sherri from the magazine i work for
[14:19] Sherrie Shepherd: Hey Jago!
[14:19] Bryce Galbraith: Hi Sherrie :)
[14:19] Sherrie Shepherd: Hi Bryce / hey eddi :)
[14:19] Eddi Haskell: hi sherri
[14:20] Eddi Haskell: this is the sci gi group
[14:20] Eddi Haskell: sherri and i work together
[14:20] Sherrie Shepherd: yes.. colleages and friends :)
[14:20] Bryce Galbraith: Cool :)
[14:20] Jago Constantine: We're discussing Isaac Asimov ... he's one of the greats, but I'm not really into him
[14:20] Sherrie Shepherd: I've read him and I did enjoy his novel
[14:20] Bryce Galbraith: As it happens I started reading an Asimov book too just the other day -- The Gods Themselves.
[14:20] Sherrie Shepherd: its been awhile.. I know he's prolific
[14:20] Jago Constantine: cool
[14:21] Sherrie Shepherd: have not kept up though
[14:21] Jago Constantine: Yeah I think his prolificity (?) was part of the reason for his stature
[14:21] Sherrie Shepherd: that's true
[14:21] Jago Constantine: I think clarke was a better writer / Is he dead or alive, Clarke? / lol
[14:21] Sherrie Shepherd: haven't read him
[14:21] Bryce Galbraith: I rather like how that starts out -- in fact it reminds me a bit of the story of the discovery of DNA. That is, it shows scientists as being flawed humans too.
[14:21] Sherrie Shepherd: I'm more stephen king and Michael Criton
[14:22] Bryce Galbraith: Clark passed away the other year I think.
[14:22] Jago Constantine: yeah march 2008
[14:22] Eddi Haskell: you guys want to hear something strange
[14:22] Sherrie Shepherd: sure
[14:22] Jago Constantine: I like some of stephen king. his stories are better than his novels
[14:22] Eddi Haskell: it seems that one of my best friends is a famous si fi writer / i cant out him
[14:22] Jago Constantine: I think he gets paid per pound of manuscript
[14:22] Bryce Galbraith: Arthur C. Clarke was probably my favorite sci-fi author when I was growing up... perhaps still now too.
[14:22] Eddi Haskell: but im workign on it
[14:22] Sherrie Shepherd: yes.. I loved his early works under a pseudonom
[14:22] Sherrie Shepherd: nym?
[14:23] Jago Constantine: nym
[14:23] Sherrie Shepherd: psuedonym
[14:23] Sherrie Shepherd: LOL
[14:23] Jago Constantine: I did read Tommyknockers the other month and really liked that
[14:23] Jago Constantine: And The Gunslinger is fantastic
[14:23] Jago Constantine: pseudonym
[14:23] Eddi Haskell: i like steampunk
[14:23] Sherrie Shepherd: well.. Salem's lot and pet cemetary are favorites of mine
[14:24] Jago Constantine: I haven't read Salem's Lot, I can never find ti
[14:24] Eddi Haskell: they sound kewl
[14:24] Sherrie Shepherd: Salem's lot I think was his ultiamte / ultiamte
[14:24] Bryce Galbraith: Somehow I didn't really get into Stephen King. I did really like The Stand though.
[14:24] Sherrie Shepherd: ultimate
[14:24] Jago Constantine: and I don't like King enough to order it online
[14:24] Jago Constantine: The Stand, like a lot of King, is much too long :P
[14:24] Sherrie Shepherd: the stand was unique / it was intriguing and was all about kids
[14:25] Bryce Galbraith: Yeah, I needed a short comic book after finishing The Stand! :)
[14:25] Sherrie Shepherd: LOL
[14:25] Sherrie Shepherd: yeah.. heavy stuff
[14:25] Jago Constantine: heh
[14:25] Sherrie Shepherd: and how he described the dead boy by the railroad track that they discovered
[14:26] Jago Constantine: So what was the last science fiction/genre novel you read Sherrie?
[14:26] Sherrie Shepherd: I think when they made the movie.. that was keifer sutherland's first movie.. he was a teenager
[14:27] Sherrie Shepherd: hmmmm.. well.. as I said.. I like Michael Criton
[14:27] Eddi Haskell: i llike him
[14:27] Jago Constantine: Yeah me too
[14:27] Sherrie Shepherd: I'm sorry he's dead
[14:27] Jago Constantine: Yeah
[14:27] Sherrie Shepherd: he had a lot to contribute still / he died too young
[14:27] Eddi Haskell: yeah
[14:27] Bryce Galbraith: He wasn't that old, right?
[14:27] Sherrie Shepherd: and BTW.. I love Edgar allen poe
[14:27] Sherrie Shepherd: he was only like 60-ish
[14:27] Eddi Haskell: yeah
[14:28] Jago Constantine: Well, I did think that his recent novels were a bit below par ... Next and State of Fear
[14:28] Sherrie Shepherd: well.. I enjoyed The Prey
[14:28] Jago Constantine: But Andromeda Strain, Jurassic Park, Sphere were all favourites
[14:28] Jago Constantine: Oh yeah, I thought that was below par too :P
[14:30] Eddi Haskell: why dont i tell everyone that sherrie is now lead weriter on the steampunk issue of sl vibe in july. the whole issue ot steampunk and it it a huge magazine
[14:31] Jago Constantine: Sorry I'm lagging a bit / No you can't tell everyone that
[14:31] Bryce Galbraith: Wow, that sounds cool -- congratulations Sherrie!
[14:31] Jago Constantine: Oops we lost Eddi
[14:31] Jago Constantine: And Sherrie
[14:32] Bryce Galbraith: Yeah, I'm afraid I'm lagging some as well... at the moment I'm in a cafe and there are a number of other folks with laptops .... we're probably all competing for the same bandwidth!
[14:32] Jago Constantine: I think it might be that there's a large party in the next parcel, but Eddi says that shouldn't lag us
[14:33] Jago Constantine: So what is the Asimov novel you're reading about Bryce?
[14:33] Bryce Galbraith: I just started The Gods Themselves, so I'm still getting into the story. But it is essentially about a 'limitless' power source that has become Earth's main energy source.
[14:34] Jago Constantine: How is it?
[14:34] Bryce Galbraith: It derives from exchanging matter with a parallel universe.
[14:34] Jago Constantine: Oh I think I recall that now / vaguely
[14:35] Bryce Galbraith: So far pretty good -- it actually starts out with the main character getting involved in figuring out how the scientific discovery actually happened, and encountering different roadblocks along the one stemming from the main discoverer.
[14:35] Ryce Skytower: hi eddi cant get in / i got kicked out
[14:35] Jago Constantine: Hey "Ryce"
[14:35] Ryce Skytower: hi im eddi
[14:35] Jago Constantine: This is Eddi's alt
[14:35] Jago Constantine: lol
[14:35] Ryce Skytower: h cant get in as eddi
[14:35] Bryce Galbraith: Hello :)
[14:35] Ryce Skytower: i got 20,000 items
[14:35] Ryce Skytower: hi
[14:37] Jago Constantine: What do you think of the venue today Bryce?
[14:37] Bryce Galbraith: Look for a future report :) / So the premise of the story is that this 'limitless' power source has a nasty side effect which may wipe out the earth or something. That part isn't clear -- just what I gleaned from the back cover, and I haven't gotten far enough along in the novel to know more details.
[14:37] Jago Constantine: cool
[14:37] Bryce Galbraith: Hmm... I seem to be losing some of my messages in the ether here?
[14:37] Bryce Galbraith: I like your place...
[14:37] Bryce Galbraith: Very strange.
[14:38] Jago Constantine: It's chat lag I think
[14:39] Bryce Galbraith: Your sky island with the windmill reminds me of the Gorillaz video for 'feel good'
[14:39] Jago Constantine: I don't suppose you've seen the new Star Trek yet?
[14:39] Jago Constantine: Freemason is AFK so I can't ask if he's read anything
[14:39] Bryce Galbraith: No, I haven't seen it yet... I'm definitely interested. Just have to see when I can get around to it (same with everything else in my life.)
[14:39] Jago Constantine: I think it was based on that ... the island and windmill came in a box set
[14:40] Bryce Galbraith: (w/o giving away too much) / What are your impressions of the new Star Trek movie?
[14:41] Jago Constantine: I liked it, I thought it was fun
[14:41] Eddi Haskell: sorry guys i am having problems bad
[14:41] Jago Constantine: It wasn't awesome, but it was a good movie
[14:41] Jago Constantine: The 'reboot' made sense, it wasn't just arbitrary
[14:41] Bryce Galbraith: Sounds about right.. I don't think I've been blown away by a Star Trek film, but I generally enjoy them.
[14:42] Jago Constantine: I thought the new Chekov was annoying
[14:42] Bryce Galbraith: I did at least see WatchMen before it left the theater.
[14:42] Jago Constantine: He's like Wesley Crusher in this version - a teenage whiz kid
[14:43] Bryce Galbraith: Hmmm... how about the other characters?
[14:43] Jago Constantine: They were all good, but I wasn't sure about Scottie either :P
[14:44] Bryce Galbraith: :)
[14:44] Jago Constantine: I think they grabbed the only scottish actor they'd heard of
[14:44] Eddi Haskell: lordie
[14:44] Bryce Galbraith: lol!
[14:44] Jago Constantine: he doesn't even look like scottie :P
[14:44] Eddi Haskell: get out the fried mars bars
[14:45] Jago Constantine: lol
[14:45] Bryce Galbraith: So are there any other books you have lined up to read next?
[14:45] Eddi Haskell: so im working on talking my friend into speaking to us
[14:45] Jago Constantine: Actually Simon Pegg is English :P
[14:45] Eddi Haskell: he apparantly is a famous writer / i cant out him yet
[14:45] Jago Constantine: lol eddi
[14:45] Eddi Haskell: what did he write jago?
[14:45] Jago Constantine: Simon Pegg is the new Scotty in Star Trek
[14:45] Eddi Haskell: ah
[14:46] Eddi Haskell: is he short?
[14:46] Jago Constantine: lol
[14:46] Jago Constantine: He was in Shaun of the Dead
[14:46] Jago Constantine: the star of that
[14:46] Eddi Haskell: yeah he looks like scotty i just looked it up / so are you guys into steampunk
[14:47] Jago Constantine: he's blond!
[14:47] Eddi Haskell: simon peg?
[14:47] Jago Constantine: I don't have anything lined up to read next / Yes I like steampunk :P
[14:48] Eddi Haskell: cause we gonna have 130 pages of steampunk edit
[14:48] Bryce Galbraith: I haven't gotten into that yet but I suspect I will at some point :)
[14:48] Eddi Haskell: yeah ive gotten into it
[14:48] Jago Constantine: heh
[14:48] Eddi Haskell: sherrie is lead writer
[14:48] Bryce Galbraith: Well, I need to head out.
[14:48] Eddi Haskell: take care bryce
[14:48] Bryce Galbraith: It was nice talking scifi stuff with ya :)
[14:49] Eddi Haskell: sorry but my lag is terrible , it must be the server I am on
[14:49] Bryce Galbraith: Till next time :)
[14:49] Eddi Haskell: bye!
[14:49] Jago Constantine: Cya Bryce!