5 June 2010

[13:45] Eddi Haskell: hi / lol
[13:49] Jago Constantine: Hi, Alyria!
[13:49] Alyria Bovarro: Hey all! how's it going?
[13:49] Eddi Haskell: hola senoira
[13:50] Alyria Bovarro: sorry waiting for everything to load
[13:50] Jago Constantine: It loads a little slow here :)
[13:50] Eddi Haskell: I know. you can have a tooth extraction in the time it takes to load
[13:51] Alyria Bovarro: lol / how are you both today?
[13:52] Jago Constantine: Good thanks :)
[13:52] Eddi Haskell: I'm okay
[13:52] Jago Constantine: How are you?
[13:52] Alyria Bovarro: I'm great, thanks
[13:53] Eddi Haskell: waiting for some cool thunderstorm / we get thunderstorms a lot this time of year
[13:53] Jago Constantine: heh
[13:54] Eddi Haskell: in south Florida / oh goody weather alert / let's see if I have to run for cover lol
[13:55] Jago Constantine: lol
[13:55] Eddi Haskell: nah its 30 miles north
[13:55] Alyria Bovarro: lol wow. I am really jealous. It's just been cold here for months.
[13:55] Eddi Haskell: where r u
[13:56] Alyria Bovarro: canada
[13:56] Eddi Haskell: its cold there ay? / canada day is soon i get to wear my mounty outfit
[13:56] Alyria Bovarro: well, it's about 18C today. So it's getting warmer. But just two days ago it was 7C and before that lik -10C on average / XD / We aren't actually all mounties and we don't live in igloos XD
[13:57] Eddi Haskell: where are you in the Yukin? / lol
[13:57] Alyria Bovarro: yukin?
[13:57] Eddi Haskell: yeah but mounties are hot / Yukon
[13:57] Alyria Bovarro: do you mean Yukon / lol
[13:57] Eddi Haskell: yeah
[13:57] Alyria Bovarro: No, Alberta
[13:57] Eddi Haskell: i went to canada to check out the mounties
[13:57] Alyria Bovarro: it does get warm here in the summer, sometimes hitting 30C. But I wish I lived somewhere warm year round haha / And how'd that go
[13:57] Eddi Haskell: i am trying so hard not to drive people away from the meeting / well we went to niagara falls candada and it was fun!
[13:58] Alyria Bovarro: It's so beautiful there! / Have you been to the rockies?
[13:58] Eddi Haskell: no / i was in Utah
[13:58] Alyria Bovarro: You should go one day.
[13:58] Eddi Haskell: and idaho / i want to go to Banff
[13:58] Alyria Bovarro: haha good times in Idaho
[13:58] Eddi Haskell: to lake louise
[13:58] Alyria Bovarro: I love it there
[13:59] Eddi Haskell: which is more fun / edmonton or calgary
[13:59] Alyria Bovarro: OH boy. Depends what you're looking for. I don't really know the difference to be honest. Edmonton has more artsy stuff I suppose.
[13:59] Eddi Haskell: yeah/ cool / i want to see cowboys
[14:00] Alyria Bovarro: lol then you should go to calgary
[14:00] Eddi Haskell: yeah / cool
[14:00] Alyria Bovarro: afk for a moment
[14:00] Eddi Haskell: there is a movie of me on my stallion Nelson as oh Canada is played around us to fireworks / I can give you the link
[14:00] Jago Constantine: Hi, Mersilkee :)
[14:00] Eddi Haskell: lol / hiya merilkee
[14:01] mersilkee Restless: hi
[14:01] Jago Constantine: We're just about to get started / So if you haven't been before, the way the group works is
[14:02] Alyria Bovarro: back
[14:02] Jago Constantine: we go round the group and take turns discussing what science fiction we've been reading / welcome back, Alyria :) / Eddi ... have you read any sci fi lately?
[14:03] Eddi Haskell: lol / I read a major book review
[14:03] Jago Constantine: oh?
[14:04] Eddi Haskell: it's called is anyone out there / it's collection of works around two theories / of extra terrestrial intelligence / .
[14:04] Jago Constantine: Welcome, Armand :)
[14:04] Eddi Haskell: that appeared in the sunday times on may 15
[14:05] Armand Saintlouis: hi there
[14:05] Eddi Haskell: hi armand / the first throry was written many years ago by enrico fermi / works like this / if there IS intelligent life elsewhere / then why have we not been able to observe it YET / the emphasis is on the word yet / and the second theorem is by Steven Hawking / who is the subject of much of the book / is there IS intelligent life elsewhere / we need to keep away from it / and not make ourselves noticeable
[14:06] Jago Constantine: heh
[14:06] Eddi Haskell: which makes sense to me
[14:07] Alyria Bovarro: totally
[14:07] Eddi Haskell: i dont think there is intelligent life elsewhere
[14:07] Jago Constantine: so is it fiction or non fiction?
[14:07] Eddi Haskell: i thik its both jago
[14:07] Jago Constantine: ok sounds interesting
[14:07] Eddi Haskell: the fermi paradox / is very important / which can be simply stated as, Where Is Everybody? If there are really millions of star-systems in the universe capable of supporting life, as scientists theorized in the early part of the 20th Century, a large percentage of which may have developed technological civilizations, then why haven't any of those alien civilizations visited us? / ya know / i have to be honest with eveyrone / I am a very big doubter / of intelligent life elsewhere. / i mean / surely / someone would hhave tried to contact us by now in ways in which we canunderstand / and secondly as Hawking says / there are so many ways in which we can be harmed / lets keep hidden / how do you feel / in your gut / about intelligent life elsewhere / i am a firm beleiver in gut dynamics / meaning what you feel is probalby correct / how do you feel Jago
[14:10] Jago Constantine: well I think it's out there
[14:10] Eddi Haskell: why
[14:10] Jago Constantine: but rare / lol gut feeling
[14:10] Eddi Haskell: lol
[14:11] Alyria Bovarro: I don't see why, if we are here, and haven't contacted them, why they can't be there not having contacted us. / They don't have to be any more or less intelligent than we are
[14:11] Eddi Haskell: how would they get here do ya think
[14:11] Alyria Bovarro: and the universe is huge. There is no way that we will ever "see" all of it
[14:11] Jago Constantine: yeah
[14:11] Alyria Bovarro: since it technically, as far as we know, has no boundaries
[14:11] Eddi Haskell: we can only see our own dimension anyway / according the majority of physics departments at major universities today there are other dimensions we cannot observe
[14:12] Alyria Bovarro: exactly. So we will never know if there is another life form if it is not in our dimension
[14:12] Eddi Haskell: maybe they reside there
[14:12] Alyria Bovarro: 11, in fact
[14:12] Eddi Haskell: really?
[14:12] Alyria Bovarro: Yessir
[14:13] Eddi Haskell: is that that string theory is saying????????? / wow / do you know something someone can read about this
[14:14] Alyria Bovarro: Um, not sure about read but if you watch Stephen Hawking's Into The Universe series.
[14:14] mersilkee Restless: I think part of the problem is that the universe is so huge and other intelligent species also would have a hard time getting to us. I read an article about a book describing the probability of a civilization surviving long enough to get to the point that they would have the techonology to go all over the universe and it would be very few.
[14:14] Eddi Haskell: your right / cause / it would take them so long to reach here
[14:14] Alyria Bovarro: Um, and I know another scientists website, hold on I'll try to find it
[14:14] Eddi Haskell: i dont know about Jago / hes the boss / but all this stull really interests me
[14:15] Jago Constantine: heh
[14:15] Eddi Haskell: hes being quiet today lol
[14:15] Jago Constantine: Well its been interesting to listen to :)
[14:15] Eddi Haskell: Alyria / no one i know / can talk intelligentally about string theory dimentions / you can it seems
[14:16] Jago Constantine: Hi, Lucrecia :)
[14:16] Eddi Haskell: are you studied in it?
[14:16] Alyria Bovarro: Only from the reading I've done about it
[14:16] Eddi Haskell: hi lucrecia / i'm super interested / cause / it is eveyrthing / if that can be proben / proven / in fact it related direclty
[14:17] Alyria Bovarro: Indeed, it is. It will open a lot of bolted doors for us
[14:17] Eddi Haskell: into what we are talking about / string theory makes our perception of time and distance irrelevant / thank you for that / now / my mother / who is a very intelligent woman / fiercely beleives in von Dankians theories / that we have been visited by extraterrestials
[14:18] Jago Constantine: lol really?
[14:18] Eddi Haskell: yep
[14:18] Jago Constantine: hmm
[14:18] Eddi Haskell: because there is too much evidence / in the bible / other ancient cultures
[14:18] Alyria Bovarro: Isn't it von Daniken?
[14:18] Jago Constantine: yes
[14:18] Alyria Bovarro: Ok haha
[14:19] Eddi Haskell: yes / like if you read the Bible / it's freaky / if you are looking for extraterrestial stuff / the burning bush
[14:19] Jago Constantine: lol
[14:19] Eddi Haskell: the fire that appeared at night guilding the people in the exodus / the pillar of smoke at day / its all so UFO / Jago thinks im crazy but i beleive in ghosts / i can see em somtimes / lol / why not ufos / ok / i am still getting over RSI
[14:20] Jago Constantine: ok eddi
[14:21] Eddi Haskell: lol
[14:21] Jago Constantine: Alyria have you read any sci fi lately?
[14:21] Alyria Bovarro: Yes, actually. The new-ish series by Robert Sawyer lol / Really really interesting
[14:22] Jago Constantine: Cool what's it called?
[14:23] Alyria Bovarro: WWW: Wake and his new one is WWW: Watch / The third comes out next spring ish
[14:24] Jago Constantine: so they're about the world wide web?
[14:24] Alyria Bovarro: kind of...an intelligent entity that has suddenly emerged inside the world wide web...you'd have to read it lol I don't want to give it all away
[14:25] Jago Constantine: heh ok
[14:25] Alyria Bovarro: basically a Japanese scientist finds a way to make a blind girl see, and something happened to make this entity emerge
[14:25] Eddi Haskell: the semantic web
[14:25] mersilkee Restless: what is the url to find those books or any discussion about them?
[14:26] Eddi Haskell: I've written alot about the intelligent web in fl / rl
[14:26] Jago Constantine: you could google them / Robert Sawyer WWW
[14:26] Alyria Bovarro: yeah, I believe its on the front page of his website as well
[14:26] Jago Constantine: Hi, Brekka :)
[14:26] Brekka Sveiss: hello
[14:26] Alyria Bovarro: hey
[14:27] Eddi Haskell: hi Brekka
[14:27] Brekka Sveiss: hi just thought I'd stop by
[14:27] Jago Constantine: thanks :) / I'm not sure if WWW makes sense for a series about artificial intelligence / isn't the web just the hypertext component of the internet?
[14:28] Eddi Haskell: to me it makes sense / the current iteration of the web / is so primitive / in terms of what i could be
[14:28] Alyria Bovarro: You'd have to read it and find out...Its not on the actual internet, its in the "space" between the net.
[14:28] Jago Constantine: heh yeah I thought so
[14:29] Eddi Haskell: I can bore people but the most important standard is called RDF or resource description framework / that is going to make the web intelligent
[14:29] Jago Constantine: LOL that does sound boring :P / j/k
[14:29] Eddi Haskell: I wont talk about it its about information / lol
[14:30] Jago Constantine: So I guess you'd recommend Robert Sawyer's WWW series alyria?
[14:30] Alyria Bovarro: Definitely. A very easy read, but well written and informative regardless of the fact that its fiction / Very well done
[14:30] Jago Constantine: he wrote Flash Forward didn't he? I liked that one
[14:31] Alyria Bovarro: yeah, he is a very good author
[14:32] Jago Constantine: Thanks, Alyria :) ... Mersilkee, do you have any sci fi to discuss?
[14:34] mersilkee Restless: no, I haven't been able to do any reading lately. I've been writing but I have enjoyed two readings in Sl recently, Beyond an Open Window and last night Wanda the Robot
[14:35] Eddi Haskell: Where are these readings / I love readings
[14:35] Jago Constantine: cool
[14:36] Alyria Bovarro: I think I've heard Wanda the Robot. It rings a bell. Hm. / What's it about?
[14:36] mersilkee Restless: Oh I think it is Beside an open Window. Unfortunately, Hux who readBeyond an open window just finished his last chapter. I don't remember the full name of the author last night but his name was Harvey and it was here on book island. / It is about a robot who stays with a family over many generations. The first chapter was Wanda talking about herself. The author did a voice sim to sound like a robot. It was quite entertaining.
[14:38] Jago Constantine: cool
[14:38] Alyria Bovarro: awesome :)
[14:38] Jago Constantine: There are a few stories about faithful robots like that
[14:38] Eddi Haskell: Like Rosie in the Jetsons
[14:38] Jago Constantine: lol not what I was thinking of
[14:38] mersilkee Restless: yes indeed.
[14:39] Alyria Bovarro: lol!
[14:39] Jago Constantine: maybe Bicentennial Man / Asimov
[14:40] Eddi Haskell: hi kacy
[14:40] Jago Constantine: Or Simak's book City
[14:40] mersilkee Restless: the other book where I had listened to several readings took place in a Metaverse where dead people had had their brains scanned and lived ther.
[14:40] Alyria Bovarro: Oh Asimov
[14:40] Jago Constantine: oh thats interesting / some people would love to be scanned into second life lol
[14:41] Eddi Haskell: scanned? / I think it would be great not to have to go to the dentist
[14:41] Jago Constantine: heh
[14:42] mersilkee Restless: or to the doctor or not to be in constant pain. that would be wonderful. The Metaverse Fiction reminds me those books about The River, can't think of the titles
[14:43] Alyria Bovarro: Haha that would be awesome
[14:43] Jago Constantine: hmm not sure about the river books / Thanks, Mersilkee :) / Ok I've just finished reading Red Claw, by Philip Palmer
[14:44] Alyria Bovarro: Hi Sublim / What's that about?
[14:44] Jago Constantine: Hi, Sublim :)
[14:44] Sublim Selona: Hi All
[14:44] Jago Constantine: It's an action science fiction novel with a kind of ecological bent / It reminded me a bit of Avatar the movie
[14:45] Eddi Haskell: hi Sublim
[14:45] Jago Constantine: Basically humans have come to an alien world / with a fascinating but deadly ecology
[14:45] Sublim Selona: Hello Eddi
[14:45] Jago Constantine: the humans are in two factions - scientists and military / The scientists are studying the ecology of the planet before it gets destroyed for human colonisation
[14:46] Alyria Bovarro: Oh neat. Will have to look into this one.
[14:46] Jago Constantine: It seems pretty much the general outline of Avatar lol
[14:46] Eddi Haskell: that's very interesting and pertinent
[14:47] Jago Constantine: The book has a lot of action in it, mainly fights with rogue robots and weird monsters / but there's a funny sub theme in which we have diary entries about taxonomy from one of the scientists / which I found entertaining lol
[14:48] Alyria Bovarro: lol no doubt / sounds very interesting
[14:49] Jago Constantine: It is, it made me think there should be a word for novels / in which the ecosystem of a planet is almost a character / such as Brian Aldiss' Hothouse / hmm I can't think of other examples offhand / ecopunk maybe, although the punk isn't really relevant
[14:50] Alyria Bovarro: ecosim?
[14:50] ALE2009 Neutron: OLÁ
[14:50] Jago Constantine: Hi, ALE :)
[14:50] Alyria Bovarro: Hi ALE
[14:51] ALE2009 Neutron: Que lugar é este?
[14:51] Jago Constantine: Anyway, I recommend it ... Red Claw, by Philip Palmer / The title is a reference to the Tennyson line / Nature, red in tooth and claw / With ravine, shriek'd against his creed
[14:52] Alyria Bovarro: I love Tennyson. haha
[14:52] Jago Constantine: Hehe / Anyway, that's all of us ... / next week we'll be listening to a podcast story again / We do that every second week.
[14:53] Alyria Bovarro: darn, I work every second week
[14:53] Jago Constantine: Aw thats a shame / At the moment the story will be 'The Love Quest of Smidgen the Snack Cake' by Robert T. Jeschonek / It's told from the point of view of a snack cake ...
[14:54] Alyria Bovarro: LOL
[14:54] mersilkee Restless: Interesting.
[14:55] Jago Constantine: ... and it IS science fiction, not fantasy :)
[14:55] Alyria Bovarro: :)
[14:55] Jago Constantine: A transcript of today's meeting will be up soon at http://sciencefictiondiscussion.blogspot.com/ / Do either of you want invites to the science fiction discussion group, Alyria and mersilkee?
[14:56] Alyria Bovarro: Sure / Thanks :)
[14:57] Jago Constantine: Ok ... so same time next week or the week after / hope you can make it!
[14:57] Alyria Bovarro: Thanks guys!
[14:57] Eddi Haskell: bye all see you next week
[14:57] Jago Constantine: Thanks for coming!

30 January 2010

[13:33] Kghia Gherardi: Hi there, Jago
[13:35] Kghia Gherardi: Hi Brett
[13:35] Brett Rascon: hi
[13:36] Kghia Gherardi: HI yyvony
[13:36] yyvonny Wylder: Hello :))
[13:36] yyvonny's Free Translator: Hello:))
[13:36] Kghia Gherardi: There is a science fiction discussion in about 25 minutes
[13:37] yyvonny Wylder: yes
[13:37] yyvonny's Free Translator: yes
[13:37] Kghia Gherardi: it will be in the other room, lead by Jago. But you are welcome to explore Bookstacks. :)
[13:38] Calliope Sweetwater: brb
[13:38] Kghia Gherardi: ok
[13:43] yyvonny Wylder: maybe if you have the time you can tell me how
[13:43] yyvonny Wylder: im not english you know
[13:43] yyvonny Wylder: i have no hud
[13:44] yyvonny Wylder: ok but nothing happent
[13:47] yyvonny Wylder: its your turn dear
[13:47] yyvonny Wylder: yes
[13:47] Brett Rascon: ok
[13:47] Brett Rascon: I'll try and start
[13:47] yyvonny Wylder: but you must make a \word of it i think
[13:48] Brett Rascon: ok, that's my word
[13:48] Brett Rascon: your turn
[13:49] Brett Rascon: you must click on a square
[13:49] Brett Rascon: then click a letter
[13:49] yyvonny Wylder: ram
[13:50] yyvonny Wylder: i say ram
[13:50] yyvonny Wylder: in local
[13:51] yyvonny Wylder: dont you answer me
[13:51] yyvonny Wylder: what is a quar
[13:51] Brett Rascon: the board is made up of lots of squares
[13:51] Brett Rascon: yes ?
[13:53] yyvonny Wylder: what is a quarewe
[13:54] Jago Constantine: Hi, Zobeid :)
[13:54] yyvonny Wylder: like a fra,\me
[13:54] Zobeid Zuma: Hii
[13:55] yyvonny Wylder: you give me a headache i must allways everythig at least 3 times ask before you give a clear answer
[13:55] Jago Constantine: Hi, Gilles :)
[13:55] yyvonny Wylder: its your turn
[13:56] Gilles Kuhn: hello
[13:56] Jago Constantine: Cool avatar!
[13:56] Gilles Kuhn: thanks :-)
[13:56] Jago Constantine: Are you here for the sci fi meeting?
[13:56] Gilles Kuhn: indeed
[13:57] Jago Constantine: Ok we'll start in a few minutes when some more people show up :)
[13:57] Jago Constantine: Take a seat when you rez
[13:57] Zobeid Zuma: I wish I could get my good computer back from the shop, it takes so long for stuff to rez on this one.
[13:57] yyvonny Wylder: the word dont show up
[13:57] Jago Constantine: well this sim is slow rezzing anyway usually
[13:58] yyvonny Wylder: tram
[13:58] yyvonny Wylder: they are goin from my bord
[13:58] Jago Constantine: hey eddi :)
[14:00] Eddi Haskell: hi jago
[14:00] Jago Constantine: We're up to 76 group members in the sci fi group :)
[14:00] Eddi Haskell: is eveyrone laggy or is it me?
[14:01] Gilles Kuhn: i'm afraid its you
[14:01] Jago Constantine: I find if you sit you don't get lag walking around :)
[14:01] Zobeid Zuma: I haven't been reading, haven't been coming here. . . But I thought, maybe if I come and listen, it'll help motivate me to pick up a book.
[14:01] Jago Constantine: Sure :)
[14:01] Jago Constantine: Anyway if you're new, the format of the meeting is that we take turns discussing what we read last
[14:02] Jago Constantine: I'll start - this week I had the chance to read 7th Son: Descent by J. C. Hutchins
[14:02] yyvonny Wylder: thanks
[14:03] Jago Constantine: This novel apparently began as a podcast and was published
[14:03] Jago Constantine: so I suppose its an example of an author building up popularity online
[14:03] Jago Constantine: one moment
[14:05] Eddi Haskell: im trying to mute that object
[14:05] Eddi Haskell: the game board
[14:05] Eddi Haskell: i think it worked
[14:05] Eddi Haskell: you can mute objects
[14:05] Jago Constantine: oh I was just going to ask them to stop until later
[14:06] Eddi Haskell: well im not sure it works but i have not had a green notice in a few mintues
[14:07] Jago Constantine: Ok anyway
[14:07] Jago Constantine: hi, Djudson
[14:07] Calliope Sweetwater: Apologies. I can't stay. Rl calls
[14:07] yyvonny Wylder: i bin stopt
[14:07] Jago Constantine: Anyway 7th son is more of a technothriller than sci fi, I suppose
[14:08] Jago Constantine: It begins with the president being assassinated by a 4-year old
[14:08] yyvonny Wylder: i diddnt know that we not may play the game
[14:08] yyvonny Wylder: we must buy one from us one
[14:08] Jago Constantine: and revolves around a group of men who turn out to be clones
[14:09] Jago Constantine: They'd all be leading their own very different loves
[14:09] Jago Constantine: Hi, Jacobe - I'm sitting here :)
[14:09] Jago Constantine: different lives
[14:10] yyvonny Wylder: yes only what is the price
[14:10] Jago Constantine: I didn't really get into the book, but I was curious about the description of how the clones were made
[14:10] Jago Constantine: and the ramifications
[14:10] yyvonny Wylder: i like scrabble much more
[14:10] Jago Constantine: A secret government project raised a boy to about his early teens I think
[14:11] Jago Constantine: then copied his memories into the 7 clones
[14:11] yyvonny Wylder: then you have both your ow letters
[14:11] Jago Constantine: and raised them (boys from brazil style) with a series of very similar foster parents and lifestyles
[14:11] yyvonny Wylder: you can find it yourself to
[14:12] yyvonny Wylder: ok
[14:12] Jago Constantine: I enjoyed those aspects better than the hunt for the assassin plot
[14:12] Jago Constantine: the way they related to the people who they thought were their dead parents
[14:13] Jago Constantine: who they remembered to be their parents
[14:13] Jago Constantine: anyway, I don't really recommend it unless you're into clones :P
[14:13] Eddi Haskell: thats what i tell people about redgrave skins
[14:14] Jago Constantine: Again, 7th Son by J. C. Hutchins
[14:14] Jago Constantine: Ok, um DJudson - have you read anything recently you'd like to talk about?
[14:15] DJudson Baran: yes i just finished tad williams Otherland 4 books about a million words
[14:15] Jago Constantine: lol
[14:15] Jago Constantine: I liked them but I think I only read 2 of the series before burning out
[14:16] DJudson Baran: it takes patents. but the computer aspects are amazing
[14:16] DJudson Baran: it talke SL about five steps ahead
[14:16] Jago Constantine: pardon?
[14:17] Zobeid Zuma: It's about a virtual world?
[14:17] Jago Constantine: yes
[14:17] Jago Constantine: a series of them from memory
[14:17] DJudson Baran: it also takes the "perales of pauline" out in every chapter
[14:18] Jago Constantine: My favourite world from the book, only seen briefly
[14:18] Jago Constantine: Is one in which two people having been um roleplaying as rulers in the land of oz
[14:18] Jago Constantine: maybe the scarecrow and the tin man waging war?
[14:19] Jago Constantine: the emerald city is a green-painted concrete gulag
[14:19] Zobeid Zuma: heh. . . And that brings to mind A Barnstormer In Oz. :)
[14:19] DJudson Baran: yes, plus alice in wonderland
[14:20] Jago Constantine: one line stuck with me, the scarecrow giving an oz version of the line from bladerunner
[14:20] Jago Constantine: I've seen things you people wouldn't believe
[14:20] Jago Constantine: I forget the oz references lol
[14:21] Jago Constantine: Also now that I think of it there was a seen from a giant kitchen, like the greenies sim here in Second LIfe
[14:21] Jago Constantine: *scene :P
[14:21] Zobeid Zuma: oh, it's been a long time since I was there :)
[14:21] Jago Constantine: anyway, what did you think DJudson?
[14:22] DJudson Baran: At one time I had over a thousand paper back sf books
[14:22] Jago Constantine: wow
[14:22] DJudson Baran: but there is no market for them
[14:23] Zobeid Zuma: I know what you mean
[14:23] DJudson Baran: I do have most of EC Tubb "dumarest of terra" series
[14:24] Jago Constantine: I never read those
[14:24] DJudson Baran: If any of you would like them contact me and I can send them free + postage
[14:24] DJudson Baran: they are from the 1970's
[14:25] Zobeid Zuma: good era for SF. . . before all the cyberpunk stuff took over
[14:26] Jago Constantine: have you considered bookmooch or bookcrossing?
[14:26] Jago Constantine: if you were looking to give away books to good homes
[14:26] Jago Constantine: hehe
[14:26] Jago Constantine: Hello, Simeon :)
[14:27] Simeon Bookmite: hi
[14:27] Jago Constantine: Nice skirt!
[14:27] Jago Constantine: ;)
[14:27] Simeon Bookmite: if you have knees you should flaunt them
[14:27] Jago Constantine: Ok, Gilles - have you read any good SF lately?
[14:28] Gilles Kuhn: not really lately
[14:28] Gilles Kuhn: last good sf i read was david brin
[14:28] Jago Constantine: how about the last thing you read?
[14:29] Jago Constantine: oh which one?
[14:29] Gilles Kuhn: but in fact it was a reraed of the first one of the uplift serie
[14:29] Gilles Kuhn: sundivers
[14:29] Jago Constantine: oh someone else was reading that series
[14:29] Jago Constantine: hmm not here today
[14:29] Gilles Kuhn: very good one i must say
[14:30] Jago Constantine: I'm a big fan of that series
[14:30] DJudson Baran: have to go. see you next week
[14:30] Eddi Haskell: bye judson
[14:30] Gilles Kuhn: the general frame is the idea that their is contact with a very old and developped galactic multi racial civilization
[14:31] Gilles Kuhn: and that all the race were artificially uplifted to sapiency by others older race
[14:32] Gilles Kuhn: with the idea that human were not uplifted but evolveed alone to sapiency which make of thema totally exceptionnal case (anthropocentris as always...)
[14:32] Gilles Kuhn: anthropocentrism*
[14:32] Industria Dowler: Sounds interesting.
[14:32] Jago Constantine: I was just reading a review of the uplift series which complained a little about that
[14:33] Zobeid Zuma: I did read one of them myself, the one with all the dolphins.
[14:33] Jago Constantine: how the humans were shown as so special :
[14:33] Zobeid Zuma: It's very much a space opera style. :)
[14:33] Gilles Kuhn: well someone pleas me fid me asf book that dont give soem special status to humans.....
[14:33] Industria Dowler: Seriously. :)
[14:34] Jago Constantine: lol
[14:34] Gilles Kuhn: rahhh the chat interface in sl is the baddest in te world
[14:34] Jago Constantine: can it be a book entirely without humans? xD
[14:34] Eddi Haskell: well
[14:34] Eddi Haskell: i think you can transliterate koko the chimp
[14:34] Eddi Haskell: make it into a book
[14:34] Gilles Kuhn: how they ca&nnot understand that bloody text treatment must be local and not in their bloody lahggy servers
[14:35] Eddi Haskell: she has a vocabulary of 150 words
[14:35] Simeon Bookmite: thomas Disch springs to mind
[14:35] Simeon Bookmite: that book where aliens plant earth with food crops
[14:35] Jago Constantine: The Genocides :)
[14:35] Jago Constantine: yes
[14:36] Jago Constantine: great book
[14:36] Jago Constantine: the last line is awesome
[14:36] Simeon Bookmite: The Genocides
[14:36] Jago Constantine: Anything by HP Lovecraft also :)
[14:37] Eddi Haskell: why dont you recommend a story for some of us to read andduscuss by him
[14:38] Jago Constantine: Its funny because science fiction is a genre that you'd think would express the post-copernican dethroning of the human race from a significant place in the universe
[14:38] Simeon Bookmite: actually our book current sunday discusion group is doing a book of sherlock holmes?lovecroft crosovers
[14:38] Gilles Kuhn: ia Cthuly Phtagn ;-)
[14:38] Jago Constantine: but that probably wouldn't sell very well
[14:38] Jago Constantine: I'll think about that eddi
[14:39] Zobeid Zuma: It remains to be seen how signficant our place is. . . I'd say not much, thus far. But I like to imagine we have potential. :)
[14:39] Simeon Bookmite: becomeing alien is I think a good Humans are nothing special book
[14:40] Simeon Bookmite: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Becoming-Alien-Ben-Bova-Presents/dp/0812503139
[14:40] Gilles Kuhn: potential for what or for whom?
[14:41] Jago Constantine: Also with regard to human chauvinism, I'm reminded of John Campbell who only liked stories where humans beat the aliens
[14:41] Zobeid Zuma: Potential to create a civilization that spreads over a large area and lasts a long time, if nothing else.
[14:41] Jago Constantine: Which famously lead to Isaac Asimov writing the Foundation series set in a human only galaxy
[14:42] Simeon Bookmite: he had a point folks like their side to win
[14:42] Jago Constantine: well I think campbell didn't like anything with superior aliens which is more the point
[14:43] Jago Constantine: but it seems implausible given the age of the galaxy that there aren't more advanced civilisations
[14:43] Industria Dowler: People might find it hard to relate to the characters if they aren't like them. Which is boring to me. :)
[14:43] Industria Dowler: Where's the fun in that?
[14:43] Zobeid Zuma: No it doesn't. We don't have enough information to even estimate the odds of that.
[14:44] Industria Dowler: I wouldn't mind trying my hand at attempting to relate to a giant, ugly space monster that eats people.
[14:44] Jago Constantine: well I think we can look at the amount of time it took humans to evolve
[14:44] Simeon Bookmite: i think it had more to do with getting people to read another issue but you might be right
[14:44] Jago Constantine: and given our star isn't that old
[14:45] Gilles Kuhn: well about that our civilisation is only 10000 year old and we have communication since only 100 years so we are probably nowhere and cannot even imagine what a advanced civ is like
[14:45] Jago Constantine: older stars could have spawned races much earier
[14:45] Zobeid Zuma: Really old stars didn't have planets, they were too metal-poor.
[14:45] Jago Constantine: well they wouldn't have to be that much older even
[14:45] Jago Constantine: a civilisation 100,000 years ahead of our own
[14:45] Jago Constantine: which is trivial
[14:46] Zobeid Zuma: And it may be a fantastical fluke of luck that allowed us to evolve. No telling how many statistical hurdles we've already cleared. . .
[14:46] Gilles Kuhn: which i ridiculous even therer are probably intelligent life forms millions of years older
[14:46] Zobeid Zuma: So maybe intelligence is vanishingly rare.
[14:46] Jago Constantine: personally I incline towards rare intelligence
[14:46] Simeon Bookmite: inteligence has not been around long enought to prove its worth as a survival trait.
[14:46] Gilles Kuhn: well zobeid thats a very anthropocentric argument
[14:47] Jago Constantine: I think in the short term if we're going to meet other intelligent beings, they'll be ones we create or uplift
[14:47] Zobeid Zuma: Yes. . . Any argument about the likelihood of intelligence has to be anthropocentric.
[14:47] Gilles Kuhn: if and our science assume that nature work everywhere the same there must be a lot of life and intelligent life too up there
[14:47] Zobeid Zuma: Because even if it's vanishingly rare, only the races that make it past all those statistical hurdles are capable of pondering the likelihood. :)
[14:48] Simeon Bookmite: suspect we see intelgence as a social construct that the aliens will embrace
[14:48] Gilles Kuhn: i disagree life is prbably the rule not the exception autoorganisation of matter is staggering
[14:48] Simeon Bookmite: ie they will want to comunicate socialise bargain
[14:49] Zobeid Zuma: I personally suspect that *life* is pretty common, but intelligent life is quite rare.
[14:49] Gilles Kuhn: why so zobeid?
[14:49] Zobeid Zuma: Life appeared early in Earth's history, practically as soon as the planet was capable of supporting it.
[14:49] Simeon Bookmite: but they may be no more intersted in things outside their speices than we are in trees
[14:49] Gilles Kuhn: i love tres !
[14:49] Zobeid Zuma: I'm quite confident we'll find life on Mars too.
[14:50] Gilles Kuhn: trees*
[14:50] Simeon Bookmite: Just a something to ignore or pour weed killer on
[14:50] Gilles Kuhn: not so confident about that but trace of extinguished life probably
[14:50] Jago Constantine: You should read blindsight Simeon
[14:50] Jago Constantine: by peter watts
[14:50] Jago Constantine: or permanence by karl schroeder
[14:51] Zobeid Zuma: If there was ever life on Mars in the past, there will be some surviving.
[14:51] Simeon Bookmite: al la disch
[14:51] Zobeid Zuma: The only question is how deep you have to dig to find it.
[14:51] Jago Constantine: or um ... a story by bruce sterling
[14:51] Jago Constantine: Swarm
[14:52] Jago Constantine: all featuring non-conscious extraterrestrials
[14:52] Jago Constantine: civilisations
[14:52] Gilles Kuhn: which author jago?
[14:52] Simeon Bookmite: swarm that a short it rings a bell
[14:52] Jago Constantine: Blindsight - Peter Watts, Permanence - Karl Schroeder, Swarm - Bruce Sterling
[14:53] Jago Constantine: Swarm is a short story from the shaper/mechanist universe
[14:53] Simeon Bookmite: nods read it
[14:53] Simeon Bookmite: gotit from fictionwise
[14:53] Jago Constantine: so all those books explore the idea that intelligence isn't necessarily a survival trait for a species
[14:54] Jago Constantine: or um consciousness
[14:54] Simeon Bookmite: think we are very likely not to be human by the time we reach the stars
[14:55] Jago Constantine: well I've said here before I don't think we'll be sending humans to the stars like spam in a can ;P
[14:55] Zobeid Zuma: Well, not in a purely biological sense. . . But it will still be human civilization.
[14:55] Jago Constantine: It will be uploaded minds or something
[14:56] Jago Constantine: but yes, human as zobeid said
[14:56] Jago Constantine: part of a human clade
[14:56] Simeon Bookmite: think our minds will have changed
[14:56] Eddi Haskell: wha is a clade
[14:57] Jago Constantine: it is a term from biology
[14:57] Jago Constantine: an organism and its descendants
[14:57] Eddi Haskell: i looked it up
[14:57] Jago Constantine: so a human clade would be the human race and any races we spawn
[14:58] Jago Constantine: even, I think, uplifted animals
[14:58] Jago Constantine: or conscious machines
[14:58] Zobeid Zuma: That works for me. :)
[14:58] Simeon Bookmite: was a short story I cant track now
[14:58] Zobeid Zuma: We need more stories about AI and robots.
[14:58] Simeon Bookmite: that made me think
[14:59] Jago Constantine: because whatever methods we use to create a new species I don't think we'd be able to avoid doing it somewhat anthropocentrically
[14:59] Zobeid Zuma: Not HAL-like supercomputers, but commonplace independent AIs.
[15:00] Jago Constantine: ok now we're out of time - would anyone like a group invite?
[15:00] Eddi Haskell: i actually wanted to speak bout a book im reading lol
[15:00] Eddi Haskell: maybe next time
[15:00] Industria Dowler: I've got one. I'll try to make it next time.
[15:01] Industria Dowler: Thanks for hosting!
[15:01] Eddi Haskell: i need to get going now
[15:01] Jago Constantine: Thanks for coming
[15:01] Zobeid Zuma: see ya next week
[15:01] Eddi Haskell: see ya
[15:01] Simeon Bookmite: see you all next week
[15:01] Jago Constantine: see you next week 2pm saturday :)
[15:01] Industria Dowler: Jago, do you always post notices to Bookstacks?

12 December 2009: 'The Fifth Zhi' by Mercurio D. Rivera

[13:59] Rhiannon Dragoone: Hi Jago!
[13:59] Sora Bluebird: hello everyone evening
[13:59] Rhiannon Dragoone: Hi Sora, Camila, Primal
[13:59] Jago Constantine: Hey sorry I had to dash out and back
[13:59] Camilla Delvalle: Hello Rhia!
[13:59] Rhiannon Dragoone: Hi Bobby
[13:59] Bobby Lomba: Helllooliuuuuu!!! / AIAIAIA KARAMBA!
[13:59] Primal Snowpaw: ello everyone
[14:01] Jago Constantine: Hi, Primal!
[14:01] Jago Constantine: Cool avatar
[14:01] Primal Snowpaw: ello, cheers ^^
[14:01] Jago Constantine: Hey Melch, Sora, Bobby, Camilla, Rhiannon
[14:01] Melch Savon: Hey all!
[14:01] Bobby Lomba: Hello Mr Jago, an all
[14:02] Rhiannon Dragoone: Yeah, Primal's avi is kewl
[14:02] Jago Constantine: He's hairier than bobby is xD
[14:02] Bobby Lomba: Haha! He should shave
[14:02] Sora Bluebird: hotter too :P
[14:02] Primal Snowpaw: lol
[14:02] Bobby Lomba: Hell, no, im damn hot!
[14:02] Rhiannon Dragoone: I like a hairy man / Bobby, ur hot? / I'm freezing
[14:03] Bobby Lomba: yes?
[14:03] Jago Constantine: lol rhiannon you should wear a scarf maybe
[14:03] Bobby Lomba: pff.... you can watm yourself on the hair on my manboobies?
[14:03] Rhiannon Dragoone: Jago, actually Im fine. The fire puts out a lot of heat / I may stand by it though
[14:03] Jago Constantine: Hey Martyn, welcome to the meeting
[14:03] Jago Constantine: take a moment to let yourself rez
[14:04] Jago Constantine: You can sit on those cushions Rhiannon
[14:04] Jago Constantine: Ok because this is a podcast meeting we'll start the program at about 10 past, for any latecomers
[14:05] Rhiannon Dragoone: i'd better see if my sound works today.
[14:05] Jago Constantine: This week we have a DJ, Sora, to play the track, so we should all be on the same page
[14:05] Jago Constantine: the same page metaphorically lol
[14:06] Jago Constantine: hmm did we lose melch
[14:06] Fuzz's Clicky: Sora fluffs up Primal's ears and plays with his fur.
[14:07] Rhiannon Dragoone: j'm hearing pulsating static
[14:07] Primal Snowpaw: ^^
[14:07] Jago Constantine: that's all you should hear until we start the track :) / We may as well go Sora :)
[14:07] Sora Bluebird: now?
[14:07] Jago Constantine: Yes please!
[14:08] Jago Constantine: This one is different from the previous ones, for variety :)
[14:08] Rhiannon Dragoone: okay
[14:08] Sora Bluebird: restart streams
[14:08] Rhiannon Dragoone: Well, then I'm good
[14:08] Jago Constantine: ok I hear it / hey ookami!
[14:09] Ookami Moonwall: HI Jago
[14:09] Jago Constantine: make sure you have streaming music on in preferences, and the play button pressed
[14:09] Rhiannon Dragoone: there we go
[14:21] Jago Constantine: Hey Tsukhoi, welcome to Science Fiction Saturday :)
[14:21] Tsukhoi Culdesac: thank you i love science fiction / Hi everyone
[14:21] Jago Constantine: We're listening to a podcast episode on the music stream
[14:25] Rhiannon Dragoone: hi Tsukhoi
[14:41] Jago Constantine: Hi, Glass, welcome!
[14:41] Glass Sorbet: salut
[14:43] Rhiannon Dragoone: hi Glass
[14:43] Jago Constantine: Okay ... so what did you all think?
[14:43] Ookami Moonwall: Intangeverse :)
[14:43] Rhiannon Dragoone: okay, my first thought is that the story was a vehicle to get us to udnerstand alien and clone perspecties
[14:43] Rhiannon Dragoone: The plot really wasn't important
[14:43] Rhiannon Dragoone: It was the memories and feelings and the way in which the clone related to the alien plant
[14:44] Jago Constantine: The father issues were interesting :P
[14:44] Rhiannon Dragoone: yes, and how the father made the clone seem special / And thought that was betraying him when push came to shove
[14:45] Jago Constantine: It reminded me of jack in the beanstalk ... and rogue moon if anyone has read it
[14:46] Jago Constantine: In rogue moon a series of clones is sent to explore a deadly structure on the moon
[14:46] Rhiannon Dragoone: not rogue moon
[14:46] Rhiannon Dragoone: I thought the perspective of a clone was well presented from the inside
[14:46] Jago Constantine: Thanks Sora, cya!
[14:47] Rhiannon Dragoone: Soya's leaving? / Bye!
[14:47] Jago Constantine: It would be interesting to have the story expanded, to see how the clones relate to each other before the mission
[14:47] Jago Constantine: What's that famous novel about clones ...
[14:47] Rhiannon Dragoone: "I Think I'm a Clone Now?"
[14:48] Rhiannon Dragoone: Sorry
[14:48] Ookami Moonwall: :)
[14:48] Jago Constantine: Where Late The Sweet Birds Sang, by Kate Wilhelm
[14:48] Jago Constantine: It's a classic
[14:48] Ookami Moonwall: Oh, yeah, I like that book
[14:48] Jago Constantine: A post-apocalyptic novel about a society of clones / That really gets into a clone's mindset I think
[14:49] Ookami Moonwall: In a much more psychological plausible way, I think
[14:50] Rhiannon Dragoone: Well, aren't we talking novel? More depth is possible there
[14:50] Rhiannon Dragoone: I think this story was good as far as its limits could take it
[14:50] Jago Constantine: yes, I agree
[14:50] Jago Constantine: I'm not sure about the voice of the stalk, it seemed a little funny :P
[14:50] Ookami Moonwall: :)
[14:50] Rhiannon Dragoone: well, hard to capture the mind set of a plant
[14:51] Ookami Moonwall: I bet it would have seemed different if we had read it
[14:51] Rhiannon Dragoone: Stanley Weinbaum, i think his name was, was the first to do so in a story, about Ocar the Venusian / i think that was it, anyway
[14:51] Jago Constantine: Yeah ... but I found this more funny than the voice of the worms from Will You Be an Astronaut the last month
[14:51] Rhiannon Dragoone: The stalk was a little too, well, like an animal
[14:51] Jago Constantine: oh cool
[14:52] Jago Constantine: Hi, Dawg
[14:52] Ookami Moonwall: It was a little like the reader wasn't taking the whole thing seriously
[14:52] Rhiannon Dragoone: in the Weinbaum, we see what sentience would be like when all you need is light, water and minerals
[14:52] Rhiannon Dragoone: Here, the stalk could be an anemonie
[14:52] Jago Constantine: what would the plot be for such a story Rhiannon?
[14:53] Rhiannon Dragoone: Well, its been a while. But an astronaught lands on a world, discovers, through clues, that the dominant life form is a plant, and tries to understand
[14:53] Rhiannon Dragoone: Again, like the stor we just read, the plot is really a device to allow us to experience psychology
[14:54] Jago Constantine: I just turned the media stream back to music lol / bobby - what did you think?
[14:54] Rhiannon Dragoone: Its not like the later Robot stories of Asimov, where we get to understand R. Daneel Olivaw's psychological changes during a plot driven story
[14:54] Bobby Lomba: ahja, had to go afk, so i missed most of the story
[14:54] Rhiannon Dragoone: Bobby, how could u?
[14:54] Jago Constantine: oh ok ... you can download the story if you want
[14:54] Rhiannon Dragoone: LOL
[14:55] Bobby Lomba: yeah i know:(
[14:55] Rhiannon Dragoone: Bobby, its worth it, for the psychology of the clones and the stalk
[14:55] Jago Constantine: http://media.rawvoice.com/escapepod/media.libsyn.com/media/escapepod/EP204_FifthZhi.mp3
[14:55] Bobby Lomba: okay, will do... / good, thanks Jago
[14:56] Rhiannon Dragoone: Nice sound this time, in my right ear anyway
[14:56] Jago Constantine: Ok so next week is a book report meeting, and after that there will be a hiatus
[14:56] Rhiannon Dragoone: The left had the static, so i heard it mono-aurial / i'll miss u guys during the hiatus
[14:57] Bobby Lomba: whats a hiatus?
[14:58] Jago Constantine: a break in the schedule
[14:58] Rhiannon Dragoone: its a kind of plant, Bobby
[14:58] Ookami Moonwall: :)
[14:58] Rhiannon Dragoone: no, really, it means Jago is taking a break.
[14:58] Jago Constantine: so there won't be a meeting on the 27th or the 3rd of january
[14:58] Bobby Lomba: a schedule changing plant! Christmas tree?
[14:58] Ookami Moonwall: Summer holiday?
[14:58] Jago Constantine: yes summer holiday for christmas :)
[14:58] Rhiannon Dragoone: Winter, where i am
[14:59] Jago Constantine: I think meeting attendance is lower over christmas anyway
[14:59] Rhiannon Dragoone: yeah, more pressure to socialize in rl
[15:00] Jago Constantine: yes :)
[15:00] Bobby Lomba: yeah probably.. but we got good time reading in the christmas
[15:00] Jago Constantine: Anyway I'm glad you all liked the story!
[15:00] Rhiannon Dragoone: oh, that's for sure. / I have some catching up to do
[15:00] Jago Constantine: I have to go to another event, so I'll see you next week :)
[15:00] Ookami Moonwall: Well, that was fun. I'd heard of escape pod but had never listened before.
[15:00] Rhiannon Dragoone: CU Jago / ookami, that's what's so great about this.
[15:01] Bobby Lomba: thanks for the meetin MR JAgo, sir... and happy merry christemananas to all!
[15:01] Rhiannon Dragoone: Gives u an excuse to hear a book or story u wouldn't normally have time for.
[15:01] Ookami Moonwall: Yes, glad I could pop in

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!

14 March 2009: Armada

[13:56] Jago Constantine: Hi, Bryce, welcome :)
[13:56] Bryce Galbraith: Hi Jago
[13:56] Jago Constantine: You're the first to arrive :)
[13:56] Bryce Galbraith: :)
[13:57] Jago Constantine: That means you get to find a seat with the best pose lol
[13:57] Bryce Galbraith: maybe I'll wait for the room to finish rezzing before trying to move around... / :)
[13:57] Jago Constantine: lol yes
[13:58] Bryce Galbraith: I like the cat there...
[13:58] Jago Constantine: Yes it's cute / I think its from damiani / Damani, yes
[13:59] Bryce Galbraith: brb....
[13:59] Jago Constantine: ok
[14:00] Eddi Haskell: hello
[14:00] Jago Constantine: Hey, Eddi :) / heh nice pose
[14:01] Bryce Galbraith: Hi Eddi
[14:01] Eddi Haskell: hi / my computer is messed up / and i dont know what to do LOL
[14:01] Bryce Galbraith: Well, you can always re-install the OS .:)
[14:01] Eddi Haskell: that wont help
[14:01] Bryce Galbraith: That might be a bit extreme....but effective! / Hi Lewis
[14:01] Jago Constantine: Hey, Lewis :)
[14:01] Eddi Haskell: if you look at the picture i gave you
[14:02] Lewis Luminos: hi everyone
[14:02] Eddi Haskell: you can see triangles / that is what is wrong / hi lewid / l;ewis
[14:02] Lewis Luminos: waiting for things to rez
[14:02] Jago Constantine: Sure :)
[14:02] Bryce Galbraith: Ah.... this is just in SL....not the rest of your computer then, right Eddi?
[14:03] Jago Constantine: Oh nice costume Lewis :)
[14:03] Lewis Luminos: heh its the same coat I wore last week
[14:03] Jago Constantine: I am kind of appropriate, my clothes could be anywhen from edwardian onwards
[14:03] Lewis Luminos: with cap and pipe instead of punk hair and cyber gear
[14:04] Bryce Galbraith: Hi Redgrrl
[14:04] Jago Constantine: Gentlemen, this is Redgrrl, the owner here :)
[14:04] Redgrrl Llewellyn: Welcome to my Club and Reading Room!
[14:04] Lewis Luminos: hi redgrrl
[14:04] Redgrrl Llewellyn: i'm so glad you could visit us! .....and happy to have you here! / i'm also a librarian RL so i couldn't resist to listen in
[14:05] Jago Constantine: There is a tip jar on the bar which I encourage you to use :)
[14:05] Redgrrl Llewellyn: thank you Mr. Constantine too kind / and please everyone drink up!
[14:05] Jago Constantine: Thankyou for letting us meet here :)
[14:06] Jago Constantine: Ok, for Bryce and Redgrrl, the meeting usually works like this
[14:06] Jago Constantine: we go round the group and discuss the last book we read
[14:06] Jago Constantine: after that, we talk about what we plan to read next
[14:07] Jago Constantine: but there's plenty of latitude for meandering conversation :)
[14:07] Lewis Luminos: we do tend to meander quite a bit *g*
[14:07] Jago Constantine: lol
[14:07] Bryce Galbraith: :) / sounds good....
[14:07] Jago Constantine: Anyway last week I read this novel by Brian Herbert, Sidney's Comet
[14:08] Jago Constantine: This week I read the sequel, The Garbage Chronicles
[14:08] Jago Constantine: They're satirical sci fi about consumerism
[14:09] Jago Constantine: and I really liked them, as I said last week, I wish Brian had kept writing that instead of going on to write Dune sequels
[14:10] Jago Constantine: The Garbage Chronicles is much better than his first book, he really improved quickly from his debut
[14:10] Bryce Galbraith: Interesting...I wasn't familiar with either of those. I guess the 'Dune' franchise has a higher profile...
[14:11] Jago Constantine: Yes, I suppose you can't blame him. His early books were whimsical and funny, but he was no Douglas Adams or Terry Pratchett
[14:12] Bryce Galbraith: I noticed on Amazon.com that there is a (relatively) new release of Sidney's Comet (Jan. 2008)..
[14:12] Jago Constantine: must be due to the popularity of the new dune books
[14:13] Bryce Galbraith: I haven't read anything by Brian Herbert actually. Both of these books were written earlier in his career though it looks like -- mid 80's....
[14:13] Jago Constantine: Yes, and you can tell they're from the 80s
[14:13] Lewis Luminos: really? that long ago?
[14:13] Jago Constantine: yes / Actually, Sidney's Comet reminded me of the movie Wall-E
[14:14] Bryce Galbraith: The synopsis reminded me of an episode of Futurama :)
[14:14] Jago Constantine: That too :)
[14:14] Redgrrl Llewellyn: my favourite book is Time and Again by Jack Finney...time travel illustrated and Victtorian
[14:14] Jago Constantine: I haven't read it / What is it about?
[14:14] Eddi Haskell: is there a bart simpson character in futurama? that is what i feel like at these discussions
[14:14] Redgrrl Llewellyn: its' a great Sci Fi
[14:14] Eddi Haskell: lol
[14:15] Jago Constantine: lol eddi / you should read more sci fi
[14:15] Redgrrl Llewellyn: a modern guy is recruited to travel back in time to solve a mystery
[14:15] Eddi Haskell: i got snow crash / im startng
[14:15] Jago Constantine: oh sounds interesting, redgrrl
[14:15] Lewis Luminos: sounds like just my sort of thing redgrrl
[14:15] Redgrrl Llewellyn: the last book i read was Fingersmith by Sarah Walters..."novel is awash with all manner of gloomy Dickensian leitmotifs: pickpockets, orphans, grim prisons, lunatic asylums, "laughing villains," and, of course, "stolen fortunes and girls made out to be mad."
[14:16] Jago Constantine: Yes I thought of making up a bingo card of victorian cliche
[14:16] Redgrrl Llewellyn: and that's's all i'm going to add gents! enjoy your meeting!
[14:16] Jago Constantine: absinthe, pickpockets, etc
[14:16] Redgrrl Llewellyn: omg that would be brilliant! / twirling mustaches
[14:16] Jago Constantine: lol
[14:16] Jago Constantine: thanks for coming, redgrrl!
[14:17] Redgrrl Llewellyn: cheers dears and the secret opium den upstairs is open to you , too!
[14:17] Bryce Galbraith: Bye Redgrrl!
[14:17] Bryce Galbraith: :)
[14:17] Jago Constantine: Ok, Lewis, how did you go this week? / sci fi wise
[14:18] Lewis Luminos: nothing at all until Thursday, then guess what I bought? *grins*
[14:18] Jago Constantine: lol The Scar?
[14:18] Lewis Luminos: Yep :-D
[14:18] Jago Constantine: awesome :)
[14:18] Lewis Luminos: not very far into it let but loving it
[14:18] Lewis Luminos: *yet
[14:19] Jago Constantine: Have a look around here later, the whole region is built on boats
[14:19] Lewis Luminos: yeah I did have a zoom out with the camera and a bit opf a look round that way
[14:19] Bryce Galbraith: This is by China Mieville, right?
[14:19] Lewis Luminos: yes
[14:19] Jago Constantine: Yes
[14:20] Lewis Luminos: I read Perdido Street about 3 weeks ago
[14:20] Jago Constantine: This sim is based on the book
[14:20] Bryce Galbraith: Ah, okay :)
[14:20] Jago Constantine: It's set on a floating city called Armada / I liked The Scar more than Perdido Street Station
[14:21] Lewis Luminos: I'm not sure yet. I really liked Perdido so its a hard act to follow
[14:21] Jago Constantine: I suppose if you haven't read much you might not be on the floating city yet, Lewis, so I won't say anything :P
[14:21] Lewis Luminos: and I'm only about 5-6 chapters into the Scar so far / oh yeah we got to the floating city
[14:22] Jago Constantine: It's a really unique concept I think / offhand I can't recall anything else like it
[14:22] Lewis Luminos: made me think of the Raft in snow crash
[14:22] Jago Constantine: other than waterworld
[14:23] Lewis Luminos: only I guess Armada is a lot bigger than the Raft
[14:23] Jago Constantine: true ... and the raft wasn't the setting for a whole book / so not as detailed
[14:24] Lewis Luminos: it wasnt as complex anyway. The Raft had only been going a short while. The Armada... didnt it say some of the ships in it had been there hundreds of years?
[14:24] Jago Constantine: I think so yes
[14:24] Lewis Luminos: great concept though
[14:25] Jago Constantine: some with big trees growing on them
[14:25] Bryce Galbraith: Yeah, it's been a while since I read Snow Crash but the Raft was just one of the locations and it felt like a transitive point in the novel. A cool idea that Stephenson came up with but didn't feel the need to explore in more depth :)
[14:25] Lewis Luminos: I wondered whether they grew plant food in Armada / or just steal it
[14:25] Jago Constantine: Well, he has so many cool ideas I guess he has to skip over them
[14:26] Jago Constantine: So what have you read lately, Bryce?
[14:26] Bryce Galbraith: Last week I finished 'Death: A Life' by George Pendle. Not exactly science fiction, but definitely a good, fun read :)
[14:26] Jago Constantine: What's it about?
[14:27] Bryce Galbraith: It's basically the autobiography of Death and along the way a funny re-tell of the Creation up to modern times.
[14:27] Bryce Galbraith: Very irreverent too...
[14:27] Bryce Galbraith: :)
[14:27] Jago Constantine: heh
[14:27] Jago Constantine: I have seen biographies of God and the Devil before
[14:27] Bryce Galbraith: Before that I read Charles Stross' 'Saturn's Children'
[14:27] Lewis Luminos likes irreverent
[14:27] Jago Constantine: I loved Saturn's Children / the concept was great
[14:28] Bryce Galbraith: Yeah, I loved that book too! Lots of real interesting ideas, but also the way the story unfolded was really interesting too.
[14:28] Bryce Galbraith: I like the take on robots and the Three Laws...
[14:28] Jago Constantine: Basically Lewis, robots in the future are programmed to obey humans / Humans died out tho
[14:29] Bryce Galbraith: And then humans go extinct without giving any final instructions or, more specifically, giving robots freedom.
[14:29] Jago Constantine: so robots manage their own affairs, but a plot arises to resurrect a human from dna
[14:30] Jago Constantine: and raise it under the control of some group
[14:30] Jago Constantine: that will have control of all robots by proxy
[14:30] Jago Constantine: it's a lot more clever than it sounds from my description :P
[14:31] Bryce Galbraith: I think what makes the book work is that Stross also explores what this robot civilization is like along the way.
[14:31] Bryce Galbraith: The robots are basically very flawed too -- just like their human creators.
[14:31] Jago Constantine: yes, it's rather ruthless
[14:32] Bryce Galbraith: They can be cruel and ruthless, but also have emotions too.
[14:32] Jago Constantine: they buy and sell each other
[14:32] Jago Constantine: the protagonist is a sex robot whose ultimate erotic object is a human male ... but they are extinct
[14:32] Bryce Galbraith: At best they are able to own themselves because they create these shell corporations that they control which in turn owns them.
[14:33] Bryce Galbraith: An interesting departure from Asimov's robots is that most of the robots are not human-shaped, in the era the book takes place in.
[14:33] Bryce Galbraith: The robots are more compact and some have very functional shapes.
[14:34] Jago Constantine: Yes, I think androids are a really limited design
[14:35] Bryce Galbraith: Just like in the new Battlestar Galactica, where the cylon raiders _are_ the robots, in Saturn's Children the spaceships and buildings in cities even are basically robots.
[14:36] Jago Constantine: So at the moment, I'm reading a cheap thriller, I should finish it in a few days ... not sure what sci fi I will read next
[14:36] Jago Constantine: I guess Lewis will be reading The Scar :)
[14:36] Lewis Luminos: yeah I think that will keep me going the rest of this week
[14:36] Bryce Galbraith: I just started 'Evolution' by Stephen Baxter...just got started though the other night so I'm only a couple chapters in.
[14:37] Jago Constantine: it's nice and thick, good value for money lol / Oh cool, I've been reading some Stephen Baxter / I think I read Evolution a while back / what is the plot again?
[14:38] Bryce Galbraith: Well, I just started so I can't say much :) But it looks to be basically a novel of the evolution of life on earth...
[14:38] Jago Constantine: Hi, Fourside, thanks for coming :)
[14:39] Eddi Haskell: back
[14:39] Bryce Galbraith: starting in the Cretaceous...then going back a bit actually to the Jurassic.
[14:39] Jago Constantine: Baxter writes a lot of evolutionary sci fi
[14:39] Fourside Janus: Hi, still rezzing.
[14:39] Bryce Galbraith: I'm interested to see what he does with it. :)
[14:39] Bryce Galbraith: I really loved Baxter's sequence to The Time Machine ... The Time Ships.
[14:39] Jago Constantine: A lot of his books and stories involve human evolutionary twists
[14:39] Jago Constantine: I didn't read that, I should :)
[14:40] Bryce Galbraith: Yeah, seems like he likes to write in long long time frames -- millions of years!
[14:40] Jago Constantine: yes lol
[14:40] Bryce Galbraith: Yeah, I highly recommend Time Ships...
[14:40] Jago Constantine: the last book of his I read took just 10000 years :P
[14:40] Bryce Galbraith: Oh, short then ;)
[14:40] Jago Constantine: lol
[14:40] Lewis Luminos: lol is that all?
[14:40] Bryce Galbraith: Hi Fourside...
[14:41] Jago Constantine: Hi, fourside, have you read any good sci fi lately?
[14:42] Fourside Janus: Ah, finnally rezzed!
[14:42] Jago Constantine: By the way, Bryce and Fourside, would you like an invite to the group?
[14:42] Bryce Galbraith: Yes, please
[14:43] Fourside Janus: Sure.
[14:43] Jago Constantine: Great :)
[14:43] Jago Constantine: I send out notices of where the next meeting will be
[14:43] Jago Constantine: and if you like, you can always talk about sci fi during the week :)
[14:44] Fourside Janus: Sounds interesting.
[14:44] Jago Constantine: The next meeting will either be at the Museum of Robots, or at the Channel Island Asylum :)
[14:45] Bryce Galbraith: ok...
[14:45] Jago Constantine: lol
[14:45] Fourside Janus: O.o
[14:45] Jago Constantine: The asylum is a nice linden-build
[14:45] Jago Constantine: Creepy
[14:46] Jago Constantine: it's haunted
[14:46] Jago Constantine: lol
[14:46] Bryce Galbraith: It's running on a server... of course it's haunted! :) / Ghosts in the machine...
[14:46] Jago Constantine: lol / So Fourside, have you read any good sci fi, or do you plan to?
[14:48] Fourside Janus: Funny, i could remember them all before you asked... >_>
[14:48] Bryce Galbraith: :)
[14:49] Jago Constantine: heh yes I just went blank before about the title of the last Stephen Baxter I read / lol
[14:49] Bryce Galbraith: Another book I read a couple months ago that I thought was real interesting was a book called 'Inverted World' by Christopher Priest. / The book was written in the 1970s sometime actually..
[14:50] Jago Constantine: hmm it is set in a world where space is distorted, right?
[14:50] Bryce Galbraith: Yep...exactly.
[14:51] Fourside Janus: How so?
[14:51] Bryce Galbraith: The inhabitants of the city are always trying to move the city forward on rails.
[14:51] Bryce Galbraith: So it is sort of like a train car where people are laying track in front of it and removing it from behind.
[14:51] Jago Constantine: I like the concept of a moving city :)
[14:52] Bryce Galbraith: All in an effort to reach the 'optimum' , which is sort of a zone of normality... but it's always moving.
[14:52] Bryce Galbraith: SO the city has to keep moving.
[14:52] Jago Constantine: There's a nice book, Calenture, by Storm Constantine, set in a world of moving cities
[14:53] Lewis Luminos: I've read some of hers but not that one
[14:53] Jago Constantine: it's good, kind of surreal / a little steampunk
[14:54] Lewis Luminos has met Storm in RL :-D
[14:54] Jago Constantine: wow cool!
[14:54] Eddi Haskell: guys i have to run
[14:54] Jago Constantine: Ok babe
[14:54] Eddi Haskell: make a quick appearance at an opening / i will be on later / take care gusy thanks
[14:54] Bryce Galbraith: Looks interesting... Calenture. I'll have to check that out.
[14:54] Lewis Luminos: bye Eddi
[14:55] Bryce Galbraith: Bye Eddi
[14:55] Eddi Haskell: bye all!
[14:55] Bryce Galbraith: Actually I should be heading out as well.
[14:55] Fourside Janus: bye
[14:55] Jago Constantine: Well, it's almost the hour :)
[14:55] Bryce Galbraith: Nice talking with you all :)
[14:55] Jago Constantine: And we've gone through everyone
[14:55] Lewis Luminos: always a pleasure
[14:55] Jago Constantine: Hope to see you next week!
[14:55] Bryce Galbraith: Yep! Nice meeting you all.
[14:55] Fourside Janus: Glad I could catch the end. Bye!
[14:55] Jago Constantine: I will send out a landmark to the group / otherwise search for science fiction in events / we're the only one lol
[14:56] Lewis Luminos: well I think I'm going to explore the sim :)
[14:57] Jago Constantine: oh here is something for you
[14:57] Fourside Janus: I'm checiking out a newly opened Edo Period sim next...
[14:57] Jago Constantine: Redgrrl gave it to me / There are some nice japanese sims around / Ok, bye Lewis, Fourside!
[14:58] Lewis Luminos: thanks Jago
[14:58] Fourside Janus: Take care! ^_^
[14:58] Jago Constantine: If you like the sim, tip the jar here :)