2011 Annual New Year's Chat

Over the Christmas weekend, DUSHAU is available for free on Kindle only

http://www.amazon.com/Dushau-The-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B002OSXNM8/

Karen MacLeod, Zoe Farris, and Eliza got together and organized the following web-accessible chatroom for our annual NEW YEAR'S CHAT.

All you need is a browser and you can watch the chat, and talk and vote awards for contributions to Sime~Gen.  You do not need to be a facebook member to attend this chat. 

 Here's the announcement from the SIMEGEN Group on Facebook.com

Sime Gen New Year's Chat

When Sunday, 1 January 2012
Time 14:00 until 17:00 (The finishing time may change)

The time given is "US Mountain time". To check your times see
http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html

A very brief conversion of a few of the places as Jacqueline found for me. It is impossible to put all times in the Events 'Time and Date' section. (to be sure, please check your area's time.)

(MST) USA 2:00:00 PM - Sunday, 1 January 2012
( PST ) USA 1.00.00PM - Sunday, 1 January 2012
(Central ) USA 3PM Sunday, 1 January 2012
(Eastern) USA 4 PM Sunday, 1 January 2012
(EST ) (Australia – Brisbane Queensland) 7:00:00 AM - Monday, 2 January 2012 (others in Australia can calculate their times from this)

Description

To Join the New Year’s Chat

http://www.elizasart.com/IRC/phpfreechat-1.3/
When you arrive you will be in the ‘My Room’ room.

You will receive a guest nick (nickname) eg; guest 398

2. At the bottom of the white chat screen enter /nick ‘yournick’ ( EG; /nick ZoeFarris)

And there you are, in the chat.

This room will be used for (Sime Gen) Business. During the Business chat please do not chat in this room. If you wish to chat while business is on go to #simegenchat by typing /join #simegenchat

After the business chat is finished then the ‘My Room’ room will open up to general chat.

Due to the fact that the chat will be logged we really DO Need silence in the room while the business part of the meeting is on. If you try to talk during this part of the chat you will be kicked from the room. Please do not be insulted by this - it is only to keep the room quiet for the business. You are welcome to rejoin, but if you chat again you will be banned from that room until after the business part of the chat.
If you have a question related to the business discussion you are welcome to ask it. Please keep questions short and to the point, giving time for other people’s questions to be answered before posting yours.

If you see someone breaking the one and only rule, please let the moderators handle it. We don't want someone to get 20 private messages telling them not to talk!

We expect people to be adult about this and help us by obeying this one rule. After the business all will be welcomed to chat. Thank you.

So what is Sime~Gen?

Soon we will have directions for attending the Sime~Gen New Year's Chat online, and will post them here and on the Sime~Gen Group on Facebook.

Meanwhile, I found the following exchange on a Facebook Chat on the Sime~Gen Group and asked permission to post it here.

This is just absolutely classic.  A new person comes along, hears everyone offhandedly referring to Sime~Gen and just asks so What Is Sime~Gen?  So here are some well known readers trying to explain it to a widely-read reader who has never heard of Sime~Gen.   

"Azure Boone" is a writer I met on Google+, and Eliza is a reader, fan-writer, of Sime~Gen as well as a tech and an artist. Zoe likewise is a writer, fan-writer and Sime~Gen reader.  Zoe and Eliza live in Australia, and Azure is in the USA.  Zoe started the Facebook Group for Sime~Gen.  This is a casual chat log. 

Azure Boone
hello
any body here?
Eliza Leahy
Hello
Azure Boone
oh hey!
Eliza Leahy
no, only me
:)
Azure Boone
i was wondering what sime gen is
Deirdre Moira Murphy
Hi
Eliza Leahy
I don't count, but you can talk to me anyway if you like
Azure Boone
oh hello
of course you COUNT
you're a woman?
Deirdre Moira Murphy
You mean you only spell?
Eliza Leahy
simegen is a series of books - about the future of mankind when it has mutated into two types - simes and gens
Azure Boone
ohhhh what are simes?
Eliza Leahy
simes need seyln to live - gens produce selyn
however, in taking the seyln from the gens, the simes usually "kill" them
simes have tentacles on their arms, 4 handling tentacles per arm, and two "laterals" which are for the transfer of seyln
Azure Boone
okay, so, is this a theory that is supported by this entire group? And stories are written around the concept?
Deirdre Moira Murphy
It started with books
The group is fans of the stories
Azure Boone
ohhhh, I see
Eliza Leahy
The universe was written by JL - Jacqueline Lichtenberg and Jean Lorrah
Azure Boone
totally cool
so they created a world and this is like fan fic?
Eliza Leahy
you will have to get some of the books :)
there are 11 published books
and one on the way
and a LOT of fan stories
Azure Boone
like a baby
Eliza Leahy
yes, and the birth seems to be pretty hard! lol
Deirdre Moira Murphy
There is both fanfic and fic by the original authors.
Azure Boone
so cool, I see. Is it like Star Trek in vehicle delivery?
Eliza Leahy
scroll down the simegen page a bit and you will see a portrait I did of a sime friend of ours

Azure Boone
Or more like Star Wars...
Eliza Leahy
I'm not sure I see the distinction between ST and SW?
Deirdre Moira Murphy
Does someone here have a website link for Azure?
Azure Boone
LOL, maybe there isn't, except in a Force
Eliza Leahy
www.simegen.com
Azure Boone
that was easy, I'll book mark it
Eliza Leahy
there is also fanfiction on www.fictionbank.com and secretpens.org
www.secretpens.org
Azure Boone
so sime and gen are like... two different species from two different planets?
Eliza Leahy
no, mutations of humans
both are human and can breed
Azure Boone
ohhhhhhhhhh coool
Eliza Leahy
all from earth
no one knows how the mutation started, although there is speculation
Deirdre Moira Murphy
No, the human race on this planet mutates into one species, where some people are simes, and some are gens
Azure Boone
they can't see it at a genetic level?
Eliza Leahy
the further mutation is a channel - who can take seyln from a gen without killing them and give it to a sime - otherwise they would run out of gens
Deirdre Moira Murphy
And like male and female, any set of parents can have sime kids, gen kids, or some of each
Zoe Farris
Hello all
Deirdre Moira Murphy
Though two simes will have more sime kids, on average, and two gens will have more gen kids, on average.
Azure Boone
is one superior over the other?
Eliza Leahy
Now that Zoe Farris is on, I'll leave. I have gingerbread men to make ;)
yes - Gens are superior
Azure Boone
lol
Eliza Leahy
MWHAHAHAaaaaaa!!!!!!
Azure Boone
thanks gall
I mean gal!
do all agree that Gens are superior?
Zoe Farris
ahh the delusions of Companions
Eliza Leahy
All the gens do....
Deirdre Moira Murphy
Whether one is superior is a matter of opinion--just like which is superior, male or female?
Eliza Leahy
females
Zoe Farris
lol
Eliza Leahy
so female gens are AMAZING!
oh yeah, I was leaving.... heehee
Azure Boone
lol
female ANYTHING are amazing
Zoe Farris
Gens superior, well that is debateble
I agree females are, but I am sure any males here will not.
Eliza Leahy
Farris's are a further mutation - they whine a lot
Zoe Farris
What you find is that alot of fans identify either Sime or Gen, and then either Channel, renSime or Companion (Gen who can serve Channels) or ordinary Gen
Deirdre Moira Murphy
Multitudinous allergies will do that to a person.
Eliza Leahy
I'll leave you in the hands of the whiny Farris and Deirdre :)
Azure Boone
oh, is that supposed to be like PMS?
thanks for the heads up, lol
Zoe Farris
Thank you Eliza
Azure Boone
yes, Eliza, thanks
Zoe Farris
Maybe PTS Pre Transfer Syndrome. ;)
Deirdre Moira Murphy
Farris is a family name, and also ...kind of like redheads. Rare and flashy, and (metaphorically) easily sunburnt.
Azure Boone
lol
Zoe Farris
that is a great analogy
Azure Boone
so everything is basically the same in a fun way
well, maybe not fun, just different
Zoe Farris
So, Azure, have you read anything yet
Azure Boone
No, I haven't, I'm completely a nooooob
Zoe Farris
of Sime Gen I mean
cool
Azure Boone
right, knew that's what you meant, lol
Zoe Farris
Deirdre?
Azure Boone
i have my work cut out for me, or my fun
Zoe Farris
I'd say fun
Azure Boone
I imagine so
Zoe Farris
of cource we will be waiting to find out how you identify, if you do. :)
Deirdre Moira Murphy
It's been years since I read any of the fan fiction, but I read House of Zeor before it had a sequel.
Azure Boone
i know, I can't wait to JUDGE
is that a secret reason we read? To JUDGE?
Deirdre Moira Murphy
No, I read to escape into somebody else's problems! LOL
Zoe Farris
yes that was my fav and it was the first one in Australia
i found the stories were a wonderful analogy to my life and still do
it is a wonderful universe
Azure Boone
I think we want to figure out the problem
Deirdre Moira Murphy
I should either go to bed or work on my next Torn World story (different shared world)
Azure Boone
gives us some control
is that a neighboring planet to the Sime Gen
Deirdre Moira Murphy
No, a completely different world.
Zoe Farris
lol Sime Gen is here on earth.
Azure Boone
i KNOW, I'm keeping up
Zoe Farris
lol ok
Deirdre Moira Murphy
I got sucked in to Torn World writing entries to worldbuilding contests before it went public.
Azure Boone
i was wondering if it was a neighboring planet to earth, lol
and it just demanded existence
Zoe Farris
The fun thing Azure is which is going to be your first book. It is like transfer, the first one sets the standard and is considered the best (for some fans)
Azure Boone
which one should I read first, number one, right?
Deirdre Moira Murphy
I think my favorite might be Mahogany Trinrose, but I wouldn't reccommend reading it first.
Zoe Farris
it is hard to say. For a newbie House of Zeor is good because it is from the Gen POV. but others would say otherwise
Azure Boone
wait, isn't there an order
Zoe Farris
You could also read them in chronological order which would mean First Channel would be the start
Azure Boone
okay, typing that down
Zoe Farris
there is published order and chrono order
Azure Boone
hmm, I'll ask Jacqueline
Zoe Farris
after havnig read them several times each as they came out I now start from the first in chrono order
Azure Boone
the birthing mother
Zoe Farris
I am on To Kiss or To Kill now
Eliza Leahy
ok, gingerbread simes and gens are in the oven
no, you are reading 4+ now ;)
Azure Boone
lol
which is 4?
Zoe Farris
cool i will be expecting tentacles on mine
Unto Zeor Forever,?
Eliza Leahy
four plus - it's a fan story
ignore me
Zoe Farris
oh i see
Azure Boone
who's doing that?
Eliza Leahy
who is doing what?
Azure Boone
umm what you said, Eliza
who is doing fan fic
Deirdre Moira Murphy
Azure, I hope you enjoy them, whatever order you read them in!
Eliza Leahy
lots of people, but 4+ is one of mine that Zoe is reading
Azure Boone
I'm sure we don't have this vast audience because they're not awesome
ohhhhhhh, lmbo
and he's supposed to be reading
Zoe Farris
http://www.simegen.com/CHRONO1.html
Eliza Leahy
Zoe Farris is my Channel - I'm her Companion, we live in Brisbane, Australia, where are you?
Azure Boone
The Gens grew selfish
Zoe Farris
that is the cronological table which includes where the new ones fit in and some fan stories too I think
Azure Boone
tsk tsk
Eliza Leahy
that's the simes perspective naturally
Azure Boone
oh, then who wrote that link, a sime?
Zoe Farris
That is the very first part of First Channel
Azure Boone
who wrote the link Zoe gave?
Zoe Farris
It is the prologue to First Channel, the first in chrono order by Jean
Azure Boone
So God spoke that
Eliza Leahy
pfth
Azure Boone
lol, well? The author?
Zoe Farris
lol Eliza. It is legend
Eliza Leahy
yes, one of the authors
yum, gingerbread :)
Azure Boone
okay, I need to read, is that prologue an explanation of the story/universe or is it part of the actual story
Eliza Leahy
gingerbread with tentacles
Zoe Farris
IN the Universe no one knows what happened to cause the mutation, and anything said is mere speculation from either Simes or Gens, such as archeologists
Eliza Leahy
no, it's just a legend from back in time explaining why simes kill
Azure Boone
okay, so, this is just something that is believed to be true in the storyworld, not necessarily the author explaining how the story world actually "is"
Eliza Leahy
you can buy the books in electronic format now
Zoe - give the URL for buying them
yes, that is correct
Azure Boone
i need to, i need one of those READERS
Zoe Farris
yes, Azure, it is legend within the world.
Eliza Leahy
you can get a program for your computer that does it
Zoe Farris
i will find the link brb'
Azure Boone
i know, i'm just hating the idea of lobbing my computer around
Tim Lieder
Kindle has all the better titles. And it's better at getting the money to the authors. And you can also buy She Nailed a Stake Through His Head: Tales of Biblical Terror on it.
Azure Boone
but it does have a LIGHT
LOL, I know that story, who did that?
Zoe Farris
here is a bit of humour about being Sime I wrote years ago. http://www.simegen.com/sgfandom/Sime/index.html
and here is the link to the electronic published books. http://astore.amazon.com/simegen-20
I have them on my kindle for iphone.
Azure Boone
wow, thanks

Jacqueline Lichtenberg’s Unto Zeor, Forever: More Than Just Tentacle Sex | Tor.com

Jacqueline Lichtenberg’s Unto Zeor, Forever: More Than Just Tentacle Sex | Tor.com

That link goes to a long article on the SIME~GEN novel UNTO ZEOR, FOREVER.