SUNSET BEACH -- Members of the Penguin Readers group were treated today to a surprisingly large promotional item. The enormous crate contained only a poster and a few note cards explaining upcoming promotional events and competitions leading up to the release of William Gibson's new book, Spook Country, on August 7, 2007.

Competitions include decorating the container, an object that plays a role in Gibson's new book, as well as creating an avatar that Gibson will use when he appears in-world on August 2, venue to be confirmed. The "Design an Avatar for William Gibson" competition came about after a Penguin representative gave Gibson a tour of Second Life last year. At the time, Gibson was mocked for the "lack of aesthetic qualities" of his avatar, according to Jeremy Ettinghausen (Jeremy Neumann in Second Life), Digital Publisher at Penguin.

When asked what else fans and SL residents could expect leading up to the book release, Ettinghausen made reference to Gibson's last book, Pattern Recognition.

"Fans of Hubertus Bigend should keep an eye open for Blue Ant activity in Second Life," Ettinghausen said, adding, " As Hubertus Bigend himself says, 'There's nothing cooler than secrets.' "

The first event kicking off the promotional campaign is a screening of a 2001 documentary about Gibson titled "No Maps for These Territories" at the new cinema on Avalon Island. The 90-minute film will be shown twice in-world, debuting on Monday, July 16, 11 a.m., SLT with another showing on Sunday, July 22, 11 a.m. SLT. The documentary follows Gibson as he rides in a limousine on a road trip around North America and includes readings of Gibson's writing by Bono of U2, among others.

Additional prizes for the competitions include signed books and DVDs, an inworld meeting with Gibson, and the chance to attend a real world event. To receive a competition container and additional information about upcoming Gibson-related events, join the Penguin Readers group, IM Jeremy Neumann or check the Penguin Books UK blog . Closing date for all contest entries is July 30.