Earthlings

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. Natsuki’s story begins with a feeling of childhood alienation and steadily escalates into graphic psychological horror. Did you find this progression from a quirky, unsettling narrative to an extreme and violent one effective? At what point in the story did your feelings about the characters or their worldview begin to shift?

2. How does this novel compare to Sayaka Murata’s other well-known work, Convenience Store Woman? If you’ve read both, did you see similar themes of nonconformity and social pressure explored in different ways?

3. How did you interpret the novel’s shocking final scene? When Natsuki, Tamayo, and Yuu declare themselves pregnant aliens to the horrified rescue party, do you see it as a moment of ultimate delusion, a triumphant act of self-creation, or something else entirely?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. The Factory is the novel’s central metaphor for the relentless societal pressure to partner up, marry, and have children. In what ways did this concept of a social “assembly line” resonate with you? Do you see similar pressures to conform to a specific life path in your own community or culture?

2. Natsuki and Yuu’s marriage pledge is founded on one principle: “Survive, whatever it takes” (30). Have you ever made a pact with a friend or family member that felt like it created a private world with its own set of rules? What is the power of creating such personal, binding agreements?

3. What did you think of Natsuki and Tomoya’s platonic, asexual marriage as a strategy to escape the Factory’s scrutiny? Do you believe their arrangement is a pragmatic solution to an oppressive system or a sad compromise?

4. The characters often feel like they are performing “normalcy” to avoid being seen as outsiders. Can you recall a time when you felt you had to play a role or hide your true feelings to fit in? What does the novel suggest about the personal cost of this kind of performance?

5. Did you have an imaginary friend, a special toy, or a secret world that helped you make sense of things as a child? How does the novel’s portrayal of Piyyut, the stuffed hedgehog, explore the role of imagination as a vital tool for survival?

6. The characters invent their own language with terms like “Factory,” “components,” and “Popinpobopian” to understand their world. Do you have special words or inside jokes with friends or family that help define your shared experiences and create a sense of belonging?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. Through Natsuki, Tomoya, and Yuu’s stories, the novel explores their retreat from the world, a response to the trauma and pressures they face. How does the trio’s final self-imposed isolation in Akishina reflect or comment on the intense academic and social pressures that can lead people to withdraw from society?

2. How do cultural or family traditions, like the Obon festival in the novel, sometimes serve to reinforce conformity rather than foster genuine connection? Can you think of examples where the weight of expectation during such events can feel alienating?

3. The novel presents a world where adult authority figures, from Natsuki’s parents to her teacher, Mr. Igasaki, are either negligent or predatory. What commentary do you think the book is making about the systems meant to protect children, and how does this systemic failure justify the characters’ rejection of the “Earthling” world?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. What is the significance of the setting of Akishina? How does its meaning shift from a childhood sanctuary to a site of trauma, and why do you think it serves as the fitting location for the novel’s final, shocking events?

2. The narrative jumps forward 23 years before using an extended flashback to reveal the murder of Mr. Igasaki. Why do you think Murata chose this nonlinear structure? How did learning about Natsuki’s adult coping mechanisms before knowing the full extent of her childhood actions affect your judgment of her character?

3. How does Natsuki’s narration, which frames her dissociation as a “magical power” and her abuser as a “blue lump,” shape your understanding of her trauma? In your discussion, consider how her reliability as a narrator shapes the narrative.

4. Discuss Piyyut’s role in the narrative. How does it evolve throughout the story, shifting from a comforting childhood companion to an instigator of violence before finally falling silent? What does his journey represent in Natsuki’s psychological development?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. The trio establishes a new society in Akishina based on their “Popinpobopian” identity. Describe the three core rules or principles of a society you would design to be a true sanctuary from the pressures of the Factory. What pressures, specifically, would your newly formed society address?

2. You are tasked with designing a flag for Planet Popinpobopia. What images, colors, and symbols would you include to represent the core beliefs and experiences of Natsuki, Yuu, and Tomoya’s new world? Be prepared to explain your design choices.