Homebound

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. What was your experience reading a novel with so many different timelines and narrative styles? Did you like flipping between stories, or did the reading experience feel disjointed?

2. The novel is structured as a “puzzle-box” narrative, much like other complex works such as David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas (2004), Anthony Doerr’s Cloud Cuckoo Land (2021), or Geraldine Brooks’s People of the Book (2008). How did you feel about this structure as a reader? Did you enjoy piecing together the connections, or did you find it challenging?

3. Which storyline resonated with you the most, and why? Was it Becks’s coming-of-age journey, Yesiko’s struggle for survival, or Chaya’s long search for purpose?

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

1. When has a community built on shared interests or identity felt like family to you? What made that connection feel so powerful, especially if it was different from your given circumstances?

2. The video game Homebound becomes a way for Becks to connect with her uncle after he’s gone. Think about a piece of technology in your own life, like a favorite song, a saved voicemail, or an old photo on a phone. How has it helped you preserve a memory or feel close to someone?

3. To cope with her grief and social awkwardness, Becks creates the persona of “Jenny.” Have you ever felt the need to present a different version of yourself to navigate a specific situation or relationship? What did that experience teach you about your authentic self?

4. What is a story from your family or culture that has become a fundamental part of how you see yourself or the world? How does Root’s idea that we are defined by the narratives we carry resonate with your own experience?

5. Chaya’s quest to find Lieutenant Solo, which starts from a video game, ultimately leads to a real, chosen family on the Babylon. Can you think of a time when a personal project or goal took you on an unexpected journey and led to something even more meaningful than what you originally sought?

6. Benjamin acts as a mentor to Becks even after his death, and Root provides fatherly wisdom and guidance for Yesiko. How has a mentor, whether a person you knew or an author or artist you admired from afar, influenced your path or helped you understand yourself better?

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

1. The novel portrays the fear and prejudice surrounding the early AIDS crisis, specifically through Sheila’s lies about Benjamin’s death and the funeral home’s message. How does grounding Becks’s grief in this specific historical moment shape your understanding of her family’s conflict? In what ways do you see similar patterns of stigma and misinformation playing out in response to public health issues today?

2. In a world often anxious about AI and digital life, this book offers a hopeful view of technology as a way to preserve memory, love, and even consciousness. How did this perspective challenge or affirm your own views on technology’s role in our lives and relationships?

3. What commentary does the novel’s depiction of the future in 2586, with its flooded world, trash islands, and corporate figures like Jeffrey Bowker, make about our present-day relationship with the environment and corporate power?

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

1. How do Chaya’s first-person memories and its evolving holographic face to explore what it means to be a conscious, feeling being?

2. What is the significance of the Babylon? How does its physical state and transformation from a simple vessel to a home reflect Yesiko’s character arc and the formation of her chosen family?

3. Both Becks and Yesiko retreat into isolation to cope with loss and obligation. In what ways are their journeys similar, and how do their paths toward finding community ultimately diverge?

4. How does the recurring motif of ropes and knots evolve throughout the narrative? How does it transform from a symbol of practical skill and entanglement into one of sacred connection and memory?

5. Benjamin Meir is a key character who is never present in the main 1983 timeline. What literary techniques does the author use to make his presence, personality, and love for Becks and Elijah feel so immediate and powerful throughout the story?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. How would you design one more quest for Lieutenant Solo in the game Homebound? What choices would you create to reflect Becks’s newfound understanding of hope and surviving together?

2. What story from your own life or culture would you upload to the Star Story app future generations? Which constellation would you attach it to, and why?

3. Imagine a sequel to this novel. Whose story would you want to explore further? For example, would you want to hear about Tamar’s life after saving Chaya, the adventures of the Babylon’s new crew, or the love story of Benjamin and Elijah? What would you hope to learn from this character’s perspective?