Tildes Book Club discussion - August 2026 - Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki
This is the eighth Tildes Book Club Discussion for 2026 and the twenty-eighth overall. We are discussing Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki. At the end of September we will discuss Dr. No by Ian Fleming.
I don't have a particular format in mind for this discussion, but I will post some prompts and questions as comments to get things started. You're not obligated to respond to them or vote on them though. So feel free to make your own top-level comment for whatever you wish to discuss, questions you have of others, or even just to post a review of the book you have written yourself.
For latecomers, don't worry if you didn't read the book in time for this Discussion topic. You can always join in once you finish it. Tildes Activity sort, and "Collapse old comments" feature should keep the topic going for as long as people are still replying.
And for anyone uninterested in this topic please use the Ignore Topic feature on this so it doesn't keep popping up in your Activity sort, since it's likely to keep doing that while I set this discussion up, and once people start joining in.
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Bartók's violin sonata for anyone curious.
Edit: Added timestamps
00:23 Tempo di ciaccona
09:30 Fuga
13:51 Melodia
20:02 Presto
thanks for linking this! it didn't occur to me to listen to it when I read the book (a couple years ago) and I'm glad to hear it now
What did you feel this book had to say on the relationship between art and pain, and how does that compare to your own thoughts?
I think the book does a wonderful job of summing it up with the line:
Her pain is part of who she is and that comes through in her music, but I think it's important to note that it's not the only part of who she is. The things that bring her joy and hope are just as much a part of her, and her music (such as the Nethertale soundtrack), and these are the things that Shizuka was drawn to as much as anything else.
I think pain can help inspire art, but without hope, who would make it?
I've heard that the more folks experience - including bad things - the better their art. There are examples of this, but I don't know that counterexamples would exist because it's less interesting to hear about someone who loved a typical life and then died happy than it is to hear about someone cutting off their ear or locking themselves in a room for years.
I do know that once a musician reaches a certain level of technical skill the next step is to put emotion into their music. A lot of violin players grow up privileged, so I wonder if part of the motivation for the author to make her so very good was that her background was so different and she had experienced so much more than her typical counterparts. I imagine there's also a difference between practicing because of parental pressure or a drive to be famous than there is to practice because the music is the only good thing in your life.
I read this book a few years ago for my IRL book club and didn't re-read it for this one.
I remember almost nothing about the details of the book, but I do remember how the book made me feel: warm, like we were sharing a hug.
I remember that it was the kind of book where, if you attempt to explain it without reading it, it sounds absurd, but the author did a really good job of writing everything so it made in-universe sense while also humanizing its out-there elements to the point that they resonated strongly with the reader.
Our book club tends to be highly critical of everything that we read, but we really liked this one. I wish I could say more about it, but my memory of it is no longer intact, and even reading the comments here simply has me feel as if I'm discovering those elements for the first time rather than refreshing my understanding.
The good side of this is that it means that, if I ever do pick the book back up, I'll be able to experience it mostly fresh again!
Also, thanks ICN for hosting the remainder of our Book Club!
What books would you recommend to anyone who enjoyed this one?
Something that's been bugging me a little: I read Nethertale as an Undertale reference, but what does Axxiom map to, if anything?
I can't find anything specific other than maybe it is referencing Lindsey Ellis's Axiom's End. May have just been an Undertale nod not a set of references.
From my vague memories of that book, I don't think it fits. I think you're right that it's not a set of references.
Yeah it was the only thing around the time frame that I could find with the name. And idk that any game sounds quite right
(Will add my thoughts to other questions later!)
This book deals with some heavy topics. Checking in, how's everyone doing?
I really appreciated how the story acknowledges those topics, and the real hardships that the protagonist has been through, but doesn’t let the past events dominate the story. Katrina does show symptoms of her trauma, and that evoked sadness and shock for me. Still, she shows strength by not dwelling on that trauma as she moves forward. It’s a healthy relationship to have with a difficult past.
What's a small thing you liked about this book (A turn of phrase, a minor character beat, a worldbuilding detail, etc.)?
I'm not sure that "liked" is the right word, but this line stood out to me:
There's a sort of dark humor to the delivery that I appreciate, but it's also an interesting moment from a character perspective. Katrina is so outwardly apologetic for her existence (even when her internal monologue isn't), that seeing her become violent is a bit of a shock. I think it makes sense though; Violence is a language with which she is familiar, even though it's as a victim.
It's also telling that she bore all of the horrible things Evan (and Skylar) had done to her until this point, but it was the theft of her violin that pushed her to react. Katrina is used to being a victim and has learned to survive it, but she refuses to let anything happen to Aubergine without fighting back. To me that reads as though she values Aubergine more than her own well being, especially at that point in the story.
What did you expect from the book? Did the story surprise you?
I knew nothing of this book walking in, so the aliens were quite a surprise. I read a lot of science fiction, but I didn't think I've read any other book with such varying themes, the author did a fantastic job melding them all together.
I second this. I came in with nothing but the title and cover, so it was surprising as the sci-fi and religious and music elements were all so heavily part of the story. I enjoyed listening to it, and I appreciated working through the experiences of the characters, which gave me some new/fleshed out perspectives.
If you've read this before, what's something that stood out to you on a repeat reading? Has your relationship with the book changed?
Music repeatedly is used to communicate or call up memories. What's a song you feel communicates an idea or emotion better than words can, or that takes you back to a specific moment in time?
I find that, when discussion arises about marginalized groups in spaces that are not their own, it can be common for them to be reduced down to the harms they face. But people are more than the injustices they've endured; It's important to have space for the joy as well as the pain. A large part of Katrina's journey in this book is learning to love herself. If you're comfortable sharing, what's a moment you gained self-acceptance, or felt euphoria for being yourself?