Morgenstern says that people enter the Starless Sea—the realm of story—because they want something they’re not experiencing in the world above. Why do you read stories? What makes a good story, the kind that you never want to put down?

Morgenstern uses elements within other stories to foreshadow events in Zachary’s story. Give some examples of foreshadowing throughout The Starless Sea. What do you believe was the most powerful element of foreshadowing in this book, and why?

Consider the Innovative Storytelling discussion, in which it’s stated that people want to have agency within a larger, predetermined narrative. Do you agree? How do you think fate and free will play out in the course of life?