What is Tome of Stars?

Tome of Stars is equal parts art, therapy journal, and exorcism, both a celebration and an elegy. As a single narrative arc tracing the birth and death of a relationship, the poems follow a timeline of passion, longing, and prolonged grief.

Cosmic imagery saturates the collection, a tribute to the beloved, who transformed the heavens into symbols of devotion, wonder, and longing. The work is a flawed attempt to chart a universe of feeling and experience through emotional and psychological labyrinths that have for decades left the author lost and bewildered.

All poetry is by Stargazer. The verse and accompanying synthetic art/music are public domain, CC0, with no restrictions on use. Nothing is monetized.

In which formats is Tome of Stars available?

Each format offers a different way to experience the work.

How can I purchase or download it?

  • You can order print editions through Lulu (only through direct link on the Books page, as putting a book on the Lulu store makes it much more expensive, especially the illustrated edition)

  • The digital / eBook (EPUB) versions are available to download directly on this website

  • Audiobook and narrated video versions are likewise available for download or through linked sources on the site (e.g., video hosted on YouTube)

  • Internet Archive: Finally, you can download everything, even the PDFs used to print the book and music/video files, on Internet Archive

Who is the author / creator?

The work is by Stargazer and combines personal, therapeutic, and artistic impulses into a poetic narrative. The author is a writer of published fiction and a practicing scientist.

Is there a release schedule / new content expected?

Overall, Tome of Stars is a one-off (if a rather large one). It is a unified, single project, born of grief, love, and a desperate need not to bury the story with a life forgotten (although it will almost certainly end up so). However, there are “side projects” related to the core work. One is Celestial Mechanics, a companion book of analysis and background information regarding the poems and events they describe (this is a big endeavor and will take some time). Another will likely be the release of a book of the fairy tale story “Through the Fire” by Mary De Morgan, a story that is important to the author because his beloved told it to him as a mirror of their relationship’s impossibility. Finally, as with the release of additional synthetic art and music with new poems to accompany “Celestial Mechanics,” there may be additional albums released, although this is still unclear (the poet has immensely enjoyed hearing poems come to life as songs in a myriad of different styles). There is little pressure beyond the poet’s own interest in creating things, as the release of Tome of Stars has brought with it very little, if not vanishing, interest.

Who is this work for?

Firstly, for those who have loved and lost on a transformational scale. The eternally grieving. Anyone drawn to poetry, music, mythic and symbolic journeys, and the blending of art and emotional exploration. It is not a conventional narrative, but an emotional, lyrical experience. And of course, like everything of feeling from the author, ultimately, it is for the beloved. As the poem Muse concludes: “The timeless end rhymes sweetly true/Before time turned, it’s always been for you.”

Permissions & usage

Can I quote or share excerpts? Can I translate or adapt the work? Everything is public domain (CC0). You can do whatever you want with it. Referencing the original work (Tome of Stars) and the author, Stargazer, is pretty awesome and propagates good vibes through the universe.

How can I contact you?

There is a Contacts page with a web-based form to fill in what you want to communicate.

In addition to providing links to download epubs and audiobooks on this site (and to purchase at cost print books), I have uploaded nearly all the files involved in this project to the Internet Archive.

Internet Archive Links

Books
Print/EPUB: https://archive.org/details/tome-of-stars-books/
Audiobooks: https://archive.org/details/tome-of-stars-audiobooks
Narrated Videos: https://archive.org/details/tome-of-stars-narrated-videos

Music
Item 1, Anthesis: https://archive.org/details/tome-of-stars-anthesis-music
Item 2, Senescence: https://archive.org/details/tome-of-stars-senescence-music
Item 3, Sporogenesis: https://archive.org/details/tome-of-stars-sporogenesis-music
Item 4, Anemochory: https://archive.org/details/tome-of-stars-anemochory-music
Item 5, Quixotosis: https://archive.org/details/tome-of-stars-quixotosis-music
Item 6, Scripture: https://archive.org/details/tome-of-stars-scripture-music
Celestial Mechanics: https://archive.org/details/tome-of-stars-celestialmechanics-music

Lyric Videos

Item 1, Anthesis: https://archive.org/details/tome-of-stars-anthesis-lyricvideo
Item 2, Senescence: https://archive.org/details/tome-of-stars-senescence-lyricvideo
Item 3, Sporogenesis: https://archive.org/details/tome-of-stars-sporogenesis-lyricvideo
Item 4, Anemochory: https://archive.org/details/tome-of-stars-anemochory-lyricvideo
Item 5, Quixotosis: https://archive.org/details/tome-of-stars-quixotosis-lyricvideo
Item 6, Scripture: https://archive.org/details/tome-of-stars-scripture-lyricvideo
Celestial Mechanics: https://archive.org/details/tome-of-stars-celestialmechanics-lyricvideo