Optional setup · moderate
Use NotebookLM as a guided reading tool.
Setup steps
Walk in, one step at a time.
A short setup for NotebookLM. None of it is required to begin — these only change how you load the archive.
Step 01
Create a notebook
NotebookLM → Create new notebook → name it 'Island of Strangers'.
Step 02
Add the NotebookLM Pack as sources
Unzip the NotebookLM pack and upload every file as a source. Each chapter is its own source; the Charter, routes, and glossary are sources too.
Step 03
Apply the reader protocol
In your first prompt, paste the starter prompt and ask the notebook to answer only from sources and to cite source IDs for every claim.
Step 04
Use it for grounded exploration
NotebookLM excels at citation-heavy questioning. Save the dramatic, character-led routes for ChatGPT or Claude.
What to paste in
A starter prompt, and the small print.
Copy the prompt into the platform after uploading the archive pack. The notes cover what each tool does well — and where it falls short.
Starter prompt
I am reading Island of Strangers, a literary speculative series told through records. Read README_FIRST.md, READER_PROTOCOL.md, CHARTER.md, and ROUTE_GUIDE.md first. Act as the reading interface, not the author. Do not invent canon. Do not summarize the whole book at once. Guide me through the story one record at a time. Start in the Settlement Floor route for Book I. After each beat, offer me a character record (a person's view), a ledger or record to examine, or the next moment on the island.
Copy this into the platform after uploading the NotebookLM archive pack.
Notes & limits
- NotebookLM supports up to 50 sources per notebook; each source can be up to 500,000 words or 200 MB on local upload.
- The NotebookLM pack is one source per chapter, plus the Charter, routes, and a glossary — well under the limits and tuned for citation-grounded answers.
- Best for citation-heavy exploration (Mateo's Ledger, Translation Room, NEMOS Logic), not dramatic roleplay.
- Audio overviews pair well with a first, spoiler-light pass through the Settlement Floor.
Not affiliated with NotebookLM. The platform name is used only to describe an optional way to load and read the archive.
Begin
You can start the story without any of this.
These guides are only for readers who want a tool to walk them through records, ledgers, transcripts, and citations. The story works the same on any platform.