SF Bookclub

  For September and October, we're reading Elizabeth Moon's Remnant Population .  I'm enjoying the story, but I couldn't think of questions to ask, so I let the AI, Claude, write questions for me.  I did adapt/correct some of the questions to be more accurate to the text. Here are some book club questions tailored to this specific book: Character: How does Ofelia's character evolve throughout the story? What drives her changes? What do you think about Ofelia's decision to stay behind when the colony leaves? Was it selfish or brave? Themes: How does the book explore themes of aging, independence, and self-discovery? What commentary does the novel offer on colonialism and its impact on indigenous species? Alien encounters: How does Moon portray the indigenous population? What makes their society unique? How does the communication barrier between Ofelia and the indigenes  affect the story? Society and culture: Compare the human colony's culture with that of...

The Mercy of Gods by James S. A. Corey is another winner from the authors who brought us _The Expanse_ series. Dafyd Alkhor is an indifferent scientist, but a skilled politician. He's worked his way into a research group whose work is so important that other groups are trying to steal it (and the credit). Then, the unthinkable happens. (Spoilers ahead). Humans are invaded by aliens more stronger and more powerful than they are, the Carryx. They Carryx pit humanity against other sentient beings in a battle for survival, but they objective that they are given is not the true objective. Dafyd has to use all his political acumen to suss out how to help humanity survive, I loved the Expanse series, and although this story is completely different, it still has the action and intrigue. I couldn't put this down!