1. In the first chapter, how does the writer use the dreams of the characters to introduce them? Is this method effective? Why or why not?

2. What qualities does Cord possess that make him especially fit to make decisions, such as the one the GUIDE computer asks him to make early in the book? What other decisions does Cord make during the course of the story?

3. Can the Lamprey be interpreted as a symbol of the Earth's harsh and corrupt government? What traits does he share with the rulers of Earth? In what ways does he try to control the behavior of Cord and the other teen-agers?

4. In Chapter Eight, Cord and Samella have a misunderstanding because Cord believes the girl is angry at him for letting the Lamprey go unchallenged. Samella retorts that "The last thing I wanted was for you to fight that...