Whipping Star is primarily an adventure story and probably can be best approached in discussion from the direction of its adventure-story elements. For instance, note how well Herbert maintains suspense with the time-honored technique of having the main character's life in perpetual jeopardy. Does he do anything original with this? Does the high concept of stars being living beings enhance this traditional adventure story ploy? Note how Herbert also uses the time-honored technique of tying the main character's peril to a general threat to all sentient beings (in other stories, all life on earth might be in jeopardy). In Whipping Star the link between the main character's peril and that of the galaxy is less like a link and more like a smoothly woven seam, with one being inseparable from the other; this should stimulate a rooting interest in the reader for the survival of McKie...