The novel imagines a near future from the viewpoint of the early 1970s when it was written. Have any of the predictions in the novel come true? Have any failed to emerge?

The author raises the ethical question of whether it is acceptable to allow some people to die if it means others might live. Is there a clear answer to this dilemma?

What role does technology play in the novel? Does the author have faith in technology?

Discuss the author's description of the mass media in relation to how it exists today.

The novel imagines a governmental system that exists primarily to control its citizens. Discuss this view of the role of government.

The author shifts styles and viewpoints throughout the novel. How does this affect the way his story unfolds?

The novel ends abruptly, with the ultimate ending implied but not described...