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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Steel's best eightsome show?

2. Which fragment escapes the butchering of Scriber?

3. Who emerges from the cargo shell?

4. Who is wounded?

5. What makes Woodcarver feel better than she has in years?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens that Blueshell likens to a tsunami?

2. Describe Lord Steel.

3. How does Bluestalk demonstrate that he is not in thrall to the Blight?

4. About what does Twirlip of the Mists wonder and what is the Alliance for the Defense's response?

5. What do Peregrine Wickwrackrum and Scriber Jaqueramaphan observe and how do they describe the Olsndot's ship?

6. What does Ravna learn when she visits Greenstalk and Blueshell in their quarters?

7. What are the thoughts of the Power after it is left alone on Earth?

8. How do Peregrine and Scriber describe the humans?

9. Why is Scriber depressed?

10. How are Peregrine and Scriber received in the Woodcarver's Domain and what happens to Johanna when she arrives with them?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Steel admires the workmanship of the unburned coffins where the children are in suspended animation, but he recoils at the thought that the pups in suspended animation could mature and destroy his world--and that other ships might follow. Discuss the following:

1. Does Steel have legitimate concerns about the possible problems a ship from space could bring?

2. Is attacking the occupants of the ship the wisest course? What other actions might Steel have taken instead of attack? Would one of them have been more advisable?

3. How do you think Steel might have fared in the long run had he made friends with the Olnsdots rather than killing them?

4. Why does Steel leave Jefri alive? Is there any compassion at all to his decision?

Essay Topic 2

The time this novel takes place at least 5 billion years after our present time. Discuss the following:

1. Do you think technology will have advanced as far or farther than that shown in A Fire Upon the Deep?

2. Vinge sets the novel so far into the future of at least 5 billion years that it seems cultures might be incomprehensible from the present, yet much of the world of that time is still familiar enough to understand. Do you think this fact works for you as a reader? Do you think Vinge might have done better to have set the novel not so far into the future? Why or why not?

3. History seems to be cyclic; major civilizations have arisen and fallen just over the course of human recorded history, much less history before anything is recorded. Given that fact, do you think it is likely that there have been many cycles of history and civilizations in the 5 billion years between now and when A Fire upon the Deep takes place? Do you think many of these civilizations would actually seem far more incomprehensible than the universe which exists at the time of A Fire upon the Deep? Why or why not? What might one of these almost incomprehensible civilizations be like?

Essay Topic 3

Oftentimes, a book is more of a character-driven plot rather than action-driven, and oftentimes the other way. Some books seem to balance the two. Discuss the following:

1. What do you think it means to say that a plot is character-driven or action-driven?

2. How do you think a plot differs if it is character-driven versus action-driven?

3. Which type of plot do you find more interesting? Why?

4. Do you think it is possible to have a plot where action and character development share equal time? Why or why not?

5. What type of plot do you think A Fire Upon the Deep is? Explain your response.

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