Arthur C. Clarke once said that "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." Technology plays an important part in driving the story, and it affects many situations and characters. The technology that Kin and the others possess is miraculous to the inhabitants of the flat planet. In turn, the technology that runs the planet is miraculous to Kin and the others.

Part 1) Explain the significance of Clarke's quotation about technology to this story. Does the author seem to be aware of this concept? How does that awareness affect the setting?

Part 2) In what major ways does technology play a role in the story? How would these elements of the story be impossible without this highly advanced technology?

Part 3) How does the technology that Kin and the others possess appear to the inhabitants of the flat planet, and how do they react to it?

Part 4) How does the technology that runs the flat planet appear to Kin and the others? How do they react to it, and how does it affect them?

Essay Topic 2

The computers of the creators of the flat planet are the only items left behind. They manage and maintain the planet as best they can without the help of a Disc Master. Once their nature is revealed at the end of the book, it is apparent that they have been influencing the characters since they arrived.

Part 1) Explain what the computers are, why the were created, and what function they serve.

Part 2) What are the computers' capabilities, and what can they not do?

Part 3) How could the computers have influenced and directed Kin and the others since the time of their arrival. Cite specific examples from the book and explain how the computers could have manipulated these events in each case.

Essay Topic 3

The raven is a large unknown in the novel. Its nature is never fully explained. It is certainly not a normal raven, since it can burn through a metal cage, appear to be intelligent, and can keep up with Kin and the others as they fly across the flat planet. It could easily have been built by the creators of the flat planet, since it is not obviously more advanced than other robotic constructions that the explorers discover on the planet. However, it was given as a "gift" to Jago on the distant Kung, making its origins mysterious.

Part 1) What is known about the raven? How does it join the group, and what are its apparent motives? What are its known or probable capabilities?

Part 2) Explore the mission of the raven. At the end of the novel, was that mission a failure or a success?

Part 3) Speculate as to what group created the raven, and why.

Part 4) How is the raven connected to Kin and the others, and what will its creators do with it now?

(see the answer keys)

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