1. Niven says about "The Hole Man," "Out of five Hugo Awards, this is the only one that surprised me." Why would the story be a surprising award winner?

2. What qualities does "The Hole Man" have that would make it a story that people would especially treasure?

3. Childrey relentlessly ridicules Lear, until he learns the hard way that Lear is right about the black hole. Does his grisly end seemed justified? Is it satisfying?

4. The narrator of "The Hole Man" says that "individually, each of us was the best possible man." Is that true? Was Childrey truly the best captain possi ble? What does the narrator mean by adding, "It was a damn shame"?

5. "One day Mars will be gone," begins "The Hole Man." Why begin with this sentence, standing out starkly, all by itself? What would be its intended effect?

6. Is Childrey a good...