Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.
- Science-fiction writer James Blish said that 2001 had "very little of the poetry" of the film. Do you agree that the book isn't poetic? Why or why not?
- Which do you like better, the film or the book? Why? (Obviously you need to see the film to answer this!)
- The book is structured as a series of vignettes, or scenes, rather than as a continuous narrative. Could any of these have been removed? For example, do you really need the section with Dr. Heywood Floyd? Why or why not?
- How might the book be different if Moon-Watcher were a woman? What if David Bowman were?
- The novel is split into different parts and many short chapters. What effect does this have on the reading experience? Would the book be different if there were no chapter divisions?