1. Do you find that the cognitive problem of cybernetic evolution and scientific response to it enhances or detracts from the action-driven plot of the novel?

2. Do you think that in The Invincible Lem succeeds in presenting a mystery that is genuinely alien? One that obliges you to re-examine and re-evaluate your previous ideas about space exploration?

3. At one point during his solitary search, Rohan sees his image mirrored and magnified by the Black Cloud above him. Can you explain this symbolic reflection of the human form in the inanimate Cloud?

4. Does the conceptual sophistication of the crew of the spaceship match their formidable technological means?

5. Horpach's decision to send another crew member after the missing scientists puts that man in direct danger and potentially jeopardizes the lives of the rest of the crew. Facing the same situation and the same ethical dilemma, would you make the...