Collections of short stories like Novelty offer a wide range of topics for discussion. Initially, discussion group members may wish to rank the short stories from most to least successful and talk about each in turn. What criteria determine placement in the ranking? Are any stories artistic failures?

Crowley's interests are reflected in the varying subjects that are treated in his short stories. What, for example, is Crowley's position on British colonialism in "Great Work of Time"? How is "The Nightingale Sings at Night" related to the tradition of the medieval beast fable? Assessing the differences in the stories in point of view, characterization, setting, and style should result in a number of insights.

Following the treatment of individual short stories, discussion members may find it useful to consider Novelty as a single work, looking for thematic connections between each of the stories. How does Crowley...