Red Planet Blues Reading Questions
Some Book Club Questions for Robert J. Sawyer’s “Red Planet Blues”
What are some of the ethical questions that would come up if the idea of transferring were to be invented?
If you had the option, would you transfer? What are some of the questions that you would ask yourself or consider before transferring?
In the novel, Dr. Rory Pickover hears that a copy of himself was made and he wants it destroyed. How would you react to finding out that a copy of you was made? What would cause your reaction?
Why do you think Robert J. Sawyer wanted to set his detective noire novel on Mars at a paleontological frontier town? Why fossils?
How does the Mars depicted in Sawyer’s Red Planet Blues compare to other depictions of Mars that you have read?
Why do you think so many people change their appearance when they transfer? Would you change your appearance?
Why is this novel so interested in the topic of identity theft? How does this relate to issues going on in the present world?
