Arrival: Book Club Discussion Questions.
1. Was the world building consistent and
credible for the two cultures, the
future world of the Iskanders and the 17th
century world of the Gaians?
2. Did the characters fit into their
roles...the future characters for the
advanced culture, and the Gaian
characters for theirs?
3. Were the 17th century
characters merely dummies or were they
smart within the limitations of their
culture?
4. The major character, Gisel, is
somewhat exaggerated but does she act
consistently and credibly in her role?
5. Were the settings and social
structures consistent and applicable for
the cultures? Did you find the impact of
technology on the 17th
century world overplayed or underplayed?
6. Was there character development in
the story, or were characters unchanged
by their experiences? Arrival has been
described as Gisel Matah’s coming of age
story...do you agree?
7. Does the story tell you anything
about the author’s attitude to cultures,
technologies, and histories? Were there
aspects of Gaian history that were
commensurate with ours?
8. What was unique about the setting
of the book and how did it enhance or
take away from the story? Did you
connect any of the alternate world
geography to that of our Earth?
