Your Book Club

Suggested Book Club Questions

The author encourages you to consider the following questions for your book club discussion. If you would like to share reactions, questions, or schedule a discussion with the author, please use the contact form. Joel would be happy to hear from you!

1. Several chapter titles include the phrase in what used to be Ohio. Yet that setting is never developed in the story. What was the author's intent?
2. Why do you think the author used such obvious naming conventions for Thelites (The Elites) and the Best Society?
3. Why do you think the author used the tagline The cosmos doesn't need a language on the cover? Does it add or detract from your interpretation of the story?
4. The author never narrates from Mark's point of view. Can you characterize Mark? Is he believable?
5. Julianna allows herself to be used by Mark. Doesn't she seem too smart for this? What does this say about Julianna and the society they live in?
6. Can you characterize Tim and Ashley? What do you think happened to Ashley?
7. What role do spirits play in Thelite culture?
8. Does the optimum allocation model work well? Why or why not?
9. What do you think Thelites do with all their time? Do you think they are happy?
10. Based on the story, is the author skeptical about Thelite scientists? Why or why not?
11. To develop his prole characters, the author narrates from many different points of view. Is this effective? How well do you know the characters as a result?
12. What is Kelly's relationship with the Brunson's? How does it change during the story? What can you conclude about their life's experience?
13. Kelly joins up with a group of former foundry workers. Can you characterize them? What can you conclude about their life's experience?
14. What can you describe about the historic relationship between the Brunson and Sanderson families? How does this matter to the story?
15. Can you characterize Meghan and Abby's family? What happens to them?
16. Meghan's attitude toward Thelites changes dramatically. Why? Is the degree of her change believable? Is she justified?
17. Chapter 29 is the only chapter written from David's point of view. How well do you know David after this chapter? Is David a rebel? Did David love his brother? Does he love Julianna? What is he feeling as the chapter ends?
18. The author never narrates from Delores' point of view. Can you characterize her? What role does she play in the story?
19. How is the difference in the up-bringing of Chad and Keaton relevant to the story?
20. Do proles share a common perspective on life? Do Thelites?
21. How could the Best Society have come to exist? How does the story relate to its progenitor, 1984?
22. Chapters 22 and 30 describe dream experiences relating Julianna's journey to understanding truth. Can you describe what she learned?
23. Have you ever had dreams that you thought were more than dreams? If so, did the dream descriptions in Proles resonate with you? If not, how did you react to the dream descriptions?

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