Death's End

How does Yun Tianming’s fable translate into Cheng Xin’s world? Why does he choose to tell a story about a political struggle? How does its imagery replicate or subvert expectations about meaning?

What kinds of responsibility do different characters feel toward Earth? How do they cope with the burdens that this duty imposes?

The novel highlights The Fragility and Resiliency of Humanity. How do the crises Earth faces reveal both of these qualities in people? Is it fair to generalize about human behavior by describing the actions of large groups in collective terms the way the novel does? Why or why not?

How does Singer’s chapter connect with the rest of the novel? Compare its tone, implications, and structure to the main narrative. Why does Liu choose to include a chapter from the point of view of an alien character who never interacts with the novel’s other characters?

At times it seems like Earth and Trisolaris can coexist. What prevents these two civilizations from cooperating and why?

Consider the structural role of the “Excerpts from a Past Outside of Time” chapters. How do they function in the novel?

Which science fiction tropes does the novel rely on? How does it complicate or subvert genre expectations?

Luo Ji is condemned for destroying a star system to prove the dark forest theory. Does the knowledge of the universe that Guan Yifan and Singer provide absolve Luo Ji of the charge? Why or why not?