Table of Contents

- INTRODUCTION

- The Black Tide Rising Series Reader’s Group Discussion Guide

- The Under A Graveyard Sky Reader’s Group Discussion Guide

- The To Sail A Darkling Sea Reader’s Group Discussion Guide

- The Islands Of Rage And Hope Reader’s Group Discussion Guide

- The Strands Of Sorrow Reader’s Group Discussion Guide

- The Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen Reader’s Group Discussion Guide

BAEN BOOKS

READING GUIDES 2016

Copyright © 2016 by Baen Books

A Baen Book Original

Baen Publishing Enterprises

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Riverdale, NY 10471

www.baen.com

eISBN: 978-1-62579-500-7

INTRODUCTION

Many students love science fiction stories. Even students who don’t ordinarily like to read find themselves drawn to speculative fiction. We at Baen Books believe that science fiction, fantasy, and other works of speculative fiction have many advantages for inclusion in the middle and high-school curriculum. This type of fiction can foster a love of reading among students, provide the basis for writing assignments that will motivate and intrigue them, spark lively discussions, and lead students to productive explorations of questions in history, science, sociology, religion and ethics. Baen Teachers’ Guides are designed to provide instructors with resources for using Baen books as foundations for this sort of exploration.

We hope these guides will make it productive and interesting for you to include Baen titles in your curriculum. We welcome your comments on this guide and your suggestions for future guides. Let us know how we can improve the guides for classroom use as well as any other ideas you have for using Baen books in your classroom.

Copyright 2016 by Baen Books.

The Black Tide Rising Series

Reader’s Group Discussion Guide

by Rachel Mintel

Welcome to the Reader’s Group Guide for John Ringo’s Black Tide Rising series. The Black Tide Rising series, Under A Graveyard Sky, To Sail A Darkling Sea, Islands of Rage and Hope, and Strands of Sorrow, takes place during a man-made worldwide collapse caused by bioterrorism. The Smith family is prepared. They take to the Atlantic to avoid the chaos and discover other refugees, banding together to keep humanity alive. Some common themes among the series include honor, human durability and the importance of not just surviving, but living and thriving.

1. At the beginning of the novel, John Ringo states that Islands of Rage and Hope was intended to be the last novel. Do you think it could’ve stood as the last novel, or do you think Strands of Sorrow is necessary to conclude the series?

2. If you had to pick one overlying theme for the Black Tide Rising series, what would it be? Was this theme obvious from the beginning, or did it emerge throughout the four books in the series?

3. In his novels, Ringo focuses on the details and logistics of the operations. Do you like the realism this provides?

4. Decker, in the last novel, says that the dead in Arlington Cemetery are only quieted because they know the nation is protected still. A huge theme of the novel is protecting and fighting for your home. Can you identify with this theme? What other ways is this theme shown throughout the series?

5. If you had to pick one member of the Smith family to be on your side during the zombie apocalypse, which would you pick? What’s your rationale behind that decision? What are the pros and cons of Stacey, Steve, Sophia, and Faith?

6. Faith is often in “scrums.” Have you ever been in a scrum of any kind? How did you handle it?

7. If you had to assemble a team for the zombie apocalypse, what five people would you choose? What would be your base and your plan of attack?

8. What do you think about the knowledge Faith has gained about the infected? Do you have any theories of why they nest? How would you have used the knowledge she gained in combat in your own plans?

9. How do you think international relations would play out post-Plague? Do you think it would be wise for the U.S. to stay focused inward or become more involved in the international arena?

10. What do you think happened to Tom, Steve’s brother? What do you think happened to the creator of the virus? Do you have any theories behind the motive?

The Under A Graveyard Sky

Reader’s Group Discussion Guide

by Rachel Mintel

Welcome to the Reader’s Group Guide for John Ringo’s first installment in the Black Tide Rising series, Under A Graveyard Sky. The Black Tide Rising series, Under A Graveyard Sky, To Sail A Darkling Sea, Islands of Rage and Hope, and Strands of Sorrow, takes place during a man-made worldwide collapse caused by bioterrorism. The Smith family is prepared. They take to the Atlantic to avoid the chaos and discover other refugees, banding together to keep humanity alive.

1. Under A Graveyard Sky begins with John Smith receiving a coded text from his brother Tom. In your family, do you have “code words” that you use with each other? Do you have contingency plans that you’d use in an emergency?

2. All the Smith family members have unique talents that make them well equipped for the zombie apocalypse. What skills are the most useful in that kind of scenario, and what skills do you have that you could use in an emergency?

3. Tim Shull, the amateur synthetic biologist who discovered dual expression in the novel, is shocked and angered by the way his discovery is used to create the H7 virus. Do you think advancements in synthetic biology (“genetic engineering”) will do more harm than good in the world? Do you think the government should regulate something like that, and if so, how?

4. Tom and his security team have to extract the virus from infected primates in order to create the vaccine, and the only infected primates are humans—and one infected human spine and brain can create eight vaccines. Is the sacrifice of countless infected human lives worth the outcome? Even though the humans are “zombies,” they’re still alive, so do you think it counts as murder?

5. When Faith delivers mail in the bank building, she overhears all of the different rumors on why the H7 virus exists and who is behind it—even including ridiculous theories that it’s a ploy by the DOD, the Republicans, the Democrats, or even Greenpeace. Is Ringo is critiquing the “blame game” that tends to appear whenever there’s a wide-scale emergency, causing people to create rumors and general panic? What are some ways the general public can combat this?

6. Steve says a prayer during a burial at sea, and tells Faith that it “sort of shows that we’re still civilized or something.” Is it important try to and maintain civilization and order during an emergency, or does it only matter to do what it takes to survive?

7. Steve talks with Stacey about how they need to do more than survive, they need to win, and he specifically says, “I will not bow.” That kind of courage is rare but important. Are there any circumstances where you, or someone you know has demonstrated that kind of courage? What were they?

8. Steve, Sophia, and other members of the crew set up the beginnings of a working organizational government after rescuing Mike. Why do you think Steve chose this point to gather everyone and decide that some sort of constitution needed to be in place? In his shoes, would you do the same? What kind of rules and laws would you establish?

9. When Steve finds two recently widowed survivors on a boat, Gilbert and Stella, Gilbert becomes defensive when Steve mentions that Stella is pregnant, and Steve says “what happens in the compartment stays in the compartment . . . Humans adjust to the incredible. That’s what survivors do.” In these terms, what actions are excusable in these kinds of situations? What kind of actions aren’t excusable? How are the lines drawn between right and wrong in these kinds of situations?

10. While clearing the cruise ship, Faith begins using Trixie the teddy bear as a way to compartmentalize the horrors she’s being exposed to. What kind of coping mechanisms have you seen in people to handle difficult situations?

11. By the end of Under A Graveyard Sky, the Wolf Squadron has rescued 400 people in total. Do you think they’re making the right decision to work with the U.S. military? What are some potential negatives that could accompany the red tape involved with the military?

12. 1Under A Graveyard Sky tends to have the running theme of the difference between surviving and living. What kind of lessons can be taken from this, even outside of a zombie apocalypse scenario?

The To Sail A Darkling Sea

Reader’s Group Discussion Guide

by Rachel Mintel

Welcome to the Reader’s Group Guide for John Ringo’s second installment in the Black Tide Rising series, To Sail A Darkling Sea. At the beginning of this novel, the Smiths and Wolf Squadron have saved around 400 survivors, and continue to be a volunteer search and rescue organization.

1. Steve was promoted to captain in the Navy, and Sophia was promoted to acting ensign third class. Is this the right decision for the current CNO to make? While this gives Steve legal authority in his role of commodore of Wolf Squadron, it also restricts him. Are the tradeoffs worth it, or would Wolf Squadron have been better off if Steve wasn’t granted captaincy?

2. Faith and the Marines insist on holding a Marine Corps Ball. Is this a tactical decision to keep morale up? Is it worth it? Why do you think the rest of the officers agreed on holding it?

3. Faith, now a lieutenant in the Marines, is helping to head up a crew to clear parts of the land. It’s a tough adjustment for Faith to be leading rather than to be directly in the fray. Do you think she serves her role better as a leader or a clearance specialist?

4. The clearance of the cruise ship Voyage Under Stars is continually brought up, especially by Faith. While clearing zombies doesn’t bother her, finding the uninfected dead families in the rooms haunts her. Why do you think this is the hardest for her to handle? Do you think this is why Steve and the other officers put her in a leadership position?

5. In his novels, Ringo focuses on the details and logistics of the operations. Do you like the realism this provides? Is it like the lists in Homeric poetry?

6. After Faith found the shipping container full of dresses and also assaulted a Hollywood executive, Steve had to dress her down rather harshly—not as father and daughter, but a superior officer dressing down a subordinate. Was this overly harsh or completely necessary? Who do you agree with?

7. Before crossing the Atlantic, Steve wants more boats so they have a larger clearing footprint. Is this smart, or will it make it harder to organize everything? Isham manages all paperwork and organizational tasks as the chief of staff; is all the paperwork necessary? What are the merits of paperwork in this situation?

8. The opening quote of chapter 21 says that successful commanders that are facing an enemy in a position that was strong materially or naturally never attack directly. What are the merits of a direct attack versus an indirect attack?

9. The sergeant major is hell-bent on bringing some discipline to Sophia’s crew. Is this necessary? What were some possible outcomes if the sergeant major didn’t come along, as glimpsed in the clearance mission in chapter 21? As the sergeant major tells Sophia, she is technically responsible for Anarchy’s death, as his commanding officer. Do you agree?

10. Through Thomas Walker, readers are able to get an inside glimpse into the processing system Wolf Squadron uses. Does it make sense? Are there any additions you would make if you were in charge of it?

11. If Wolf Squadron rescued you, what job would you want to work in? Is it a good idea to have all new workers clean compartments before they can move up in the ranks?

12. At the end of To Sail A Darkling Sea, many of the military officers (including Sophia and Faith) receive promotions, awards, and badges before Wolf Squadron attempts to cross the Atlantic. According to Steve, this is to increase morale among the members. Why do intangible promotions, awards, and badges motivate so well?

The Islands Of Rage And Hope

Reader’s Group Discussion Guide

by Rachel Mintel

Welcome to the Reader’s Group Guide for John Ringo’s third installment in the Black Tide Rising series, Islands of Rage and Hope. In this volume, Wolf Squadron takes to the Atlantic to avoid the chaos and discovers other refugees, banding together to keep humanity alive. Wolf Squadron is about to embark on a journey to cross the Atlantic, rescuing survivors and salvaging ships as they make their way towards Guantanamo Bay in an effort to produce more of the vaccine.

1. Islands of Rage and Hope opens with Sergeant Sheila Hoag and Lieutenant Colonel Craig Hamilton dealing with the breakout of the virus at a Navy base, and Hamilton discusses how choice is a terrible thing: every choice is stress, and stress is not cumulative, it is multiplicative. Do you agree with this rather dark philosophy? Why?

2. Hoag, despite her conscience, is ordered by her gunnery sergeant to leave him and his passenger behind, and she complies, though not without suffering from survivor’s guilt. Hamilton tells Hoag, who is contemplating suicide, “In a situation of death before dishonor, eventually all you have are the dead and the dishonored.” Did Hoag make the right choice? In the end, is the phrase “death before dishonor” one that you believe in?

3. Walker tells Sophia that the most important factor in maintaining one’s sanity in a survival situation is something to hold onto, something to do and take care of and cherish. Walker had a knot record, Faith had a stuffed bear, and the two Marines they found clung to their duty and took care of their infected lieutenant. Are any of these unhealthy or healthy approaches to handling stress and sanity? Where is the line drawn between healthy and unhealthy? Do you have any habits that help you de-stress?

4. Sophia is distressed she’s being asked to make vaccines again, and the implications it carries—as Tom put it, “Seawolf the Hero started out working in a clandestine human chop shop.” How do you think the members of the squadron will react when that comes out? Will the military reaction be different from the civilian reaction? Is creating more vaccine worth the potential blowback from the squadron?

5. Hamilton tells Faith that she has the combat training of a Marine down pat, but she still needs to learn how to be an officer, and all that entails: meetings, paperwork, and more meetings. Why do you think most of the higher ups are invested in making her a true officer rather than just focusing on clearing areas, which is Faith’s most obvious talent?

6. While Faith may be the muscle, Sophia is the brains, which gives her a slight edge in being an officer, but Sophia is willing to try to help Faith through some of the logistics side of it. If you had to pick, which sister is the better officer? What are some of the strengths and weaknesses Sophia and Faith have? Do you think, if the sisters really tried to work together, they could be as formidable as their father?

7. When discussing pregnancy complications, Steve tells Tom, “no children, no future.” How do you think the baby boom is going to go? What kind of generation can be raised that doesn’t know of any pre-Plague life? What kind of complications do you foresee arising?

8. Faith, as a thirteen-year-old second lieutenant, is struggling to be commanding despite the fact that many of her Marines don’t trust her, and Hamilton’s advice is to fake it until you make it. Has there ever been a situation where you’ve done the same? Has this advice worked for you?

9. When Sophia briefs the members of the Dragon, she’s rather brusque and blunt, much to the surprise of the members, and she also says that grinding up human spines doesn’t even rank in the top 100 terrible things she’s seen. Do you think it’s bad to be that desensitized to everything, or is it necessary in this world? What are some positives and negatives about being that desensitized?

10. Steve says the ability to overcome cognitive dissonance is the definition of competence in a post-Plague world. Do you agree? Have you ever had any experience with cognitive dissonance?

11. Sophia and Faith comfort Anna after she’s been rescued, as she’s struggling with her role as the strangler in their compartment, and the sisters welcome her to the omerta, and invite her to talk to either of them when she’s ready. Do you think talking through your feelings helps at all, or do you prefer to work them out alone? What could the negative impact of bottling up feelings like that up be in the squadron or the military?

12. After the team rescues Prince Harry, some logistics of larger-scale city rescues come into play—Plan Sisyphus, which requires ten barges, covered in steel, anchored in ports, where refugees could live, safe from infected. Is this feasible? Do you think Wolf Squadron will be able to accomplish it?

13. At the end of Islands of Rage and Hope, Faith and Sophia’s team fought their way for eight hours through a hospital to get the gel necessary for the vaccine, and they successfully rescued 4000 submarine crew members and 1000 refugees from London. With this, Steve’s plan to start clearing the land with helos can start. What do you think his first target will be? How do you think his plan will play out?

The Strands Of Sorrow

Reader’s Group Discussion Guide

by Rachel Mintel

Welcome to the Reader’s Group Guide for John Ringo’s fourth and final installment in the Black Tide Rising series, Strands of Sorrow. Wolf Squadron has taken Guantanamo and found the supplies necessary to make the vaccine. With the helicopters in play, Steve is officially ready to start clearing the land. Can Wolf Squadron save human civilization, or will it vanish from the earth?

1. Sophia is now a helo pilot, in high demand considering that helos are the lynchpin of Steve’s plan to retake the land. Do you think it’s okay for a 16 year-old to be a helo pilot? Is she too young, and do you think Steve’s decision is influenced by the fact that she’s his daughter?

2. The first mission of the novel is to get Blount Island up and going as a land base. If you were there, what would your first priority be? What supplies would you be looking for, and do you generally agree with Steve’s strategy?

3. The three welcome videos for Wolf Squadron, which include Welcome to Wolf Squadron, the Cruise Liner Boarding video, and the London Research Institute video—are propaganda. Can propaganda have a useful purpose, or is it inherently negative? Do you think this propaganda specifically is useful for keeping survivors in line and giving them something to believe in?

4. Colonel Hamilton greets Lieutenant Simpson with, “Welcome to Wolf Squadron. Where better is always the enemy of good. So your good, Lieutenant, had better be very good indeed.” What do you think this means?

5. One of the submarine crewmen recalls the clearing of the Voyage Under Stars and the state of the crew as the world fell apart, and the crewman says, “You can hear the hope start.” Why is this important? Why is crew morale so important? Was the Voyage Under Stars a turning point in the series and in Wolf Squadron?

6. One of Faith and Sophia’s repeated obstacles in their military career is the problem other enlisted and NCOs have with their age and qualifications. Do you understand their viewpoint? In this situation, do you agree with the military’s call to have Faith and Sophia as officers?

7. Sanderson says one of the mottos for spec-ops is “we do a lot of things nobody should have to do because they’re things that have to be done.” Do you agree with this? Are there situations in our current world that could fit under this current motto?

8. When Faith had to count the warheads and they discovered ten missing, what first came to mind on where they would be? Were your suspicions proven correct?

9. Do you think Commodore Montana is right to now worry about the missing nukes in the post-Plague world? What kind of reaction would it merit in the pre-Plague world?

10. When Faith leaves the Marine Corps thanks to Downing, what do you think she’s going to do? Do you understand the anger from the rest of the officers, including General Brice and Commodore Montana? How would you react in that situation, if you were in Faith’s position? Do you think the punishment Downing is receiving is fair?

11. Faith and the chain of command decided to paint the tank and amtracks non-regulation as a test to gauge how former military would handle the post-Plague reality. Do you think this is a good litmus test? What other tests could be used to gauge the same thing?

12. Steve’s plan to clear the United States makes him “the biggest mass murderer in history,” according to himself. He plans to use gamma radiation to kill off massive amounts of infected. What moral implications could this have? Do you agree with his methods? What are the larger implications of his decision?

13. The decision to clear D.C. is primarily a symbolic decision. What will this mean for survivors? Do the pros outweigh the cons in this decision?

14. At the end of Strands of Sorrow, the U.S. military has just begun true clearing operations and really reinstating the government. What are the logical next steps for POTUS and the rest of the military?

The Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen

Reader’s Group Discussion Guide

by Conor Small

Welcome to the Reader’s Group Guide for Lois McMaster Bujold’s latest Vorkosigan Saga installment Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen. The series takes place in the far future where mankind can travel faster than light and has spread throughout several star systems including Barrayar, the Beta System, and Cetaganda. The Vorkosigan Saga centers, for the most part, on the Vorkosigan family and their immediate relations, so each installment almost always features some, though not all, of this cast. Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen can be read as a free-standing volume, but nevertheless features a number of the series’ best-loved characters including Vicereine Cordelia Naismith Vorkosigan, and, in a supporting role, her son Miles Vorkosigan. The novel opens on the Vicereine’s return to her planet Sergyar (one of Barrayar’s colonies) three years after her husband Viceroy Aral Vorkosigan passed away; her longtime friend and ally Oliver Jole, now Admiral of Sergyar Fleet, meets and welcomes her home.

1. In the series’ previous installments, Jole was Aral Vorkosigan’s aide-de-camp and only a very minor character. Miles, and by extension readers, saw him in passing and knew little about him. Do you like his shift to a lead character in Gentleman Jole? Did your opinion of him change from that of previous books? Do his recollections and details of past events add to the story?

2. In the first chapter of Gentleman Jole, Cordelia reveals to the admiral that she and Aral had frozen sperm and egg samples for safekeeping years ago, just in case either spouse passed away suddenly. Now, as she heals from the loss of Aral, Cordelia has decided to utilize those genetic materials with the advanced in vitro biotechnology on Sergyar to have more children (specifically daughters) and to retire from her role as Vicereine. Why did Cordelia wait to have more children? And how will this decision affect the rest of the Vorkosigan family? Have you ever lost a close relative in your own family? How did people react? Does that reflect Cordelia’s decision?

3. Jole and Cordelia also reveal to readers that Aral and Jole had an intimate relationship in the past, one that Cordelia became part of when Jole came to Sergyar as admiral. So, after sharing her own decisions, she surprises the admiral with more news: along with her eggs are “enucleated ova” (14), leftover genetic material that, although it carries her DNA, can be used for another same-sex couple’s offspring. Along with Sergyar’s biotechnology, Aral and Jole can use the ova to, in effect, have children. What opportunities then open up to Jole? Seeing as he’s never had much of a personal life outside the structured Barrayaran military, why might he hesitate to pursue them? What would a life outside the military look like for him?

4. This story, Bujold said on a Baen podcast, is not an action or adventure story like many of the previous Vorkosigan books. Instead, it is a “biology-based story.” With that in mind, Cordelia is 76 years old and Jole is nearly 50, so both are at the midpoint in their lives (Cordelia having an extended lifetime because of her Betan genetics). They now have opportunities to retire from the military and to start different kinds of lifestyles. With that kind of mature conflict replacing the blaster battles and villains of previous books, what genre would you say Gentleman Jole is? Is it a different kind of Vorkosigan book altogether? What would you do in the face of such opportunities?

5. After catching up with Jole, Cordelia and the admiral spend increasing amounts of time together and, on a weekend sailing trip, begin a romantic relationship. Complications ensue, including a disagreement about the publicity of their relationship: Jole wants to stay discreet, while Cordelia scoffs and carries on without subterfuge. Considering both their Imperial roles and Barrayaran pasts, which lover seems wiser? Miles does not know about his father and Jole’s romantic involvement; should they enlighten him? If you were in Miles’s position, how would you react?

6. Many supporting characters are younger, with huge ambitions and careers that are just starting: Lieutenant Kaya Vorinnis, the Cetagandan cultural attaché Mikos ghem Soren, Cordelia’s press officer Blaise Gatti, and even citizens of Sergyar’s capital Kareenburg. All have doubtlessly grown up hearing stories about Aral, Cordelia, and Miles Vorkosigan. Jole as well, given his proximity as Aral’s aide-de-camp and close ties to the family, is treated with the same reverence as those three. How do these leaders affect the up-and-comers? Why might some decisions, like Jole and Cordelia’s relationship or their efforts for children, astonish or outrage those younger generations? Do you have a mentor figure? Have they ever made decisions that seemed difficult and/or unsavory?

7. The title of the novel refers to Admiral Jole’s and Vicereine Vorkosigan’s nicknames: Jole’s for his prole background and apparent lack of private life, Cordelia’s for her political reputation, as an allusion to the Alice in Wonderland character who famously decapitated her enemies, the color of her hair, and a nod to biologist Matt Ridley’s theory of The Red Queen (regarding evolution and sex). These monikers carry associations about each character’s history and temperament, and make them seem larger-than-life. How do these titles fit in with the book’s other patterns and features? Are the nicknames fitting or accurate? Do they reflect your opinion about both characters? Have you ever been given a nickname? Was it fitting or unfair? Did it tell you something about how people thought of you?