Killer Earth is a psychological science fiction novel that explores the failure of a planned utopian society when faced with trauma, moral temptations from the past, and the burden of inherited guilt.
The mission’s goal was to start a society where people had “more knowledge and understanding of life and science” and would “come to mutual decisions, so it is good for everyone”. In what ways does this mission fail immediately upon landing?
Jenny admits that the new society is not a democracy and that she is the leader. Do you believe her authoritarian style, even if motivated by preserving the mission, is inherently part of the failure?
The young crew members were put into suspended animation between six months and three years old and taught about life through recordings. Do they possess “knowledge and understanding,” or merely programming? How does this affect their free will?
Jeremiah calculates the trip took over 1,500 years. How does the immense time frame and the loss of the original planet affect the survivors’ sense of identity and connection to their past?
The discovery of the rusted metal boxes containing magazines and movies is the turning point. Why do these “relics” have such a destructive and immediate impact on Collin and the others?
How does this enforced biological or emotional change make the discovery of the sexual magazines particularly destabilizing?
The new planet is named Thrae, an approximate spelling of Earth backward. How effective is this symbolic act in truly divorcing the new society from the past?
Collin’s guilt manifests as a physical limp. What is the source of this guilt? Is it the loss of life in the crash, the failure of the mission, or a more personal, untold transgression?
Why does Collin feel the need for external judgment and punishment?
The final image of Collin in the desert is unsettling. What does the doll symbolize about his broken relationship with intimacy, connection, and the sexual corruption introduced by the magazines?
