Learning the World

by Ken MacLeod

A great sunliner is nearing the end of a four-hundred-year journey. A ship-born generation is tense with expectation for the new system that is to be their home. Expecting to find nothing more complex than bacteria and algae, the detection of electronic signals from one of the planets comes as a shock.

More by Ken MacLeod

Cosmonaut KeepKen MacLeod
Star FractionKen MacLeod
NEWTON'S WAKE: A SPACE OPERAKen MacLeod
The Cassini DivisionKen MacLeod
Dark LightKen MacLeod
The night sessionsKen MacLeod
IntrusionKen MacLeod
The corporation warsKen MacLeod
The restoration gameKen MacLeod
Engine City (The Engines of Light, Book 3)Ken MacLeod
Execution ChannelKen MacLeod
The engines of lightKen MacLeod

Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?