Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. The novel opens with two parallel disasters, a plague in England and a tsunami in the Pelagic Ocean. How did this dual-catastrophe setup shape your initial expectations for the story?

2. Nation is often described as a subversion of castaway stories like Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe (1719). How did you see it challenging the typical narrative of a “civilized” European taming a “savage” island? Did it change how you think about that classic genre?

3. What was your reaction to the ending? Did you find Mau’s and Daphne’s separate paths a satisfying conclusion to their story?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Mau’s entire world is destroyed, forcing him to question the gods and traditions he’s always believed in. Have you ever gone through an experience that made you re-examine a deeply held belief or perspective? What did that process feel like for you?

2. Daphne’s journey involves shedding the restrictive identity of “Ermintrude” to become her true self. Can you think of a time when you felt like you had to break away from expectations someone else had for you to be more authentic?

3. Pilu’s stories become the myths that help unify the new Nation. Think about your own family or community. What are the key stories that get told and retold, and what do they say about your shared identity or values?

4. When refugees begin to arrive, Mau realizes that “one person is nothing. Two people are a nation” (252). Share about a time when collaboration was essential to overcoming a challenge in your own life.

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. The mutineers, especially First Mate Cox, display a brutal arrogance and racism toward the islanders. How does the novel use these characters to critique the historical mindset of colonialism? Where do you see echoes of this kind of dehumanizing worldview in society today?

2. How does knowing that Pratchett wrote Nation after his diagnosis with Alzheimer’s affect your interpretation of the tsunami as a “blank slate” event and Mau’s struggle to rebuild his world and identity from memory and reason?

3. A central theme is The Tension Between Scientific Inquiry and Religious Dogma. In what areas of our contemporary world do you see this tension playing out, and to what extent can these two forces be reconciled?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. How do the Grandfathers and the Grandmothers function as opposing forces in the novel? What might Pratchett be suggesting about different kinds of wisdom by contrasting the rigid, patriarchal voices of the male ancestors with the pragmatic, life-affirming guidance of the female ones?

2. The shipwrecked Sweet Judy becomes a source of both danger and salvation. How does the novel use the ship as a motif of The Subversion of Imperialism?

3. What makes First Mate Cox such a chilling antagonist? Does his motivation of pure, nihilistic evil make him more or less compelling for you compared to villains with more traditional goals like wealth or power?

4. Analyze the significance of papervine to the story’s themes and structure. 

5. Mau’s journey is symbolized by the little blue hermit crab, a creature without a permanent shell. In what ways does this image effectively capture his crisis of identity and his eventual creation of a new, more adaptable self?

6. Unlike many stories about the collapse of civilization, Nation presents a hopeful and humanistic vision of rebuilding. How does its optimistic approach compare to other post-apocalyptic stories you might have read or seen?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. At the end of the book, the new Nation has a coming-of-age ritual called “The Tell and the Show” that combines storytelling with scientific observation (362). If you were to create a ritual to pass on the most important values of your own community, what would it look like?

2. Imagine you’re a scientist from the Royal Society visiting the Nation 20 years after the book’s events. What kind of collaborative projects might be underway? What cultural misunderstandings or new discoveries do you think would be happening?

3. Imagine you’re tasked with writing the first clause of the formal treaty between the Nation and England. What would you write to ensure that the relationship remains a partnership of equals?