Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. Henry’s book combines elements of multiple genres, including speculative fiction, thriller, and philosophical novel. Which elements felt strongest to you, and how did this element impact your enjoyment of the book?

2. The novel includes a Prologue, Interlude, and Postlude. How do these sections shape your response to the overall narrative?

3. Consider Echo’s character. She is a librarian who loves books but ultimately chooses to work in a digitized library. What do you think of her choices? What flaws does she have as a protagonist, and did you feel you were able to root for her throughout your reading?

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

1. Echo isolates herself from others partly out of her fear that her synesthesia will cause others to treat her differently. Have you ever felt afraid of sharing aspects of your personality or identity for fear of being judged? How did you resolve your dilemma?

2. Despite her awareness that the People’s Library is a fundamentally flawed project that has an impact on the availability of real books and community engagement, Echo chooses to work for the People’s Library with the intention of changing it from the inside. Have you ever had to make such compromises between your values and practical considerations? Were you able to resolve the conflict?

3. When Echo interacts with the virtus and later enters virtual space, she finds that she gains some important benefits such as companionship. She later learns that the virtus are leading barren lies when not checked out, however. Has there ever been a time when you realized something you benefitted from was actually causing harm you had not considered before? How did this understanding change your behavior?

4. The world of The People’s Library is one in which AI is so woven into the fabric of daily life that is impossible to avoid. Consider your own relationship with AI/digital tools today and the impact of these tools in the world of the novel. In light of the near-future Henry creates, do you have any reservations about AI in your life or in society?

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

1. In light of increasing impacts of automation and AI on employment, there are serious discussions about universal basic income (UBI) as the answer to the challenges these innovations pose to human work. How does Henry’s dystopian take on the UBI program contribute to current discourses on the issue?

2. When given the chance, Echo fills the collection at the People’s Library with under-represented figures such as Jesse Cooper of the Golden Thirteen, Ethiopian philosopher Zera Yacob, and Indian philosopher Brahmagupta. What statement is Henry making about how the choice to include or exclude the voices of underrepresented groups impacts how we conceive of knowledge?

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

1. The Postlude is narrated by Ada, who has managed to survive Echo’s efforts to destroy her. How does her Postlude illuminate some of the novel’s key themes and ideas?

2. Examine how the novel explores the nature of human connection and loneliness. How do different characters try to connect, or fail to connect, with others? What does the novel suggest about the benefits and limitations of connection?

3. Echo becomes drawn to two male figures in the narrative, the virtu Jesse Cooper and the real-world Walter. How are the two men characterized? How are they different or similar to one another, and what is the significance of each to Echo’s arc?

4. Echo often wrestles with the problem of moral compromises as she attempts to navigate her career at the library. How does The People’s Library explore ideas about agency and moral responsibility?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. If the People’s Library actually existed, which figure would you check out and why? Or maybe you wouldn’t check out any figure. Why not?

2. Consider the relationship between humans and AI in Klara and the Sun; Artificial Condition; The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet; and Ancillary Justice. Based on where we are at the present, which of these futures looks like where we are headed? Create your own vision of what that future could look like. What do you think it will take to get there?