1. If you had been in Leo’s shoes, would you have gone ahead and created Ned? Do you think it was a mistake?

2. Did Muir betray his principles in going to work for Leo? What should he have done when he learned that Leo had de-extincted a Neanderthal?

3. Have you known women stuck in a marriage with a severely narcissistic man? Polly is obviously smart, but she stuck with him for a long time. Why?

4. Do you think Leo ever really changed? Did he genuinely regret how he treated Polly? Do you think he really loved Ned, or – as a narcissist – only loved the part of Ned that was himself?

5. If you were offered one of the longevity treatments that Leo was using, would you take it? Were you aware that these sorts of treatments existed?

6. If you were told that your fetus had a mutation that would cause a terrible disease, but that it could be cured through editing his DNA to remove the mutation, would you have it done? What if the mutation would just make her unusually short? What if the fetus was normal and healthy, but you were offered an edit that could make the child exceptionally smart? Where would you draw the line?

7. Were you aware that de-extinction had already occurred (with a type of mountain goat)? If not, why do you think that you hadn’t heard about something so extraordinary? On balance, does our ability to bring back extinct species worry you, or do you find it positive and exciting?

8. What do you think about Ned’s conclusion that humans defeated Neanderthals because of humanity’s skill at lies and deception?

9. How does it change your view of humanity to know that the earth once hosted several other species that were intelligent? How might our world be different today if we shared the planet with another intelligent species? What if that species lacked the gene that allows deception and also possessed extraordinary empathy?

10. What do you make of the fact that humans and Neanderthals interbred? How do you feel about having DNA from another species in your own genome?

11. What do you think will happen next, following the end of the book? What does fate hold in store for Ned, Lilith and their child?