The Host By Stephenie Meyer Discussed December 2009 Buy The Host from Amazon.com Buy The Host from Lambda Rising

Characters

• Wanderer/Wanda
• Melanie "Mel" Stryder
• Ian O'Shea
• Kyle O'Shea
• Jared Howe
• Jamie Stryder
• Uncle Jeb
• Doc
• The Seeker
• Magnolia "Maggie"
• Sharon

Discussion Questions

1. How did you feel about Wanda/Wanderer? Could you identify with her?
2. Was Wanda/Wanderer a strong woman? Could she be seen as an anti-feminist figure?
3. Meyer has stated that body-image is a major theme of the book. Do we see that in the text? If so, where and how effectively?
4. Wanda/Wanderer’s use of pronouns was particularly interesting to me – when she said “I,” when she said “we,” and when she said “they.” What did you make of this?
5. How did you feel about the relationship between Melanie and Wanda/Wanderer?
6. Team Ian, Team Jared or other?
7. Did anyone have strong feelings about the other worlds that the Wanderer had visited – the fire world, the singing world, et cetera?
8. Jack Finney’s 1955 novel, The Body Snatchers, and the subsequent 1956 film adaptation, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, were much referenced in the book. Where did we see those themes here? (Incidentally, there was also 1978 film remake.)
9. Are there other aliens in science fiction history that were also called to mind by the Souls like the Trill from Star Trek.
10. Did Meyer do anything new or interesting with the long-standing science fiction tropes she employs?
11. Did you see the Seeker-related big reveal coming? Did it interest you?
12. Were you at all interested in the title?
13. For anyone who has read Stephenie Meyer’s other work, The Twilight Saga, how did you think it compared thematically and in terms of quality?
14. Does anyone have an LGBT or Queer angle on this book?
15. If you were to undertake a work of fanfiction using this novel as a point of departure, what would you do?
16. Did you like the book?
17. The Host is meant to be the first book in a trilogy. Would you read the other three?
18. The Host is being adapted to film by Andrew M. Niccol, who will write the script and direct. His past work includes Gattaca (1997), The Truman Show (1998), and S1m0ne (2002). Will you see it?