The Killing Collective

by Gary Starta

  Admirals’ Row at the Brooklyn Navy Yard

  ny.curbed.com/2015/6/11/9951238/revisiting-brooklyns-abandoned-admirals-row-before-its-gone

  16 Flushing Ave

  Brooklyn, NY 11201

  Admirals Row was a street lined with 19th century manor houses built in the architectural style known as “Second French Empire” at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. It was used as naval officers' housing for over a century before being abandoned in the 1970s. Once enticingly visible from the street, they were demolished to build a supermarket and parking lot in early 21st century America. Nature was increasingly unkind to those 19th century buildings. Prior to their demise, however, they remained in the same splendorous state of utter dishevelment that previously transfixed the neighborhood and lured in curious visitors. During an exploration in 2008, the houses were found to be wide open to the elements, but with interior details intact, including chandeliers, wallpaper, plasterwork, bathrooms, and kitchens. The relentless pressures of winter snow and falling trees crushed many of these features into rubble, and in 2009, heavy summer rains caused the collapse of Quarters C, the second oldest building on the row. The encircling forest rose far above the buildings, all of which had lost roofs, floors, walls, and windows. The 11 residential buildings on the Admiral's Row campus became completely overgrown by ivy and trees. The front steps of Quarters K and L were almost unrecognizable. Peeling paint, floors with holes, and crooked doorways were some of the lesser problems found inside the houses. Feral cats, birds, and other wildlife made them their home. On the buildings' upper levels, entire rooms went missing over the years, though the exteriors of the buildings remained intact. Snow, rain, and falling tree limbs caused walls and windows to cave in. Vines and soil entered the premises, blurring the boundary between interior and exterior, nature and fabrication. (Revisiting Brooklyn's Abandoned Admiral's Row Before It's Gone, Curbed New York, by Nathan Kensinger, June 11, 2015).

  New York Presbyterian Hospital

  www.nyp.org/lowermanhattan

  170 William Street

  New York, NY 10038

  (212) 312-5000

  New York-Presbyterian/Lower Manhattan Hospital is a not-for-profit, acute care, teaching hospital in New York City and is one of the few hospitals in Lower Manhattan south of Greenwich Village. It is ranked steadily among America’s best hospitals by U.S. News & World Report. (Wikipedia)

  THE KILLING COLLECTIVE – BOOK CLUB QUESTIONS

  1. New York City is a major character in the novel. How does its many sights, sounds, food, and culture affect the feelings, choices and actions made by the other character(s)? Why does the sight of autumn leaves outside his office window make Fischetti feel sad and wistful? Why do the colors of fall leaves have the opposite effect on Deeprose?

  2. Do you think Carter is the Zen master he thinks he is? Why or why not? Does prayer, meditation and the Tao of Zen help him to better understand himself and the world around him? Why/why not? Why does Carter avoid all thought and discussion of his feelings?

  3. Seacrest is a forensic scientist but she’s also a risk taker. Do you think one person could have two such opposite character traits? Do you think Seacrest does the right thing when she takes an awful personal risk? What’s the difference between Seacrest taking that kind of a risk and Deeprose doing something equally reckless?

  4. Why is Seacrest so flippant with Carter? Why does she throw acerbic witticisms and sarcasm at people? Seacrest seems to be a strong person to everyone except herself. Is she correct in feeling that she’s not strong because she needs Carter so very much and is afraid tell him so? Why do you think she’s afraid to admit how much she needs him? Is it possible to be weak and strong and the same time or do you think people must be either one or the other in all their thoughts and actions? Does she want to tell him anyway? Why?

  5. What is it about Deeprose’s personality that might allow her to deal with adversity better than the other characters? Is it naïveté, impulsiveness, or inexperience that causes her to take huge risks with her own life? Deeprose was in the military, so she’s no stranger to the importance of protocol. Why would a disciplined soldier ignore authority and make decisions that could affect not only her own life but the lives of others? Do you think the pros of her job outweigh the cons, in her own opinion? Why?

  6. Do you think Deputy Director Fischetti was a victim as well as a collaborator? Do you believe him to be guilty of knowing the truth from the very beginning and went along with his boss’ orders to protect the Bureau? Does he do the right thing by Carter because it’s the right thing to do or because he’ll do anything to save his own skin? Fischetti hints at not being able to trust the people around him. What does that mean to you? Are you more inclined to agree that he was innocent and ignorant of what went on around him until the final scenes? He clearly did not want to turn Hyzopran over to General Breen. What does that imply to you? Was he playing both sides against the middle? Did he ask Seacrest to test Hyzopran on herself because he needed to know what the drug would do prior to his investigation against strict rules of the D.O.D. or because he was ordered to by his boss?

  7. If you were Bill Fischetti, would you have:

  a. Obeyed your superior no matter what and protect him

  b. Refused to carry out his orders and risk being terminated

  c. Pretended to follow his orders but blow the whistle on him?

  Why?

  8. Should one person or any group or organization be allowed limitless money and authority to change society for the best? What if they had the money and power already? Do you think that having money and power tends to encourage disregard for other people’s values? Do you think wealthy people have the right to decide what’s best for the rest of us? Do they also have the right to become the guardians of society? Would a more fair distribution of wealth create a stimulus for the economy; destroy it if the wealthy protested government controlled business and wages by setting up shop in other countries or purposely liquidating their businesses, causing the massive collapse of our economy? Do you think having some socialized programs, like healthcare, would penalize those in the medical/healthcare profession, big pharma and big insurance and force many companies out of business causing mass layoffs? Do you think people who have little money, no job or who cannot work should not receive a benefit like this when the wealthier segment may wind up being the ones who subsidize it for them? Do you think that every citizen should have affordable, top tier, easily accessible coverage as a right, knowing that the wealthy will have to pay more while the poor will pay less for the same coverage and treatment?

  9. Do you think the wealthy, on the whole, care about their fellow man, or do you think wealthy people got where they are by ruthlessly putting their own interests above that of their fellow man? Should they feel guilty for having so much when some have so little or is that perfectly fair in a capitalist society? Protecting the environment and the climate, transitioning from fossil fuel to solar power, raising wages, and providing healthcare for all would impact profits of the one percent in a huge way. Is it all right to give the super wealthy tax breaks and rewrite laws that protect them from tax hikes that might throw millions of people out of work? Should we be grateful to them for that or might there be a better way to govern without it leading to economic disaster, a breakdown of society, and martial law which might lead to the permanent loss of freedom and democracy? If everyone cared about helping his neighbor as he would his own brother, would we all die in poverty? Does caring about others and wanting a more fair deal for them socialist, communist, or nationalist in your opinion? Could selected socialized programs be as good for the economy as the break-up of monopolies and cartels? In what ways? Many think that selfishness, greed, self-concern, brains, and ambition create wealth and are the cornerstones of capitalism - anyone is free to make a fortune or die trying. Is that what makes America great? Do you think that you deserve whatever you get out of life and that if you die in poverty it’s no one’s fault but your o
wn? Are people with extraordinary minds and talents worth more than those who are just average or worse?

  10. What was the Silver Man’s idea of a perfect society? Is there any merit in his ideas? Why or why not? What’s your idea of a perfect society? How would you go about achieving it and enforcing it? Is it OK for him to decide what a perfect society looks like if he has enough wealth and power to make it happen? Do you think that in order to get along with each other, certain drives and emotions have to be suppressed and controlled? Which ones? Do you agree or disagree that we’d all be better off without certain character traits?

  11. Are killers born or made? Is it nature, nurture, or both? Do you think our D.N.A. is solely responsible for how we think, act, and react? Could any of the killers make a possible return to society and live happy, productive lives despite their genes or home life? Why?/Why not?

  12. We never find out if either Eliza or Clara have the capacity for remorse and the will to transform themselves. What do you think their future will bring?

  13. What are the various ways you try to control or manipulate people at home or at work? Why? Does it work? Does the end ever justify the means, and if so, why, and in what ways?

  14. If it’s considered our duty to fight for our country to protect our land and way of life, is it OK to protect yourself, family, friends, and community by any means possible, up to and including committing manslaughter? Do you own a gun? If you had to use it, would you shoot to kill or to incapacitate? Do you think all of us have the capacity and the will to kill if we have to? Is that a good thing or not? Why?

  15. Many countries, including our own, have had civil wars. Consider the current social and political climate. If it was widely understood that the loss of your rights, freedoms, and the democratic process were imminent, would you join a resistance group or take part in revolution? Our country is very young and always vulnerable. Do you think that revolution or anarchy could ever happen here? What would it take for it to happen and how do you think it would come about? Do you see any signs of it happening even now?

  16. Carter, Seacrest, and Deeprose represent a trinity of mind, heart, and courage. Which traits represent which characters or are they all a combination of all three? Why? What are the other major characteristics of these three? How do those character traits help or hinder them? What happens to each of the three that causes sudden clarity and subsequent insight into their own drives, thoughts, choices, and actions? Do any of them grow and change as a result of coming to understand themselves?

  17. Why do you think Seacrest ultimately decides it’s not necessary for Carter to change for her? Has she really decided she can accept him the way he is?

  18. Are relationships a constant work in progress that both partners should commit to, or do you think relationships last longer and happier when you turn a blind eye to certain things and don’t rock the boat? Which way would you rather have it? Do you think men are capable of verbalizing and discussing their feelings, thoughts, wants, and needs? If your partner is not a great communicator, hates to talks about feelings, and is clearly troubled at times, should you let him alone or try to find a way to make him open up to you?

  19. Do you think all people are a mixture of normal and abnormal impulses? Are we all a conglomerate of good and evil, generous and stingy, etc.? Give examples. Do you know people who either try to or succeed in hiding aspects of their personality from the rest of the world so they can survive and thrive? Do they succeed? With whom? How? Why?

  20. Alison, Eliza, and Rose display vastly different impulses. Which one bases all of her behavior on what was modeled to her as a youngster?

  21. Alison was willing to do anything to be part of a community of like-minded individuals. Do you think her personality was a result of her own DNA or of an emotionally and physically abusive home-life, or both? Whether Alison was born that way or not, why was she able to rise above her habitual reactions in the end? Why does she grow? How does she accomplish it?

  22. Why was it so easy to turn the Silver Man’s audience into a mob out for blood? What was it he told them that fueled an already burning fire in their hearts and minds?

  23. Some people seem to get all the breaks in life and some never seem to get any. If you could change that aspect of society, would you? If so, what system would you use to make things fair? Should things be fairer in a capitalist society than they are in a socialist or communist society? Why or why not?

  24. If so, should we suppress the ones we deem inappropriate or deviant? Are we locked in an eternal struggle with ourselves to find a balance between our Yin and Yang? Should we be? Does Yin and Yang exist separately or is it all mixed up inside ourselves? Is there such thing as balance? Is it possible, and is it objective or subjective? What does a balance between Yin and Yang mean to you? Should we even concern ourselves with balance or embrace all our character traits? In what circumstances is it OK to express anger, fear, hate, jealousy, self-protection, extreme aggressiveness, etc.?

  25. Is the Silver Man mad or is he a genius with the ability to change humanity for the better? If he has that ability, is there any reason he shouldn’t use it to realize his dream of a better world?

  26. What are the differences between isolationism, nationalism and protectionism? Is it ever desirable for an individual or society and government as a whole to adopt those points of view? The U.S. had a strict policy of isolationism prior to World War II, and only entered the war when we were attacked by Japan and were personally threatened? Do you think we did the right thing by keeping out of it as long as possible? Why? Why not? Is it possible in today’s world to remain isolationists? Is it is our business and duty to protect and defend other countries and/or people from oppression, torture, detainment, deportation, and possible genocide? How about in our own? If not, whose business and duty is it- or is survival of the fittest a concept that still applies to an entire people?

  27. What is the contagion theory? What is the convergence theory? Do you believe they exist? Give an example of a current social or political mass movement, protest, riot, etc., for each and discuss why you think one of these theories applies to that event.

  28. How does the legend of Pygmalion and Galatea parallel the Silver Man’s dream of creating a better world? Are his motives purely personal or are they born of a desire to bring humanity into a new era of peace and prosperity? Is he insane and criminal or can his actions be justified because he caused far less violence than there would have been if another world war broke out? If you had a choice, would you rather have one world leader who had the power of life and death at his fingertips and who kept the peace by weeding out undesirable human characteristics and controlling your thoughts or would you rather live in a democracy, take your chances, and hope humanity wouldn’t wipe itself off the face of the earth?

  29. Why are these particular people attracted to the meetings at the Collective? Do you think they are there for purely social reasons, even at first? Even so, why did some choose to stay and others leave in disgust? Why do you think the Silver Man is able to reach his audience so quickly and easily? Is it his charisma and oratory style or is it that his audience is already pre-disposed to the acceptance of his ideas? What is it that excites them so much? Is it that they think his philosophy makes darn good sense to them? Is it the fact that they all feel there’s a definite way to solve their immediate economic and social climbing issues? Is it being told that there is a definite group to blame for their problems? Is it the immediate and contagious spread of communal hate and fear? Or is it that their innate desire to judge and execute is explicitly condoned and encouraged by a so-called leader being persecuted for his revolutionary beliefs?

  30. Do you think that Alison could have resisted the effects of Hyzopran? Do you think she should have known she wasn’t dreaming? Do you think it’s true that no drug or other method of mind control can work on us if we don’t want it to? Is she guilty because she didn’t resist the drug or is she an innocent victim no matter w
hat she did? Why does Carter’s team want to help her, the only one of the “unholy three” that killed more than once? Why do they believe Eliza, Clara, and Michael deserve to be where they are? Why does Carter rethink his position on Eliza’s incarceration and hope there might be help for Eliza somewhere down the line? Who do you think is the worst of the three girls? Why? The three types of people most affected by social contagion theory are those born with chemical imbalances in the brain or are mentally/developmentally disabled; those who learn to lie, cheat and steal at home, school, or through the society they keep and are either rewarded for their bad behavior go unpunished for it; and those that have been physically or emotionally abused and who might be easily influenced by those promising them what they desire most? Which type is represented by Alison? Clara? Eliza? Which category does Michael fit into?

  31. If you had to choose, would you rather know the secrets of the universe and why we’re here to live, suffer and die and what happens to us after we pass on? Or would you be satisfied not knowing as long as you had the chance to live, laugh, and love? What matters more – why we live or how we live? If you knew the former, what would you do with that information? How would knowing change anything for you? If you chose the latter, what does a full and happy life look like to you?

  32. Why does Seacrest think that she and Carter need Agent Deeprose far more than she needs them? What does Deeprose symbolize and/or represent to them?

  TO START YOUR BOOK CLUB DISCUSSION CONTACT:

  Gary Starta at: ven123star@yahoo.com.

  I will gladly discount your print copies.