I really enjoyed this book and, despite being heavy on the conversation and discussion of ideas, it was quite a page-turner. I found myself caring about Tom Jericho, the paleontologist at the core of the story, his life, his health, his struggles with the idea of an intelligent designer and with religion (2 very separate issues). His relationship with Hollus, the alien from Beta Hydrii III, felt genuine. I also found that nothing in the book went quite the way I expected and so I was both entertained and surprised with various developments.

Looking forward to reading more by Sawyer! ( )

One of Sawyer's more awkward attempts, but still engaging, with lots & lots of sciency ideas. I did like the aliens. I didn't like the omission of the admission that "life as we know it" is a relevant concept... sure, life as we know it can probably only evolve within a certain set of parameters, but what about life as we are not capable of imagining?

Also, our hero had so many brilliant ideas, almost all of which were immediately accepted as truth by the representatives of the other peoples. I mean, nobody else could think of, for example, the transcendence of advanced races? But even though he's dying of cancer, Tom can! Plus he's not only a great paleontologist, and husband, and dad, he's also a diplomat, administrator, and hero. Ok fine. Recommended, lukewarmly, if, like me, you've enjoyed other Sawyer stand-alones (I've not tried Hominids yet), or if you're truly interested in the theme (which is, to put it straight, what kind of proof would it take to convince a human atheist scientist that there is a Supreme Creator?).
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Second read. Interestingly dated in that there's Blockbuster but no Google, and Pluto is still a planet. Funnier than I remembered. But, given a reread of my previous review, I may just let it go (accidental purchase at a used-book store). ... Yes, I did dnf this time around, Feb 2020. ( )

DNF ( )

I read this on an airplane, and it seemed a bit familiar, but I didn't realize I had read it nearly 23 years ago! An alien ship lands on the grounds of the Ontario Science Museum and the alien asks to meet a paleontologist, who of course turns out to be our hero. It turns out this alien species, and the other one they've found, believes in a scientific god. Sawyer uses well a lot of tropes about a god of science that were around 25 years ago or more. The proof in this case involves mass extinctions that happened on all three planets around the same time, and it is shown that these were caused by this god, who is steering the universe towards intelligent life. When the novel looks like it really isn't going anywhere, it takes quite a huge dramatic turn at the end. Don't know why I didn't review it 23 years ago, but I don't write up everything I read. This was an enjoyable, and oftentimes moving and puzzling sf novel. ( )

(2000)(audio)Very good SF story about first contact with an alien race that comes in peace and reveals that they have proof that God exists and is responsible for everything that occurs in the universe. It leads a Toronto paleontologist to go on a quest to find the meaning of life and God even though he doesn't initially believe.(Amazon.com) Creationists rarely find sympathy in the ranks of science fiction authors--or fans, for that matter. And while Robert J. Sawyer doesn't exactly make peace with evangelicals on the issue, Calculating God has to be one of the more thoughtful and sympathetic SF portrayals you'll find of religion and intelligent design. But that should come as no surprise from this crafty Canadian: in the Nebula Award-winning Terminal Experiment, Sawyer speculated on what would happen if hard evidence were ever found for the human soul; in Calculating God, he turns science on its head again when earth is invaded by theists from outer space.The book starts out like the setup for some punny science fiction joke: An alien walks into a museum and asks if he can see a paleontologist. But the arachnid ET hasn't come aboard a rowboat with the Pope and Stephen Hawking (although His Holiness does request an audience later). Landing at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, the spacefarer (named Hollus) asks to compare notes on mass extinctions with resident dino-scientist Thomas Jericho. A shocked Jericho finds that not only does life exist on other planets, but that every civilization in the galaxy has experienced extinction events at precisely the same time. Armed with that disconcerting information (and a little help from a grand unifying theory), the alien informs Jericho, almost dismissively, that "the primary goal of modern science is to discover why God has behaved as he has and to determine his methods."Inventive, fast-paced, and alternately funny and touching, Calculating God sneaks in a well-researched survey of evolution science, exobiology, and philosophy amidst the banter between Hollus and Jericho. But the book also proves to be very moving and character-driven SF, as Jericho--in the face of Hollus's convincing arguments--grapples with his own bitter reasons for not believing in God. --Paul Hughes

This was the first book by RJS I've read that didn't have me saying "wow" the whole way through it. It seemed like a long way to go just to be able to posit that (a) our current definition of "god" might be too idealized and overreaching, and (b) what a creator god might be that doesn't fit in the traditional/mythological mould. If you're looking to read something by Sawyer, I would steer you to something else (like [b:Mindscan|580196|Mindscan|Robert J. Sawyer|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1312065234s/580196.jpg|567098] or [b:WWW: Wake|4418395|WWW Wake (WWW, #1)|Robert J. Sawyer|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1266718754s/4418395.jpg|4466559]). ( )

Every time I read this one I like it less, which leads to me re evaluating whether I like this guy at all. Sawyer excels at writing truly alien aliens, but whenever he delves into future sociology, (His attempts to create future slang are particularly laughable. Apparently kids will say "skytop" in 50 years instead of "awesome,") I used to refer to this book as "The intelligent intelligent design argument." The story doesn't assert Biblical literacy or anything along those lines, but creates a universe (ha!) in which a supremely powerful being has affected this planet's and two others' development for reasons that are mysterious, (and frankly, now that I've re read it and taken a biology class in the meantime, stupid.) The atheist scientists are slightly better than straw men, and the (literal) Deux ex Machina is a wee bit hard to take. ( )

I have been waiting to read this book for a long time. The concept sounded very interesting and Robert Sawyer can put together a sentence but man I didn't like this book. Started skimming about half way and then just gave up. I am going to have to go back to my old ways of letting books go early, I just really wanted to like this one.

My main problem with it was the pacing. The plot was a close second. I barely enjoyed the movie my dinner with Andre. Reading it was something I could have skipped forever. This seems to be a love it or hate it book. I didn't hate it but I also didn't find it that interesting or exciting.

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Incredibly ambitious. Really likable and yet alien aliens. Contemplates life, the universe, and everything.

The entire subplot with the fundamentalists could and should have been dropped to focus on the sudden threat that arises 80% through, which initially disgusted me.

But...I won't say it pulled off the ending perfectly, but damn it was a ballsy ending. Points for that.

Entertaining, some hard science, usually satisfying. The "human angle" re: Tom's life, career, and future was a little boring compared to the sweet, realistic friendship between Thomas and Hollus, the greatest triumph here.

I have been meaning to read Calculating God for quite some time, but never quite got around to it. I am now very glad that I finally did so. I enjoy novels which are set in real locations (most of the action in this one takes place at the Royal Ontario Museum) because you can find out more about those places online and view maps and photos while you are reading. Reactions to this novel seem to be polarized. If a reader has a prior commitment to either purely naturalistic evolution or young-earth creationism, it is unlikely that the message of the novel will go down well. However, for people who have no such commitments and can see the shortcomings of both arguments, the speculations which run throughout this work of science fiction take a fascinating middle road. Of course, this is a fictional account of visits by aliens to our planet, and it is not entirely clear where the author himself stands on some of the issues presented, but I feel that the story does no disservice to the true spirit of scientific inquiry. In a slightly weaker subplot, religious extremism is condemned, although this may just be a device used by the author to prove to readers that he has no desire to support traditional religious ideas of creationism. I feel that the story is well-written, the characterizations (even of the principal alien character) are convincing, and the fact that it addresses some of the perplexing issues related to the human condition make it a captivating read. ( )

I love that most of this book takes place in the Royal Ontario Museum, with a protagonist who shares my views on the dumbing-down of the displays over the last 40 years. The first chapters with the alien's occasional hilarious misunderstanding ("Are not all your paleontologists humans? Would they not therefore all be vertebrates?") coupled with a rather wicked sense of humour are priceless. The pace slows down somewhat during the middle chapters, with a lot of talk about the existence of God as perceived by two alien races and Tom Jericho venting about his terminal cancer diagnosis. It then picks up again and builds towards a completely bizarre denouement. Well worth reading. ( )

One of the best and most interesting " First Contact " SF novels written. ( )

This was a clever and thoughtful book about death, life, evolution, and God. The "God" referenced is not the Christian God; instead, the book tells the story of a Canadian paleontologist named Thomas Jericho who meets extraterrestrials with indisputable evidence that the world was created (and is still maintained) by a powerful and intelligent entity. Thomas, a lifelong atheist, struggles to reconcile this information with his own convictions, and with his impending cancer diagnosis. Also, there are some crazy American fundies who don't really contribute anything except making it clear that the book doesn't endorse Christianity. The book would be better if their subplot had been cut out entirely, but it's still very well-written and thought-provoking. ( )

I'm very glad I finally got around to reading this. I think I thought I might have gotten a bit tired of the whole science vs. religion debate in modern SF, so when I read the blurb, I hesitated between wanting to read more of Robert's work or having to slog through one side or another of the Evolution vs. God kerfuffle.

But, again, I'm glad! It was nothing like a slog. :) In fact, it was rather refreshing to have rational science-type aliens visit Earth and insist that God exists to all the atheists here. Funny? Yep. And the whole novel ends making the best case I've heard for keeping an open mind.

You know... kinda like using the scientific method.

Of course, this novel couldn't have worked unless the aliens brought themselves and other aliens over and gave us certain proofs that genetics kinda works the same everywhere and that only life forms of a certain size are able to manipulate fire and there's a lot of archeology going on about aliens that have since passed on, lending yet more weight of proof to the whole idea that God exists.

I can't really put that aside. The novel couldn't have worked out like this without including these rational aliens.

But within the framework that Mr. Sawyer set up, I'm VERY happy with the results of the story. It's probably my favorite out of all his works. An easy read, lovingly rational, mixing tragedy with one of the basic desires we all have: questions. Curiosity. Speculation. A desire to know Truth.

In that respect, I think this is one of those great works. Keep an open mind. It might be that everyone is a bit right. :) ( )

Really liked this book, only as a commentary of the idea if other civilizations actually existed. Despite the name (and I knew this before reading the book), it is not necessarily a spiritual book. By spiritual book, I mean this is not a Christian book, nor does it pretend to be.

To me, this is a very honest discussion about what God is from a scientific point-of-view. Even though I don't prescribe to the point-of-view taken by the book (though I am a believer in Christ), the discussion was very interesting.

Above all, RJS is one of my favorite authors, and though this won't be at the top of my RJS list, it was still a really good, interesting science-fiction read.


For me, the part I couldn't get over (and still can't get over) is making the conscious choice to leave my family. I do not think I could have made the choice the main character made at the end of the book.

However, those kinds of ethical discussions that were had because he did leave (like being alive 400 years after his wife and son were already gone) were very interesting.
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Great idea. OK execution. Author provides a defense for intelligent design theory, which interested me but could have been shorter and included criticisms of that theory. That would have made the book more compelling. Also, a couple of annoying subplots. Worth reading if you like SF with big ideas. ( )

This book addresses a complex topic, and my reaction was likewise complex. The premise is quite extraordinary: an alien lands in front of the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto and asks to speak with a paleontologist. This scientist happens to be Tom Jericho. Tom and the alien strike up an odd sort of friendship as they debate shared histories of mass extinctions on their home worlds and why that might be. It turns out, this species of alien and others agree that the complex nature of life means they are all creations of God. For an atheist like Tom, this is a difficult idea to swallow, even as he questions his own mortality as his terminal cancer worsens.

This isn't a book packed with action. It involves a lot of talk and examination. I imagine that would bore some people; I was fascinated. At only a few points did I feel the info dumps were a bit too bunch. Really, this kind of heady examination of religion through science fiction is my jam. Mary Doria Russell's The Sparrow is one of my favorite books of all time.

Where the book faltered for me in a HUGE way was a subplot involving two bumbling bad guys. (I won't go into details for the sake of spoilers). Not only were these characters tropes without a shred of nuance, but the entire plot ended up being completely irrelevant to the major events at the end of the book.

And wow, that ending delivered some major surprises and some genuine feelings, too. It's a shame that the bad taste of that unneeded subplot continued to linger. Even so, I do recommend this if you like books that address theology through science fiction. This read will stay with me--because of the good aspects, and unfortunately, the not-so-good. ( )

I tried to read this book. I think it has the distinction of the first and one of the rare books that I just could not finish because I disliked it and found it to be a waste of time. The main character came across as whiny and my impression for the story was TMI. ( )

Novela bien llevada, sorprendente y de lectura ágil. ( )

An alien ship has landed on the lawn of the Royal Ontario Museum. A creature resembling a giant spider emerges, approaches a museum guard, and asks to be taken to a paleontologist. The purpose of the alien contact is to examine Earth's geological records for evidence they hope will confirm the existence of God. Each civilization in the galaxy has experienced a mass extinction at precisely the same time. For the aliens, "the primary goal of modern science is to discover why God has behaved as he has and to determine his methods." The paleontologist assigned to work with the alien, Jericho, is a nonbeliever who is suffering from incurable lung cancer and is facing imminent death.

Much of the book consists of philosophical discussions between the alien and Jericho about God and whether He exists, but these discussions are not too heavy-handed or dense, and there is quite enough happening plot-wise to keep a casual reader happy. There's also an interesting subplot regarding the politics of museum funding. One subplot I could have done without involved two religious fundamentalists who have been bombing abortion clinics, and who are now plotting to bomb the museum's evolution exhibit. Overall, a good read if you like this genre. ( )

Enjoyable quick and light read. Kitschy ending, but overall okay. One problem I had was the contemporaneous drops the author used...won't be too long before many of the references will be totally lost to future readers. ( )

I found this book to have a brilliant premise, in that the advanced civilization that visits earth has proof of the existence of God, as opposed to the usual conventions. The alien character was usually fully developed too. It was a good book for listening. ( )

First contact: An alien walks into a museum and says, "Excuse me. I would like to see a paleontologist."

Calculating God is an introduction to the evolution vs. intelligent design debate, as Sophie's World is to philosophy.

(Creationism, on the other hand, is merely represented by a straw man that is way too easy to discard. After all, creationists believe because of incarnation–somebody has already met their God. What is the God of this story going to tell about origins?) ( )

The usual well done character driven story telling from Sawyer. Pretty good philosophical musing and thought provoking plot. ( )

Parts of this book seemed to drag a little with philosophy, but it was not at all simplistic. It is something to think about for sci-fi readers. I waver between a 4 and 5 star rating. This may not actually be fantastic, but for me it's very close. The title is really what the book is about; so be aware of that. Also be aware that it might not lead where you think it will lead. Meanwhile, there is a good story with neat characters and technology. ( )