A review by rick_k
Calculating God by Robert J. Sawyer

3.0

Calculating God was a bit of a roller coaster for me intellectually but ultimately I enjoyed it. It is a science fiction story where the conceit is the proof of intelligent design and a creator of the universe. The majority of the book I was annoyed with Robert J. Sawyer because his alien scientists did not submit actual evidence; describing an experiment or finding which revealed the existence of a god. Relying on circumstantial evidence undermined the weight of the alien credibility and lessened the sociological and cosmological impact. I am an unapologetic non-theist but welcomed the conjecture within this framework but was left mostly incredulous. I think it is important to note that late in this book there is potential direct evidence integrated into the narrative which grounds the discussion and salvages the purpose of this book. There is a good amount of solid science incorporated including detailed exobiology which is always fun to think about, but ultimately the structure of the book and quality of the dialog and writing kept this from being a favorite. It is however a worthwhile read and a unique specimen in the genre of science fiction.