Calculating God

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Calculating God
OCLC
300926060

Calculating God is a 2000

Canadian writer Robert J. Sawyer. It takes place in the present day and describes the arrival on Earth of sentient aliens. The bulk of the novel covers the many discussions and arguments on this topic, as well as about the nature of belief, religion, and science. Several planetary civilizations illustrate the logical conclusion of the Fermi paradox
.

Calculating God received nominations for both the Hugo and John W. Campbell Memorial Awards in 2001.[1]

Plot summary

Thomas Jericho, a

atheist
who provides a balance to the philosophical discussion regarding the existence of gods.

At the end, the star

sterilize the stellar neighborhood. This was presumably done in order to protect the virtual reality
machinery which now housed all of their planet's personalities. According to a theory of Thomas's, several worlds exist where the inhabitants uploaded themselves into machines instead of exploring the nature of the universe and gods.

Although the supernova explosion occurred over 400 years before the events of the novel, the radiation is first reaching Earth at the present time due to its distance from Earth. However, the alien ship's advanced telescope in orbit then sees a large black entity emerge from space itself and cover the exploding star. This is final proof that a controlling intelligence is guiding and preserving some life-forms in the universe.

In the final chapter, the scientist, who is dying of

fusion of genetic
materials from human and alien sources produces a new life form that the aliens conjecture will create the next cycles of the universe.

Controversy

Barry F. Seidman from Skeptical Inquirer accused Sawyer of having a religious anti-science agenda and promoting it with Calculating God and The Terminal Experiment.[2] Seidman pointed out that the novel uses thoroughly refuted creationist arguments, such as irreducible complexity, fine-tuning, and evolution being "just a theory." He also condemned the suggestion therein that Carl Sagan and Stephen Jay Gould were secretly theists.

However, Sawyer addressed Skeptical Inquirer twice, explaining that Seidman had seriously misrepresented his work.[3][4][5] Crucially, Seidman's review left out that the only two villains in the novel are terrorists who bomb Thomas's museum compelled by their radical creationist beliefs. In addition, the last name of one of them is "Falsey", symbolizing the falsehood of their views.[4]

In fact, Seidman cited sentences from theist characters as if they reflected the novel's general stance on God, and in turn the author's.[4] Previously, Sawyer clarified that he disagreed with the arguments for theism expressed in the novel. For example, to give weight to the designer argument for fine-tuning, the novel portrays the multiverse hypothesis as implausible according to the aliens' research, while in reality Sawyer did not believe it to be so.[6]

Sawyer also accused Seidman of repeatedly sending unsolicited emails to him.[4] Further, he also opined that the skeptical community debunking his science-fiction novel was as ridiculous as Christian fundamentalists attacking the Harry Potter franchise.[5]

References

  1. ^ "2001 Award Winners & Nominees". Worlds Without End. Retrieved 19 September 2009.
  2. ^ Seidman, Barry F. (March–April 2002). "Using Science Fiction to Promote Creationism" (PDF). Skeptical Inquirer. Vol. 26, no. 2. pp. 53–54. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  3. ^ "Robert J. Sawyer". celebatheists.com. 7 January 2008. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d Sawyer, Robert J. (9 March 2002). "Rebuttal to The Skeptical Inquirer's Review of Calculating God". sfwriter.com. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  5. ^ a b Sawyer, Robert J. (6 December 2002). "Another Rebuttal to The Skeptical Inquirer's Review of Calculating God". sfwriter.com. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  6. ^ Sawyer, Robert J. (2002). "Science and God". sfwriter.com. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  • Cassada, Jackie. "Calculating God (Book review)." Library Journal 125.7 (15 Apr. 2000): 126.
  • Elmore, Jonathan. Fiction and the Sixth Mass Extinction: Narrative in an Era of Loss. Chapter 8. (Google Books).
  • Flynn, Tom. "SCIENCE FICTION GOES ANTHROPIC." Free Inquiry 22.1 (Winter2001/2002 2001): 62.
  • "Forecasts: Fiction." Publishers Weekly 247.12 (20 Mar. 2000): 75.
  • Johnson, Roberta. "Adult Books: FICTION." Booklist 96.16 (15 Apr. 2000): 1534.

See also

External links

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