Rating: 
Summary: Thoughtful but flawed
Review: This was a very interesting and thoughtful book marred by otherwise ham-fisted plotting and ending. The whole God issue is fascinating, but then you get saddled with this sub-plot involving Bible thumping Creationists that really detracts from things and has no real place in the book. And just when the story seems about to end on a nice human note, it suddenly veers off into a wild direction not seen since STAR TREK V. This book didn't handle it any better than the movie.On the other hand, I applaud a SF writer for tackling the "intelligent design" issue head-on and finding the guts to admit evolutionists may not have all the answers. I happen to agree with the viewpoint presented by Sawywer -- a middle ground exists between strict nuts-and-bolts Evolution and Bible-thumping Creationists. As is so often the case in life, the truth lies somewhere in the middle of a debate, and Sawyer has done a nice job presenting this. Of course, I'm also a huge UFO buff and I actually don't believe much of how Sawyer presents alien intelligence, nor his views on the purpose of the universe, but hey, he wrote a book and I didn't so I'll shut up!
Rating: 
Summary: Good, Thought-Provoking Read
Review: I'll skip the plot synopsis since so many others have included one. The "Intelligent Designer" theme that Sawyer presents and investigates is interesting and thought provoking. It's worth reading this entertaining book for this theme alone. Another reviewer commented that the ending was weak. I have to agree. I found that there was no foundation laid for the conclusion of the story, which made the ending unsatisfying. Almost like, Sawyer got the end and said to himself, "Well, my characters are here, now what?" and then composed a hasty answer.
Rating:
Summary: Well Written!
Review: The quality of the writing is excellent, and the story is fascinating. At times the book was humorous, other times it was sad. Christians may find the ending disappointing, but then, it isn't a Christian book. Although I disagree with view of the universe presented, I highly recommend this book based on the quality of of the writing and the perspective of the story itself.
Rating:
Summary: Good characters, disjointed, overdone plot
Review: As with other books I've read by Sawyer, I liked the writing in this book, and I thought the characters were interesting and believable. However, there was too much about the plot that was unbelievable. First, I thought there was just too much drama in the plot. I don't want to list everything, because that would give things away, but it was one thing after another for the characters to deal with. I also thought it was too big a coincidence that all these things happened when the aliens were around. Also, I thought there was a little too much abstract science that would occaisionally bog down the story. Another thing that bothered me was he whole concept of God. The God that the aliens believed in was really nothing like the religious figure that we are familiar with, and therefore, I doubt that the aliens would even have relaed their belief as a belief in God, rather than an advanced intelligence that is behind the creaton of our universe. Despite the problems I described above, I found the story interesting enough to keep reading, and I liked the characters. But I wouldn't recommend this book because there are many better books out there, including several by Sawyer.
Rating:
Summary: What if God isn't what we make him out to be?
Review: The existence of God is central to the theme of the novel. What if God really exists? What if he's not the omnipotent being that humans have made him out to be? What if he's all too real, and flawed, and indifferent to the individual? This is the premise that gets developed throughout the novel. Sawyer does a wonderful job of weaving science with moral issues, and yet the book doesn't pretend to have all the answers, and in fact, leaves the reader with more questions than when he/she began to read CALCULATING GOD. For science buffs, there is a ton of discussion on a variety of subjects: biology, evolution, paleontology, and cosmology, to name a few. I loved the way CALCULATING GOD was written - from the perspective of a terminally ill man, who does not believe in God but wishes he did, if only to have a way to explain what is happening to him. The characters were wonderfully created. Hollus, the alien that arrives on earth at the beginning of the novel, appealed to me from the beginning. Sawyer did a wonderful job of making him (her) a believable entity. I was a little confused by the scientific talk at times, and while reading through particular chapters, I was reminded of Plato's Dialogues (two beings speaking to each other, one trying to convince the other that issues of science, morality, or just abstract ideas are true in the way he/she sees them). Neither one of these issues is enough to take away from the fact that this is an engrossing novel. A definite must-read for science-fiction fans, especially those with a taste for moral/religious questions, and the mix of faith and scientific discovery.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting Premise, Weak Ending
Review: Calculating God was the fourth Sawyer book that I read (after Hominid & Humans and End of an Era). Sawyer is an excellent writer whose style is easily accessible and fast-paced and this book is no exception. The first 95% of the book is enjoyable reading as he explores what happens to one human whose life-time lack of faith is challenged by both cancer and the sudden appearance of two alien cultures. Sawyer does a nice job of balancing the aliens' insistence that god exists against the main character's insistence that science has no room for a deity. As the main character is exposed to more evidence, he becomes gradually more comfortable with the idea of a supreme being and also becomes more at ease with his upcoming personal demise. It was only at the end, when the main character takes a space flight with the aliens in search of a physical manifestation of god that the book began to lose my interest. At that point, the main character had begun to believe, but then made the bizarre choice to leave his wife and child in search of something that he's only just begun to believe exists? Meanwhile ensuring that his family has to mourn him prematurely. Overall, it is an interesting novel, but I recommend his other work first.
Rating: 
Summary: The Best Science Fiction
Review: The best science fiction isn't necessarily about a whiz-bang future. Rather, it extrapolates recognizably from today's world and leaves you thinking about philosophy. If you want to think about the questions of life, the universe, and everything and want a better answer than "42", Sawyer is the author for you. His hard science is great without getting all technical and geeky and there is plenty of humor interspersed with the thought-provoking subject matter. I bought 3 more Sawyer books the day I finished this one.
Rating:
Summary: Stunning, absolutely stunning.
Review: I just finished reading this work, and I must say that it has been an experience worth repeating. I have been challenged, moved, and entertained by the story that Robert Sawyer has created. As a Christian, the views on the creation vs. evolution debate have been challenging. I have to say they have influenced my thinking and strengthened my convictions. As a father and a husband, I have wept bitter tears (as I do now, even just thinking about it) at the feelings the main character must have been dealing with as he came to terms with his wife & child. As a fan of SF, I have found an author whose mastery of the craft makes him a valued addition to my library. I'm a busy fellow - a father, a husband, and a manager and as a result, every moment that I take to read for me is a precious droplet of time which I cannot reclaim...there is nothing more criminal to me than to have those droplets stolen by shoddy writing. Robert Sawyer - thank you.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Premise, Poor Execution
Review: Robert Sawyer is one of Canada's top Science Fiction writers with a long list of succesfull titles in the market. In 'Calculating God' we get one of the most promising premises of his whole opus: a well supported and scientifically oriented demonstration of the existence of a Supreme Being who was the creator of all the universe. Sawyer's best achievement in this book is his convincing explanations, all based on science facts.
Rating=2.5 Unfortunately, what could have been a classic is marred by an erratic story background and the appareance of some side issues which are not only irrelevant to the plot but which are poorly or not backed at all and are only subjectively presented (contrasting with the well supported main theme); The main case of this point is his debate on abortion, a recurrent topic of Sawyer which he insists on pouring without proper background and objectivity. Overall, I recommend this book for its fine central concept but don't expect a great story while be prepared for a somewhat rushed and cartoonish ending.
Rating:
Summary: The Aliens Arrived... and they are creationists
Review: I first judged 'calculating god' based on the free chapter in Robert Sawyer's webpage. Based on the first chapter, I got the following impressions:
First, Sawyer's prose was remarkably clear and effortless. That is a great talent, and whatever weaknesses I found in the book, Sawyer does have the ability to write stuff that is genuinely easy to read. It is obvious that Sawyer is a discipline of the Futurian, Asimovian way of writing, much like Isaac Asimov and Orson Scott Card. Second, that the writing was nonetheless clumsy. Sawyer writes lots of setnences like 'there were gasps from the small crowd that has assembled in the lobby; I tried to raise my non-existent eyebrows' (p.9). There was lots of jokes and references to pop culture, especially TV and movie SF. Generally, that was over done and not funny. Very occasionally, the jokes work, like a reference to William Shatner as 'the man with the obviously fake hair'. But those were the exceptions rather then the rule. Finally, the idea itself was very clever - suppose aliens come to Earth, and instead of being the cold, logical atheists we commonly expect from First Encounter SF, they actually believe an interventionist God. Part of the problem I have with the book was that it failed to conform to my expectations. I was expecting the author to write a SF mystery, where the hero, Paleontologist Tom Jericho, would find a naturalistic explanation for the theological explanation offered by the aliens. After all, this was SCIENCE fiction, and the triumph of logic over superstition is among the most important themes of literary SF. Based on this premise, I was willing to buy and read the novel, looking for a clever mind game. But frankly, what we get is a contradictory, unconvincing, teleological Deus Ex Machina story that isn't written well enough to justify the time you spend on it. Among the first sign of trouble was alien visitor's Hollus's discussion of the grand unified theory. In the sample chapter, Hollus is shocked to discover that the protagonist, a scientist, is an atheist. He says "I know from your television that there is much an ambivalence about God in this part of your planet, at least among the general public, but I am surprised to hear that someone in your position is not personnally convinced in the existence of the creator" But, in the discussion of the Grand Unified Theory, Hollus says that 'In the Past, most of the scientists in my workd were atheists or agnostic', and new, fictional science, convinced them otherwise. what a cope out! In the first scene, we expect a complete clash of view points, but now, Sawyer pulls a rabbit out of the hat, to explain away all problems with his theological arguments. 'New Scientific Theories' rule out two of the three best explanations for a universe without design - either that (1)it is impossible for the universe not to be fine tuned to life, or (2)that it is not improbable for the universe to be tuned to life, or (3)there are multiple universes. Sawyer spends lots of what seems like real science attacking the middle proposition, and I may grant him that he pulls a convincing, although not a conclusive case, for the invalidity of that possibility, but dismissing multiple universes and the possibility of life being a necessary feature of the universe, is a cope out. It is playing unfairly with the readers. Then again, this tendency is demonstrated throughout, in chapter 7, Sawyer discusses the game of life (pp.79-81) and COMPLETELY misses the point. I won't go into details, but the point is that again, Sawyer is inventing stuff (like the idea that the aliens have the same bases of D.N.A as we do - accepting that is pretty much the same as accepting design anyway) and not playing the game fairly. For the most part, the scientific/philosophical arguments feel like a dumbed down and twisted version of a popularization. Particularly, the discussion of the game of life and the breadth of issues dealt with bring to mind Daniel Dennett's DARWIN'S DANGEROUS IDEA, which is even mentioned in the book. Suffice to say, Dennett's discussion of many of the same themes as in this book is remarkably more concise, intelligent and articulate. Apart from the weak metaphysics, the characterisation and plot is extremely problematic. Of the two aliens encountered, Hollus is practically a human being in a rubber suit. Oh, occasionally he will not know the meaning of the work 'Supernova' or misunderstand some human gesture, but those are token things. In almost every regard, down to the sense of humor and ethics, Hollus is indistinguishable from human. the other alien, a Wreed, is more alien. But in practice, he's a human who speaks in a bizarre way. There's an interesting suggestion that wreeds have no moral problems, and can teach their morality to humans and aliens, but in two points where moral input could be used, the Wreed refuse to give them. They seem to be there only for the author to pour out his views on trivial and non contruvertial issues like killing abortion doctors (wrong) conterception (right), minor family quarrels (solvable) and abortion in case of rape (permissable). I didn't find the human characters more convincing. Tom Jericho who is called a 'Vampire Slayer' for fighting the museum evil bureaucrats. His wife and son, who adoringly reflect on the father and husband who left them earlier than he had to. Worse still are the creationists who, in the book's most unfortunate subplot, try to destroy the exhibitions in the museum. Ultimately, Calculating God is not a good book. It does raise some interesting issues, but it fails to do them justice.
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