Status
Call number
Publication
Description
Robot believers at the far end of the galaxy endeavor to create a true religion, but their efforts could be shattered by a shocking revelation Far in the future, on the remote planet End of Nothing, sentient robots are engaged in a remarkable enterprise. They call their project Vatican-17: an endeavor to create a truly universal religion presided over by a pope, whose extreme godliness and infallible artificial intelligence are fed by telepathic human Listeners who psychically delve into the mysteries of the universe. But the great and holy mission could be compromised by one shocking revelation that threatens to inspire serious crises of faith among the spiritual, truth-seeking robotic acolytes while tearing them into warring religious factions. For the Listener Mary is claiming that she has just discovered Heaven. There are those among the Clifford D. Simak faithful who consider Project Pope his masterpiece. But whether the crowning literary achievement of a multiple Hugo and Nebula Award-winning science fiction Grand Master or merely another brilliant novel of speculative fiction to stand among his many, Simak's breathtaking search for God in the machine ingeniously blends science and spirituality in a truly miraculous way that few science fiction writers, if any, have been able to accomplish.… (more)
User reviews
The novel centers on an order of religious robots on a planet they've named Vatican-17, who have attempted to build a
All of which sounds like it could perhaps make for some interesting musings, or maybe for some satirical humor, on the subjects of artificial intelligence and religion. It does neither, though. Instead, it seems to mostly consist of characters sitting around telling each other the same stuff over and over and over, none of which was particularly interesting in the first place. Neither the world nor the theology of these robots ever feels very well-developed, and the plot is thin enough that the whole thing could probably have been cut down from 300+ pages to novella-length, and been the better for it. And then there's the ending, which kind of feels like it belongs in another story entirely (but not necessarily a better one).
of the characters speak similarly. There is little to tell between them, but it is enough. I like his short sentences. Each sentence is a complete, clear thought. I think a fine radio play might be made of
Clifford Simak has always struck me as a gentle writer. I'm not quite sure what I mean because people kill and are killed, hurt and are mistreated, and there is danger physical and ideological. But always there seems to be a goodness in everything and things work out. Everyone is likeable, villians can be pitied. There is mystery: enough is explained, but never everything.