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.
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.
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Find Project Pope Clifford D. Simak in PDF, EPUB, ebook, audiobook, print, or library editions.
Find Project Pope Clifford D. Simak in PDF, EPUB, ebook, audiobook, print, or library editions.
5 books in catalog
Exploring peaceful rural landscapes transformed by mysterious cosmic encounters became a hallmark of mid-century speculative fiction. Clifford D. Simak established this distinct pastoral approach by grounding extraordinary alien contact, time travel, and technological breakthroughs within quiet Midwestern settings, as seen in celebrated novels such as Way Station.
Over a writing career spanning more than five decades, Simak produced dozens of novels and over 140 short stories while working concurrently as a full-time journalist. His contributions earned him three Hugo Awards, a Nebula Award, election as the third SFWA Grand Master, and an inaugural Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement.
Born on August 3, 1904, in Millville, Wisconsin, Simak developed an early interest in speculative fiction after reading the works of H. G. Wells. He began his writing career while working in journalism, publishing his first story, The World of the Red Sun, in the December 1931 issue of Wonder Stories. From 1929 to 1976, newspaper journalism served as his primary vocation, including a long tenure at the Minneapolis Star starting in 1939. Following his retirement from newspaper work, he dedicated himself to full-time fiction writing until his death on April 25, 1988, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Simak became closely identified with pastoral science fiction, frequently placing cosmic anomalies and extraordinary visitors against the backdrop of rural Wisconsin. Rather than emphasizing militarized space warfare or hyper-industrial futures, his stories focus on themes of gentle alien communion, human mortality, nostalgia, and peaceful coexistence among intelligent species. Time travel served as his primary narrative device for introducing otherworldly beings into serene, everyday environments, establishing a contemplative tone across his body of work.
5 books in catalog
Exploring peaceful rural landscapes transformed by mysterious cosmic encounters became a hallmark of mid-century speculative fiction. Clifford D. Simak established this distinct pastoral approach by grounding extraordinary alien contact, time travel, and technological breakthroughs within quiet Midwestern settings, as seen in celebrated novels such as Way Station.
Over a writing career spanning more than five decades, Simak produced dozens of novels and over 140 short stories while working concurrently as a full-time journalist. His contributions earned him three Hugo Awards, a Nebula Award, election as the third SFWA Grand Master, and an inaugural Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement.
Born on August 3, 1904, in Millville, Wisconsin, Simak developed an early interest in speculative fiction after reading the works of H. G. Wells. He began his writing career while working in journalism, publishing his first story, The World of the Red Sun, in the December 1931 issue of Wonder Stories. From 1929 to 1976, newspaper journalism served as his primary vocation, including a long tenure at the Minneapolis Star starting in 1939. Following his retirement from newspaper work, he dedicated himself to full-time fiction writing until his death on April 25, 1988, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Simak became closely identified with pastoral science fiction, frequently placing cosmic anomalies and extraordinary visitors against the backdrop of rural Wisconsin. Rather than emphasizing militarized space warfare or hyper-industrial futures, his stories focus on themes of gentle alien communion, human mortality, nostalgia, and peaceful coexistence among intelligent species. Time travel served as his primary narrative device for introducing otherworldly beings into serene, everyday environments, establishing a contemplative tone across his body of work.
