The pretense is a bit odd, and the theology-as-sci-fi mechanism is a little clunky, but it works for most of the book. Would the definitive proof that there’s another planet supporting life, with a completely different set of sentient species, cultures, languages, and the like, really create such a great deal of certainty that G-d exists? Who knows; I suppose if you accept the pretense (that it would be Jesuits who are at the forefront of organizing a mission to visit the planet), then it’s plausible. Still and all, it seems to me that the science fiction is fairly interesting if a little far-fetched, and the theological musings overlaid on top of it are kind of thin gruel. The characters are fairly sharply drawn (if sometimes a little annoying), the plot is gripping and the disjunction of time allows the story to unfold in a fairly cagey way that is entertaining. The last fifty pages or so has a not-altogether-unexpected twist, and in general the pace picks up in a way that feels a bit like jumping the shark. The big shock at the end - terrible though it is - could well have been written without the whole science fiction charade containing it. If you found Contact a little too abstract, I suppose this book would not be a bad complement, but I also wouldn’t recommend it as a general rule.