A Choice of Gods (1972)

Most of the humans from earth are dead. Of the handful that did not die or disappear, there are two groups - Native Americans that have gone back to their roots and the others that have developed a means of transgalactic travel simply using the power of the mind. And, oh by the way, there are the robots. Some of the robots have decided that their life's work should be the study of religion - while most are content to service the basic needs of the remaining humans and to work on their project. But there are, in fact, more humans in the galaxy - taken from earth and not killed. And now they want to come home. ( )

Forgettable but fun bit of Simakry, with traditional Simak ingredients. Quaint rural America meets catholic robots meets extraterrestrials meets neo-Redskins meets God, with the interesting twist that, overall, all that really matters is conservative bliss. Not that it prevents urbanity... ( )

Most of the people of Earth have disappeared leaving only a rich, white family, a tribe of Native Americans, and another small group of people who are not really introduced. And, the robots. Of course, the robots who were only ever made to serve humans. The remaining whites, the Whitneys, have developed parapsychic abilities and now travel among the stars without the aid of any machinery. The Natives have returned to the old way of nomadic communion with the Earth. Of the robots, some serve the Whitneys, some are trying to figure out Christianity, and the rest are engaged in the Project. All of the humans now live about 8,000 years and never get sick.
The book is mostly philosophical discussion of the how and why of the universe. Why are we still here? Where’s everyone else? How come we no longer suffer from illness? Where did our new abilities come from and what’s the next evolutionary step? What are the robots building? Is a robot who worships God a blasphemy? Sometimes this can seem heavy, but it is so steeped in narrative, that it’s mostly digestible (although, I spent a lot of time with the book open in my hands, staring off into space, considering just these questions).
The conflict comes when the People who disappeared are located and are threatening to come back. What does that mean for those still on Earth?
All I know is, I’d like to have 8,000 years to live with an abandoned library at my disposal and a fleet of robots to serve my basic needs. (Though, I’m quite sure, this is not the impression the author meant to leave with the reader…) ( )

This fantasy novel gives the reader a choice of an unknowable indifferent entity omniscient and eternal, and a robot-built "super-machine"." Neither of Simak's choices bear a resemblance to my Loving God, the Lord of the Universe, but the premise does entertain. ( )