Synopsis: From the flaps of the Peachtree first edition: "A spiritual tour de force of daring proportion, Close Encounters With the Deity presents such powerful situations and asks so many stimulating questions that its images linger in the mind long after the book is finished. Through the means of what he calls "speculative fiction," Michael Bishop examines the various links between man and the supernatural by exploring relationships and conflicts between mortals and deities of other worlds, in other times, and within other cultures. His scope isn't limited to alien environments, however. Bishop's talent for transforming the commonplace into the fantastic often reaches into our own backyards, and the results are astounding: • A father's love for his son and the influence of an evangelist's strange teachings prompt a desperate and violent act. • In a surreal world of unceasing movies where the inhabitants serve constantly as audience, one man seeks to confront the ultimate power which controls their lives. • A young boy's talent for ventriloquism results in an irresistible summons from an all-powerful source. • A Midwestern farmer's compelling visions draw him to the oceanic god of an unusual cult. • Mysterious airborne hieroglyphics become a young scientist's obsession. With these and other stories, Michael Bishop weaves a colorful tapestry of character, theme, and circumstance which attests to his position as one of the best in his field. Readers will find themselves returning again and again to this startling and insightful volume."