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A Canticle for Leibowitz

Walter M. Miller Jr.

Eos

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Masterpiece!

Probably the best book I've ever read. A haunting, post-apcalyptic world - all documented history systematically erased throughout the world - monks preserve books for future generations. Amazing. A must read.

A post-apocalyptic story told from a sci-fi/religious perspective...

A Canticle For Leibowitz is a story about life in and about a monastery following a society-busting nuclear war. Isaac Leibowitz was an engineer during this war, and following the break-up of society he established an Order to collect and store whatever written memorabilia could be found. Eventually, he was caught and executed as "one of them" - knowledgeable people who must have been involved somehow in developing weapons - by the remaining people who called themselves, with pride, simpletons.

But the Albertian Order of Leibowitz lived on. Six hundred years later, actual evidence of his existence was rediscovered, and Leibowitz was canonized as a Saint. Over hundreds of more years, the reinvention of the scientific process was combined with the ancient written records preserved by the Order. The result, eventually, was the development of space travel, and...

Let's just say that author Walter Miller, Jr., didn't have high hopes of humanity learning its lessons.

A Canticle For Leibowitz, as a story, has engaging characters, a span of over two thousand years, debates on the role of science and religion, sparring on ethics, and more.

This is a classic end-of-the-world book. For a book written in 1959, it still reads very well, because we bomb ourselves back into the Dark Ages, and thus start over.

Historically, I'd say inspiration for this book comes from that dangerous period that we call the Cold War. This book fits in with the other pessimistic books of that time period, such as On the Beach and Earth Abides.

Excellent Read!

Originally written in the late 1950s, Walter M. Miller Jr.'s most famous work is still an enjoyable read in my mind. The author skillfully wove together a character driven story of the interplays between faith, technology, and pride. "A Canticle for Liebowitz" combines darkness and ironic humor in a way which takes advantage of both without overplaying either. Likewise the novel's treatment of faith and science is generally very well set up by Miller.

The plot is divided into three main parts:

I. Set several centuries after a twentieth century nuclear war, a Catholic monk in training discovers potentially important documents in an abandoned fallout shelter in the deserts of Utah. Part I is essentially the story of the preservation of the past that successfully manages to merge dark ages/medieval imagery with the genre of post-apocalyptic science fiction.

II. Set roughly six centuries or so later, Part II focuses on a time period rather reminisent of the Age of Reason in Europe (the weapons technology appears roughly at 1600s-1700s level). The ruthless monarch of Texarkana has become a major power on a scene divided between a number of other states (eg. the Empire of Denver), nomadic plains peoples almost certainly meant to resemble the Plains tribes of the American West, and the Papacy in New Rome. One of the main conflicts in Part II is not political however, it is the growing clash between religion and secular science including over how to interpret the generation of Liebowitz (a twentieth century scientist). There is also some conflict between fundamentalist minded Catholics and more scientific Catholics within the abbey.

III. Set roughly six centuries after Part II, Part III tells the story of the possibly final generation of humans on earth. Atomic weapons have once again been invented and humanity has advanced in technology to the point where colonies are being started in other solar systems. On earth, the Atlantic Confederacy and its Asiatic nemesis are moving to the brink of a war that threatens once again to destroy human civilization and perhaps even more completely (at least on Earth) than the last one. Part III deals with very serious issues ranging from euthanasia to nuclear war to the definition of being human. Faith and society clash as the clock ticks down towards the endgame which seems so inevitable. I personally wander whether Miller had read "On the Beach" as the topic of euthanasia after a nuclear assault comes up in this novel as well (Miller seems to take a differeing view from Shute).

Overall, "A Canticle for Liebowitz" combines excellent penmanship with interesting storylines. While parts may be slightly dated considering when it was written, the overall work holds up quite nicely. I highly recommend it.

Loved this book. Not too many better.

I loved this book. I just finished it and I am trying to think of books that are better than this, and I can't think of many. I won't go into details, there are over 235 reviews to discuss this. I can only say that I thoroughly enjoyed it. Loved all short stories.

Andre

Seems like an inspiration for Battlestar Galactica

Many good reviews here explain the book well enough. I'll only add that it seems clear that this book was one of the inspirations for the recent Battlestar Galactica reboot.

Quickly, though, the book was very good. Miller was clearly a talented writer and the message he conveys is engaging and thought-provoking. Certainly deserves its lofty place in American Literature.