Winner of the 1961 Hugo Award, Canticle for Leibowitz is a beautiful piece of literature. Millers' only novel, after which he fairly well vanished from print except for occasional stories, it tells the tale of a post-nuclear Earth in three historically separated parts.

The story is revolved in all three parts around the circumstances and inhabitants of a monastery, dedicated to Leibowitz, an engineer from before the nuclear war which long preceeds the beginning of the story. The monastery has the specific task of functioning as a depository for all remaining fragments of knowledge remaining from before the scourge, in the hope that one day they can be used again, when a renaissance should come. Only few fragments remain, mankind having gone on a book-burning frenzy, and murdered all remaining intellectuals after the fire.

We watch through the course of the book as gradually man begins to reclaim his intellectual heritage, each part of the book representing a distinct phase of technological development, from medieval to nuclear technologies. At each stage, the monastery and its Abbot must face a peculiar challenge related to mans redevelopment. Through this vehicle, Miller uses his story to reveal mans complete failure to learn anything from history except how to repeat it, in every conceivable manner.

The monastery is Catholic, and so, obviously is Miller. There are many discussions based on the ethical tenets of the Catholic faith. These are an interesting addition to the book, it is in no way a preaching style. It is only true to say, like any good literature, the author lends us the perspective of his own experience, and cleverly blends it with a good imaginative tale.

Miller peoples his world with some truly interesting characters....watch out for ongoing appearances of the infinately-prolonged hermit, fairly easy to identify with the biblical Lazarus, awaiting the second coming of Christ. And marvel, at the inventively-warped mind with which Miller creates "Rachel", a character who blends religion and post-apocolyptic nightmare in a unique fashion!

I believe this to be a piece of classic twentieth century fiction. This is science fiction, and also fine literature, a world class novel. The skillful blending of inventive plot, social commentary, and personal perspective is very entertaining. This book turns out to be a quick read, though not particularly a short book. You will stay absorbed.

Millers' vision for our future is not particularly cheery. This book is, of course, written during the days of the cold war, and echoes of that. I smiled wryly at Millers' naive view of atomic half-life. At one point one of his characters states that a nuclear bomb would make a city unlivable for a thousand years. Alas, any recovery may take somewhat longer in reality.

There is a fair amount of latin, only some of which is translated for us. I remain in the dark as to what the rest of it meant. It didn't seem to affect my enjoyment of the book, but I did wonder what the point was. Please try this book, it is a wonderful work.

Some of my other science fiction book reviews:

Rama Revealed
Prelude to Space
Stand on Zanzibar
The Demolished Man
The Stars my Destination
Cat's Cradle
The Gods Themselves
Watchmen
A Canticle for Leibowitz
The Hammer of God
The Left Hand of Darkness
Flowers for Algernon
Lord of Light
Rendevous with Rama
The Tombs of Atuan
The Dispossessed
I am Legend
The Einstein Intersection
Earth Abides
Peace on Earth
The Farthest Shore
Methuselah's Children
A Call to Arms
To your Scattered Bodies Go
The Lion of Comarre / Against the Fall of Night
To Say Nothing of the Dog
The Doomsday Book
Frankenstein Unbound
Batman - The Dark Knight Returns
Imperial Earth
A Case of Conscience
Solaris
The Sands of Mars
The Land of Laughs
Eden
His Masters Voice
Citizen of the Galaxy
King David's Spaceship
The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch
Double Star
The Fabulous Riverboat
Songs of Distant Earth
Way Station
The Fountains of Paradise
The Long Tomorrow
Lincolns Dreams
Alas Babylon
More Than Human
1984
The Forever War
All the Myriad Ways
I Sing the Body Electric
Gateway
Flow my Tears, the Policeman Said
This Immortal
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress

Recommended: Yes