Summary
A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr. is widely considered one of the most influential and enduring classics of postapocalyptic science fiction. First published in 1959, this Hugo Award-winning novel takes place over thousands of years in a cyclical future where civilization rebuilds itself after nuclear devastation. At its core, the story follows an order of monks dedicated to preserving knowledge from before the apocalypse. The novel is notable for its exploration of the tension between faith and reason, the cyclical nature of history, and humanity's relationship with technology. Miller's vivid world-building and philosophical themes have kept A Canticle for Leibowitz relevant for decades, cementing its place as a seminal work of speculative fiction. The book has never gone out of print.
Plot
Set in a postapocalyptic world, A Canticle for Leibowitz follows the monks of the Albertian Order of Leibowitz in their quest to preserve knowledge after a devastating nuclear war. The story spans thousands of years, beginning 600 years after the war in a monastery in the southwestern United States. A young novice named Brother Francis discovers ancient documents belonging to the order's founder, Isaac Leibowitz, leading to Leibowitz's canonization as a saint.
The second part takes place 600 years later, as a new Renaissance is beginning. A secular scholar named Thon Taddeo visits the monastery to study its preserved knowledge. Meanwhile, political tensions are rising between city-states, with the mayor of Texarkana seeking to expand his power and control. The abbot refuses to allow the monastery's documents to be taken away, offering instead for research to continue on-site.
Another 600 years pass, and humanity has once again developed advanced technology including nuclear weapons and space travel. As tensions rise between two global superpowers, the monastery prepares to evacuate some of its members to a space colony to preserve human knowledge in case of another apocalyptic war. A nuclear incident occurs, followed by a brief ceasefire and then full-scale war.
As nuclear explosions begin, the abbot is trapped in the monastery's ruins. Before dying, he encounters a two-headed mutant woman who seems to perform a miracle. The novel ends as the monastery's chosen crew launches into space, leaving behind a world once again descending into nuclear devastation. A final scene depicts the effects of the war's fallout on marine life.
