A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller

A Canticle for Leibowitz (Lippincott Paperback, LP 20) (Black Swan S.)

by Walter M. Miller

The classic science fiction novel of a future dark age and humanity's new renaissance

It is a new dark age of fear and ignorance.

An atomic Flame Deluge has ravaged the earth, and humanity's survivors have turned against science.

In the depths of a hellish desert, the Order of St Leibowitz preserves the few remnants of mankind's knowledge. Then a humble monk makes a miraculous discovery of several artefacts - including a note written by blessed St Leibowitz himself, which reads:

Pound pastrami
can kraut
six bagels
- bring home for Emma

Could this holiest of relics hold the key to humanity's salvation?

A Canticle For Leibowitz is a sharp, satirical examination of humanity that is chilling, provocative and endlessly imaginative - an undisputed science fiction classic.

Reviewed by teachergorman on

5 of 5 stars

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This was assigned in a class at my small, Christian university 20 years ago ... and I didn't read it. As I now know, when you fail to do the assigned reading, you haven't gotten away with anything. You've just cheated yourself. I finally came back to it, and I'm kicking myself, though I might not have been able to appreciate it at the time. I was surprised it was assinged at a Christian university; while it traffics in themes that are flattering to general religious principles at the end, it does a marvelous job of pointing out the absurdities of some religious dogma in a way that would not have been popular among many of my classmates. I guess I wasn't the only one who didn't read it! Don't make my mistake. It's a masterpiece.

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  • 8 August, 2018: Reviewed