A Canticle for Liebowitz
Author: Walter M. Miller, Jr.
Review Date: JANUARY 28, 2010
Publisher:Eos.
Pages: 352
Price (hardback): $14.95
Publication Date: 1960
ISBN: 0060892994
ISBN (hardback): 978-0060892999
Category: SCIENCE FICTION
Classification: NOVEL
Miller's (Saint Liebowitz and The Horse Woman, 1996) first novel tells the story of humanity after "The Flame Deluge"; otherwise known as nuclear war.
In 3 connected stories, we learn of the fate of the human race. "FIAT HOMO" details an incident where Brother Francis Girard of Utah on a lenten vigil discovers the "tomb of the blessed Liebowitz". To backtrack, Isaac Liebowitz decided after the bombs fell and civilization collapsed to endeavor to save as much knowledge as possible. After the "Flame Deluge" wiped civilization off the face of the Earth, the survivors chose to be "simpleton's" and burn all books, cd's, etc. They found, so no one could destroy the world again. The Simpletons were given to religious fervor, so Isaac Liebowitz founded an order of monks to do his work, and save all possible knowledge from the book burning simpletons. Many generations later, Brother Francis is of the "Albertian Order of The Blessed Liebowitz". In the fallout shelter, he discovers relics which strengthen the order's case to sanctify the name of Liebowitz, and establish the man as a Saint.
In "FIAT LUX", we find the world having returned to the technological level of Thomas Edison. Brother Kornhoer of the Liebowitzian order is busy trying to perfect an electric light source. He is greatly aided by a scientific scholar and cousin to the now 'King of TexArkana", Thon Taddeo.
Thon Taddeo manages to assist the monk ably, and prevents his cousin's forces from figuring out how to use the abbey as a fortress. With "FIAT VOLUNTAS TUA" humanity despite itself has returned to its age of technological wonder. There have even been colonies established on other worlds. As this last part of the book opens "Lucifer falls". Lucifer is the code name for a massive thermonuclear warhead set in orbit around the Earth. Why it falls, is almost immaterial, as it's explosion on the Earth will bring nuclear war once again. The abbot Dom Zerchi, must determine a path to save as many humans as possible before the war breaks.
This is a very important book, and details a very honest potential vision of our future. Unless we manage to curtail the threat of nuclear weapons.
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Fab review but kind of a downer story.
ReplyDeleteIt is definitely that. I feel cautionary tales such as this are important to revisit so you can use them to whack the idiots in charge of goverment over the head with them from time to time.
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