Book of the Month:
“A Canticle for Leibowitz” by Walter M. Miller, Jr.
We’re starting off 2020 with a new theme: Religion in science fiction. Having already covered “Dune”, “Hyperion”, and “Childhood’s End”, we are looking to find new and interesting takes on theology in classic and contemporary literature.
Since we’re due for a classic, we decided to take one off our always-growing recommendation list. We have heard A LOT of good about “A Canticle for Leibowitz” and are excited to see what the hype is all about.
Initially published in 1959, this novel is made up of three short stories set in a Catholic monastery as the world works to rebuild from an apocalyptic event. The book won the Hugo in 1961 and was met with great acclaim, something that is a bit surprising considering the hot-button topics it was tackling back when it was released (interesting fun fact: “Canticle for Leibowitz” has never been out of print). Here’s a great article that the New Yorker published in 2014 that talks about the novel’s themes and it’s legacy: https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/science-fiction-classic-still-smolders
