Walter M. Miller, Jr. (1923–1996)

She leaned close to whisper behind her hand. “I need be giving shriv’ness to Him, as well.”
The priest recoiled slightly. “To whom? I don’t understand.”
“Shriv’ness-to Him who made me as I am,” she whimpered. But then a slow smile spread her mouth. “I-I never forgave Him for it.”
“Forgive God? How can you-? He is just. He is Justice, He is Love. How can you say-?”
Her eyes pleaded with him. “Mayn’t an old tumater woman forgive Him just a little for His Justice? Afor

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I be asking His shriv’ness on me?”

A book about hope, death, suffering, endings, nostalgia, heritage, preservation, change, what actually matters, whether a small group of people has the power to change the world, tradition, and other stuff that I'm bad at articulating. Pretty depressing too. It gives an amazing sense of time passing, of how things change, how people forget and remember. The society presented feels real.

I came away with a feeling of just how important nuclear disarmament is, how important peace is, how disgusting justifications for war are. I feel like there's more to say but it's hard to articulate, there's a lot to think about that feels like it needs an essay to put into words.

The ending is a little weird and it's really depressing sometimes and the Latin can be a bit confusing with no translation (BUT whenever it's key to the story it's translated) but otherwise it's great.

Also, I will say that although they get only minimal mention in the book: I have strong sympathy for the "Simpletons" (very minor early spoiler) who burned the books. show less

Formada por tres novelas cortas que empezaron a publicarse en 1955, dando lugar a su publicación como libro en 1959, 'Cántico por Leibowitz' es una absoluta y rotunda obra maestra, una de las mejores novelas de ciencia ficción de la Historia.

Se trata de una novela post-apocalíptica, pero realizar un resumen de su contenido es un tarea complicada que de ninguna manera puede hacerle justicia a la obra. La novela está dividida en tres relatos. En el primero, 'Fiat homo' ('Hágase el show more hombre'), han pasado 600 años desde la Tercera Guerra Mundial. El mundo se encuentra en una nueva Edad Media en la que la iglesia ejerce de guardiana de la cultura; de la poca que queda, ya que tras la hecatombe, los supervivientes quemaron todos los libros que encontraron, al igual que mataron a todas aquellas personas sospechosas por su inteligencia. A ésto se le llamó Simplificación. En este relato, el hermano Francis, durante su ayuno cuaresmal en el desierto, descubre ciertos manuscritos pertenecientes al fundador de su orden, Leibowitz.

En el segundo relato, 'Fiat lux' ('Hágase la luz'), han vuelto a pasar otros 600 años. Parece que se acerca un nuevo resurgir de la ciencia, donde la Orden de San Leibowitz tiene un papel relevante.

En el tercer relato, 'Fiat voluntas tua' ('Hágase tu voluntad'), de nuevo han pasado 600 años y la humanidad vuelve a encontrarse donde empezó todo. Se avecina un nuevo conflicto nuclear...

Esta mezcla de ciencia ficción y religión resulta fascinante. Existen continuas referencias teológicas, y la visión que se tiene del siglo XX a través de los documentos supervivientes es muy divertido. Es una novela imprescindible, no sólo para el aficionado a la ciencia ficción, sino para cualquier lector. show less

Parts I and II weren't doing much for me, which was worrying - am I broken inside? I know it's good, why am I not feeling it? Have I really become that distrustful of Catholicism that I can't view it objectively anymore? Because that was so not the point of coming out as an atheist.
But Part III was when the magic happened. It got me engaged and it got me thinking. Most of all it got me conflicted - I was sympathizing with the monks even though I didn't agree with them at all, which should show more have been weird because I knew that wasn't the author's view of the conflict. But the story was so beautifully developed I never felt like I was supposed to see it like that myself. It's a lovely piece of seamless, understated and very elegant storytelling. A very different kind of post-apocalyptic novel, but a great job nonetheless. show less

This is an exceptional book: insightful, contemplative, humorous, tragic - it manages in just over 320 pages to characterize the futility and indomitability of humankind.

The story takes place in the (roughly) two thousand years following the "deluge of fire" that was the nuclear war that all but wiped out civilization somewhere in the near future. Books have been destroyed, except for those that were hidden by "bookleggers" and memorizers who did what they could to salvage as much knowledge show more as possible. One such booklegger was E.A. Leibowitz, a scientist who was caught while hiding books and hung and burned by an angry mob.

The Canticle is told in three parts. In the first, Francis (a monk belonging to a Christian sect that reveres Leibowitz) finds relics related to Leibowitz that ultimately gain the canonization of their "founder." The second involves the emergence of new human society that is beginning to realize that much knowledge had been lost - and is eager to regain that knowledge. The third tells the tale of the recurrent nightmare of humanity.

Throughout, Miller maintains a light, amused perspective that occasionally gives over to a more serious mood. The characters are effectively drawn, and reflections about the destiny of mankind are presented without making them seem like lectures or formal pronouncements. The book is understated - beautifully so - and far more compelling a read than one would expect. show less