There are important lessons to be learned however, particularly in the preservation of knowledge and it’s availability. Some critics feel this section to be the weaker of the stories, I somewhat agree as it feels much a segue to the third story in retrospect. This occurs in the midst of 18th century-like warfare in the American Southwest – particularly Texas and the Southern Great Plains where a new aristocracy is expanding in power. The second story, “Fiat Voluntas Tua” (“Let There Be Light”) takes place 600 years after the story of Francis, when better understanding of the 20th century “memorabilia” results in something of a renaissance in humanity re-learning technology. ![]() The Jewish Leibowitz establishes an order in the former American Southwest to carry out the mission, but is eventually martyred – leading eventually to the theme of the first novella, work towards his canonization by supporters to become Saint Leibowitz. Books are burned, but a small band within at least the Catholic church works to secret away knowledge from the senseless destruction. Soon the concept of knowledge itself is seen as dangerous and to be discarded so that the world might start new again. The “Simplification” occurs not long after the war, in which surviving world leaders and scientists are blamed for the catastrophic events and are murdered. Leibowitz had survived the nuclear war that occurred in the 1960s, but faced a world that would never quite repair itself from the damage incurred by the radiation and latent genetic effects caused from the war. Events transpire from there, as “memorabilia” discovered in and around the shelter once belonged to his order’s namesake, Isaac Leibowitz. ![]() After meeting a wandering old man making his way across the desert, Francis finds an ancient fallout shelter dating from 600 years previous – it is the 26th century. The first “Fiat Homo” (“Let There Be Man”) reflects upon the life of a young novice (later monk) named Francis stumbling upon relics of the past during his Lenten hermitage. The book is actually three novellas with a continuing theme and storyline over many centuries after “ The Flame Deluge” (a global nuclear war) which apparently occurred in the mid-to-late 1960s. It is a work of science fiction unlike the it’s contemporary post-apocalyptic counterparts considering the basis of Catholicism in the book but also the necessity to save history and knowledge through even the darkest and violent of times. Actually it was a book-on-tape during a long drive the past weekend and a dark, rainy and gloomy drive did little to improve the somewhat emotional weight of the book. ![]() This was not my first read of A Canticle for Leibowitz, although it has been a long time since I’ve been through the book. ![]() See to it, m’Lord, that thou fearest them as much as they shall now fear thee, that none may unleash this dread thing which we have wrought.” A Canticle for Leibowitz And that God had suffered these magi to place the weapons in the hands of princes, and to say to each prince: “Only because the enemies have such a thing have we devised this for thee, in order that they may know that thou hast it also, and fear to strike.
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