A Canticle for Leibowitz

Part 11 of 63

by

English · Science Fiction, Religious Fiction

Walter M. Miller Jr.’s A Canticle for Leibowitz is a post-apocalyptic novel about the preservation of knowledge after civilization has been devastated by nuclear war. Across centuries, members of a Catholic religious order in the American Southwest safeguard fragments of the old world, often without fully understanding the texts they protect.

The story follows the monks of the Albertian Order of Leibowitz as their work of copying, studying, and interpreting documents unfolds against the slow return of science and political power. Its broad historical sweep connects intimate lives within the monastery to the changing fortunes of society beyond its walls.

Blending speculative fiction, religious reflection, and dark humor, the work considers how humanity remembers its past—and how easily it may repeat it. This installment presents part of a larger serialized reading of Miller’s novel.


This recording is part of the Old Time Radio collection.