A Canticle for Leibowitz

Part 6 of 63

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, even as society slowly changes around them.

The story follows the monks of the Albertian Order of Leibowitz through distinct historical eras. Their work of copying, studying, and interpreting surviving documents connects the lives of individuals to the long, uncertain recovery of human learning and political life.

Blending speculative fiction with religious reflection, dark humor, and questions about memory, faith, and the repeated dangers of technological progress, the novel offers a thoughtful, expansive listening experience. Its focus is less on a single hero than on the enduring effort to preserve meaning through upheaval.

This recording is part of the Old Time Radio collection.