A Canticle for LeibowitzA Canticle for Leibowitz
Score Classic
What it's about
Centuries after a nuclear war, in the desert of the American Southwest, an order of monks preserves the few scraps of knowledge left from the old world, documents they can no longer understand, including the shopping list of their founder, the blessed Leibowitz. Over 1,800 years, the novel follows the abbey as civilization slowly rises again, rediscovers science, and heads back toward the bomb.
Why it's worth reading
It won the Hugo Award and is one of the great science fiction novels about faith, knowledge and history repeating itself.
You'll love it if you liked
The Road
Foundation
The Name of the RoseGood to know
It's in three parts set centuries apart, with different characters. There's Latin, mostly translated or explained.
By the numbers
- Readers43 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics56 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller32 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #121 of the 313 science fiction books we rank
- #382 of the 762 classics we rank
- #1300 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Dark, Thought-provoking, Adventurous
If you like this, read next
The Lord of the Rings
Ficciones
Rendezvous with Rama
The Left Hand of Darkness
The Gods Themselves
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Quick answers
Is A Canticle for Leibowitz worth reading?
Yes. It won the Hugo Award and is one of the great science fiction novels about faith, knowledge and history repeating itself. It ranks #1,300 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 70.0 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is A Canticle for Leibowitz about?
Centuries after a nuclear war, in the desert of the American Southwest, an order of monks preserves the few scraps of knowledge left from the old world, documents they can no longer understand, including the shopping list of their founder, the blessed Leibowitz. Over 1,800 years, the novel follows the abbey as civilization slowly rises again, rediscovers science, and heads back toward the bomb.
How long does it take to read A Canticle for Leibowitz?
About 8 hours (313 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has A Canticle for Leibowitz won?
Hugo Award winner (1961).
What should I read after A Canticle for Leibowitz?
If you liked it, try The Road by Cormac McCarthy, Foundation by Isaac Asimov or The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco.