“....Nature
imposes nothing on you that Nature doesn't prepare you to bear.”
“Soon the sun will set- is that prophecy? No, it's merely an assertion
of faith in the consistency of events.”
A very interesting read. There were times when I thought it was simply
okay, but upon reflection after finishing the book I can say that it is very
good and memorable book. For me, this book worked in really subtle ways. It's
not exactly what I was expecting it to be. The book deals with a serious
subject (especially considering the time in which it was published, 1959)- life
that follows centuries after nuclear devastation. While this book is regarded
as a classic of science-fiction, I think it extends beyond that. This should
really be a classic of American literature. Supremely crafted and written in a
manner that is intriguing and, at times, cryptic.
It picks up 6 centuries after nuclear war. In that time, there was a
great backlash on the science and technology that created these weapons. People
blamed science for the destruction and death throughout the land. They burned
any book they could find, killed scientists, doctors, or any educated person.
This was the time known as "The Simplification". Those who opposed
these "Simpletons" worked to smuggle books through the American
southwest to be transcribed and kept for future generations. Many of these
people were caught and killed. One of these people is the man named Leibowitz
who started an order in this tradition. The book is essentially divided into 3
parts:
FIAT HOMO: This is an age of little technology. In the 26th century (6
centuries after nuclear devastation), a young novice named Francis encounters a
wanderer in the desert who essentially shows him the entrance to an ancient
nuclear fallout shelter. In the shelter he discovers artifacts from 6 centuries
earlier, including a letter (...shopping list) written by Leibowitz, the
founder of his order. This causes a great uproar, as people are unsure whether
Leibowitz was really the author.
FIAT LUX: For me, this was the hardest part of the book to read. It got
a little dense at times and was told in a more didactic manner. 6 centuries
after the previous story, this part serves as sort of a renaissance. In this
age, a monk has just re-discovered how to produce electricity to emit light
from an arc-lamp. More work is done to analyze the memorabilia and fragments of
texts that could lead to advancements in science.
FIAT VOLUNTAS TUA: Easily the best part of the book for me (with the
first part coming in a near 2nd place) Now in the year 3781, technology has
soared past its current state. Humans are on their way to colonizing other
parts of the solar system and science has grown to be an impressive force. So
impressive that (inevitably) nuclear destruction once again threatens the
existence of man. Nuclear explosions occur and there is talk about retaliation.
The church orders a star-ship with several clergy, artifacts, and memorabilia
to evacuate the earth before total destruction occurs.
Obviously, much more happens within the text that I won't write about.
There are discussions of morality, religion, technology, and even suicide. The
last subject is especially intriguing to me given the fact that later in his
life, Miller became a recluse and took his own life in 1996. Even with the
dense subject manner, this book tends to be very funny in unexpected places. It
is one that makes you think after you are done reading it.
