Catholicism and sci-fi? Odd bedfellows, to be sure. Or, perhaps not — the universalist utopia, a preoccupation with time…Even rituals and superstition. The two come together in the bizarre brilliance of Walter M. Miller, Jr.’s classic 1959 tale. A Catharistic Asimov-esque type, Miller ranges far and wide, moving the imprint of early atomic age apocalypse into a wider field. Like opening a door (or a box, say once owned by Pandora) and finding more within than expected, A Canticle For Leibowitz blows the hinges off your dogmatisms in a chain reaction of flows, cycles and epicycles. A new wave Ptolemaic ode with a proto c-punk feel — replacing mirrorshades with aviators and rosaries. Most (w)holy recommended, Miller’s masterpiece is under-appreciated and lashed together in disturbing and dark tones — hellishly hot (yet not off the press) and verging on self-immolating. Kind of like Aquinas on acid.
New is not always improved…
June 20, 2007 at 9:43 am |
Another book to add to the must-read list….
June 20, 2007 at 7:44 pm |
It’s worthwhile…Immaculate, even.