A Canticle For Leibowitz

Canticle is a stellar sci-fi classic with an incredible weight of history and atmosphere surrounding it.

However, there's one reason Canticle isn't an absolute knockout due to being split into three stories taking place in the same geographical region but separated by hundreds of years, with each having a different viewpoint from an alternative place in time.

This makes for a slightly disjointed and unsatisfying read, especially considering how fascinating the first story is, due to a sense of starting all over again instead of reaching conclusive destinations.

There is no sequel or joining of loose ends, just incredible descriptions and ideas, which is why I rate this book so highly because of the amazing ambience that Walter Miller depicts at such a profound level.

It's a delight for lovers of serene and abandoned dystopia, for those who view the world as beautiful through destruction and doom, through sadness and devotion, commitment, toil and long winding dusty roads into the unknown.

There's no point to any it, yet somehow a flicker of light, a desert rose blooming inexplicably in the background.

If the story looped to a better conclusion this would undoubtedly be a five-star review and I still recommend this book as essential sci-fi.