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A Canticle for Leibowitz is a classic speculative fiction novel by American author Walter M. Miller, Jr., published in 1960. Set in a Catholic monastery in the desert lands of the Southwestern US after a catastrophic nuclear war, the novel spans the thousands of years it takes for civilization to rebuild itself. It is the chosen duty of the monks of the fictional Albertian Order of Leibowitz to preserve the remnants of humanity's scientific knowledge, in expectation of the day the world will again be ready for it. The novel is based on the author's own experiences during WW2. He was involved in the allied bombing of the ancient Roman Catholic monastery at Monte Cassino, which led to its destruction. Told in a three parts ("Fiat Homo", "Fiat Lux", and "Fiat Voluntas Tua") the structure reflects the origins of the novel as three individual stories published in science fiction magazines. A Canticle for Leibowitz won the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1961.
