First published 2006
Brother Francis discovers ancient relics in the desert ruins, fragments from the time before the Great Flame Deluge destroyed civilization. In his monastery, the Order of Saint Leibowitz secretly guards scientific knowledge while the outside world remains trapped in medieval darkness. The monks copy blueprints they cannot understand and preserve documents they dare not reveal, knowing that humanity once flew through the sky and split the atom. As centuries pass, the world slowly rediscovers electricity, then nuclear power, then spaceflight. Yet each generation seems destined to repeat the same fatal mistakes that reduced cities to radioactive ash. Francis and his brother monks watch civilization rise again, torn between hope and dread. They know the knowledge they protect could heal the world or destroy it once more. The cycle of human folly continues, and the monks must decide whether salvation lies in preserving the past or letting it die.
Genres: science-fiction, dystopia, literary-fiction, historical-fiction
Vibes: atmospheric, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: cycles-of-history, found-family
Setting: Desert, Monastery, Civilization
Period: Before the Great Flame Deluge, After the Great Flame Deluge
334 pages · Paperback · Eos
Content warnings: violence