October book selection: "A Canticle for Liebowitz" by Walter M. Miller, Jr.

During World War II, author Walter M. Miller, Jr. enlisted in the the US Army Air Forces as a radioman and tail gunner, flying more than fifty bombing missions over Italy. One of these missions was responsible for the destruction of the 6th-century Christian monastery at Monte Cassino, founded by St. Benedict and recognized as the oldest surviving Christian church in the Western world.

When Miller returned to his home state of Florida after the war, he abandoned atheism and converted to Catholicism two years later. He also started writing short stories; within 10 years, these short stories had turned into "A Canticle for Liebowitz". It's considered one of the greatest science fiction books of all time, loved not just by fans of the genre, but spanning across audiences and decades (and was also an inspiration for the game "Fallout").

Goodreads summary

In a nightmarish ruined world slowly awakening to the light after sleeping in darkness, the infant rediscoveries of science are secretly nourished by cloistered monks dedicated to the study and preservation of the relics and writings of the blessed Saint Isaac Leibowitz. From here the story spans centuries of ignorance, violence, and barbarism, viewing through a sharp, satirical eye the relentless progression of a human race damned by its inherent humanness to recelebrate its grand foibles and repeat its grievous mistakes. Seriously funny, stunning, and tragic, eternally fresh, imaginative, and altogether remarkable, A Canticle for Leibowitz retains its ability to enthrall and amaze. It is now, as it always has been, a masterpiece.